Ji Changkong, Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine were instantly plunged into a bizarre state upon entering the Source, as if a deeply buried point within them had been triggered, causing them to rapidly assimilate the memory imprints from within the Source itself. Especially Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine—for unknown reasons, a strange microchip within their bodies was activated, drawing in a frantic influx of external nuclear energy.

This energy caused their bodies to undergo metallic transformations, and with each injection of nuclear power, their strength surged, becoming terrifyingly untouchable. The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon and Kuang, along with the other powerful experts lurking nearby, were rendered utterly dumbfounded.

Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine continued to absorb the wild external nuclear energy. From these three, everyone present vaguely sensed a deep-seated wrongness.

Several of the more cautious masters prepared to intervene, but upon approaching the trio and sensing the colossal energy fluctuations emanating from them, they hesitated, ultimately withdrawing their intent. It wasn't that they didn't want to act; it was that they dared not!

Because the sheer, immense power radiating from these three was capable of shattering heaven and earth, and they had no confidence they could withstand a counterattack from Osos and the others. "He obtained half of Tyr’s power—he obtained it long ago.

He has always been living in the past..." an old woman, who hailed from the same universe as Osos, repeated the phrase with sheer horror etched on her face. "Candice!" the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon sharply called out, "What do you know?

Who is Tyr?" The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon's roar overlapped with reverberations that drilled straight into the depths of the old woman's mind, instantly jolting her from her shock. The old woman snapped her eyes open, looking at Osos and declaring, "He is Tyr’s incarnation, possessing half of Tyr’s power.

His mastery of magic must have surpassed mine long ago. This individual is anything but simple; he has hidden his full strength, and no one knows what he truly intends to do." "Who exactly is Tyr?" Kuang could no longer contain himself.

Candice hesitated for a moment before replying, "Tyr is the sole True God of our universe. He brought the profound truths of magic to our reality.

No one has ever truly seen him; he is an extremely unique life form. Beyond disseminating the arcane mysteries of magic throughout our universe, he also possesses mastery over the powers of time and space..." Candice spoke of Tyr’s legendary deeds with deep reverence before suddenly gasping, "This person must have attained Tyr’s ultimate mastery over time!

His true strength far exceeds what we are witnessing now. This being is utilizing the power of time to situate his body in the past.

He can freely manipulate temporal forces, and with a mere shift of thought, he can instantly accelerate himself back to the present, thus wielding power far beyond what he currently displays!" "Are you saying this person has always been dwelling in the past, waiting for the right moment to return?" Kuang exclaimed in surprise. "Is there such a mysterious power in the cosmos?" "There is!" Candice affirmed.

"Tyr wields the power of time and space. He can traverse various dimensions effortlessly and walk continuously through the past and the future.

He is the one True God of our universe, the founder of the magical civilization. We believe that by obtaining Tyr’s power, one can transcend all limitations and know the past and the future." Candice’s explanation shocked many in attendance.

Yet, Ji Changkong, Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine remained in that same peculiar trance, seemingly lost in some dream state, showing no sign of waking soon. Listening to Candice's narrative, Zihan stared intently at Osos, scrutinizing him from every angle.

She could only detect a continuous, flickering anomaly in Osos's eyes, like minuscule signals jumping rapidly. Had it not been for the intense nuclear energy pouring into him, Zihan would have paid Osos no mind at all.

But Candice’s revelation compelled Zihan to reassess Osos, yet after observing him closely for a while longer, she still gained no insight. "Lingmeng!

Lingmeng!" Zihan projected a mental call toward Lingmeng, hoping her to wake quickly to receive instructions for the next step. But the moment her mental summons left her, she immediately detected a response from Lingmeng’s direction—a blinding beam of nuclear energy!

The beam, like a dazzling star condensed into a single point, shot toward her with extreme speed. Zihan was terrified beyond measure.

She frantically dodged within the Source, exerting great effort just to evade the blast. After that narrow escape, Zihan dared not attempt to communicate mentally with Lingmeng again, choosing instead to wait and observe developments quietly.

Ji Changkong and the other three remained in their strange state, appearing sleepwalking, with no sign of awakening. Dozens of supreme masters from various universes encircled the central four, unsure how to deal with them.

Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine continued to draw in the frenzied external nuclear energy, a layer of bright silver now coating their bodies, giving them a distinctly metallic texture. The energy fluctuations emanating from these three astounded the onlookers.

The observers habitually kept their distance, wary of provoking them lest the trio suddenly lash out, perceiving them as enemies. Only Ji Changkong remained utterly placid, showing not the slightest energy fluctuation.

Compared to the other three, Ji Changkong truly seemed asleep. Not only was there no intense outward surge of power, but his mind felt utterly empty, as if reduced to nothingness.

Many masters who had achieved the Ultimate Realm probed Ji Changkong’s spirit with their divine senses, yet discovered absolutely nothing. As a result, everyone's attention gravitated toward Ji Changkong.

Masters from the Heavenly Scholar, Magic, and Daoist traditions each employed their unique profundities to probe him, hoping to discern the nature of the changes through him. Alas, every attempt to investigate yielded no clue.

Once the soul-detection techniques unique to the Three Great Civilizations entered Ji Changkong's mind, they vanished instantly, leaving no trace of abnormality detected. It was precisely because Ji Changkong exhibited no overly intense energy fluctuations that the assembled experts did not harbor malice toward him.

In their view, without receiving the infusion of that wild nuclear energy, Ji Changkong posed no threat. Thus, they used him only as a subject for investigation, harboring no ill intent.

These individuals, however, held designs for Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine. Yet, the trio’s bodies remained perpetually enveloped by that strange nuclear energy, rendering them impossible to approach.

The numerous powerful experts from the great universes could glean nothing from their surroundings, nor did they find anything within the Source particularly alluring. Many dispersed to explore the world within the Source, but finding nothing, they eventually all congregated again.

"There must be something fundamentally different about them!" the assembled masters gathered together, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon calling the assembly. "Otherwise, why would they react differently from us, undergoing such a wondrous transformation the moment they entered?" "I believe we should be candid now and share what we know," Kuang added his counsel.

"Only then can we uncover the secrets of the Source." The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon pointed at Ji Changkong. "This individual comes from our universe.

He bears the aura of Chaos within him. The third eye in his brow should be the Eye of Chaos!

Chaos is an unimaginably vast and terrifying entity, said to command the opposing forces of Life and Destruction. Chaos is also the mother of life in our universe.

It entered our cosmos, destroyed it, and then its body transformed into all things, its essence becoming the ambient power between heaven and earth, leaving behind the Profundity of Chaos..." "The inherent nature of Chaos is Life and Destruction. When the power of our universe becomes too muddled, its physical form slowly re-coalesces.

Guided by the Plague Demons, the parts of Chaos dispersed across the various universes reunite into a whole, once again destroying our universe. After annihilating everything, its body transforms again, evolving new life and new races.

Life and Destruction, it cycles them endlessly, time and time again..." "No one knows where Chaos originated, nor what kind of being it truly is. The inhabitants of our universe only learned of the Universe Heart and the Source by studying the remnants of Chaos's Profundity.

We speculate that Chaos may originate here, perhaps even born here. This person might be Chaos's new avatar, bearing various auras of Chaos.

His immediate immersion into this state upon arrival is likely connected to Chaos..." The Five-Clawed Golden Dragon’s voice resonated across the heavens and earth, clearly heard by every expert present. When the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon finished recounting the lore of Chaos, he turned his gaze toward Candice.

Candice blinked, then immediately understood. "So, in your universe, there is a life form similar to Tyr." She paused before continuing, "As I mentioned earlier, Tyr is the sole True God of our universe.

Before he arrived, we knew nothing of magic. After Tyr came, we instantly entered the Age of Magic, giving rise to countless masters of the arcane.

In our universe, the pinnacle mages could sense Tyr’s presence; all miraculous forbidden magic required communion with Tyr before it could be unleashed..." "When I grasped the true essence of magic, I, too, could frequently sense Tyr. I knew he was constantly present in our universe, and I once implored an audience, but he never responded.

Through Tyr, I learned the arcane truths of magic and discovered the Chaotic Sea of Chaos, which led me here. I know Tyr’s mastery over time and space is absolute, yet when I tried to learn, I couldn't find the gateway.

Then I entered this place, but I know Tyr’s influence is ubiquitous; he is a being who transcends us, far beyond my capacity to imagine..." "Based on your description of Chaos, I dare to speculate that Tyr is similar to Chaos—the most mysterious and special life form across the great universes. Since Osos carries Tyr’s aura, his transformation upon arriving here must be due to that same reason!" Candice affirmed.

After Candice, the crowd turned their attention to Lingmeng’s master. The white-bearded old Daoist hesitated before speaking, "The progenitor of all Daoist arts in our universe is named Taixu.

I once touched it; it was originally a skull. Contacting it grants one a particular Daoist technique..." The elder recounted what Lingmeng had previously described to Ji Changkong about Taixu.

Once the three extraordinary life forms—Chaos, Tyr, and Taixu—had been explained, all eyes turned to the two liquid metal beings who had accompanied Number Nine. These two were truly peculiar, their forms unlike any known life morphology in this domain.

The aura emanating from them was not biological, nor was their composition flesh and blood. They were clearly distinct from everyone else present.

One of the liquid metal beings, under the scrutiny of the crowd, stated dryly, "We hail from the Mechanical Empire. Our universe was forged by the Cognito.

The Cognito is the creator of our technological civilization, the mother of all metallic life. The Cognito taught us everything; our entire technological advancement was born under its guidance." After delivering this cold statement, he pointed toward Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine.

"The Cognito is composed of three microchips. Currently, these three chips reside within the brains of these three individuals, having fused with their souls." He said only this much.

Afterward, no matter how much the assembly questioned him, he remained silent, his gaze fixed solely on Number Nine without shifting. "Chaos, Tyr, Taixu, the Cognito—we all come from disparate universes.

Yet, the profundities we cultivate, however varied, ultimately distill down to Heavenly Scholar power, magical power, Daoist power, and technological power. It is certain that across so many universes, Chaos, Tyr, Taixu, and the Cognito are the initial disseminators of these forces.

We achieved our current realms precisely because of one of them, and that knowledge gave us the means to find this place," the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon proclaimed. "Evidently, these four individuals carry the power of one—or a fusion of several—of Chaos, Tyr, Taixu, and the Cognito, which is why they have transformed!" "You mean that only by obtaining the true power of Chaos, Tyr, Taixu, or the Cognito can we uncover the true secret of the Source, and only then can we advance further?" Candice asked, astonished.

"That seems to be the case," the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon responded. As he spoke those words, the assembled crowd, standing within the Source, found themselves incapable of discerning its true secrets.

For them, who had guarded this place for millennia, this realization was exceedingly difficult to accept. They had come here, waiting for eons, solely to enter the Source, to achieve further evolution, and advance into a broader expanse of power.

Now that they had finally arrived, only to find that nothing had changed, the frustration was stifling. To explore deeper realms and advance further, they required the power of one of the four entities: Chaos, Tyr, Taixu, or the Cognito.

Only then could they awaken within the Source and grasp deeper powers there. And the power of these four entities was distributed across the bodies of Ji Changkong, Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine...

This meant that to gain more within the Source, to earn its recognition, they had to seize the powers of the four entities from Ji Changkong and the other three! Only by doing so could they realize their long-held ambition!

A long silence enveloped the crowd, and the emotions in their eyes slowly began to curdle. The expressions of these powerful experts from various universes shifted, their gazes toward the four newcomers gradually acquiring a cold, inscrutable indifference...

They were harboring malicious intent! The reason they had remained unharmed until now was the absence of conflicting interests.

All sought entry into the Source, and no struggle or bloodshed was necessary to reach this point. This very fact had allowed them to coexist peacefully.

Consequently, when dealing with outsiders like Ji Changkong’s group, they maintained a veneer of harmony, concealing the darker aspects of human nature. However, the truth was now laid bare: to achieve their goals and claim the new realm of power they had anticipated for years, they needed to strip the powers of the four entities from Ji Changkong, Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine.

This instantly created a direct conflict of interest. After a period of silence, everyone turned their eyes toward the four, sweeping over them as they calculated their approach.

The majority focused on Ji Changkong. He was the only one who had not accepted the external nuclear infusion, the only one whose energy fluctuations were nonexistent, and the one who appeared most serene and harmless.

Therefore, most targeted Ji Changkong, slowly converging toward him. "What do you think you are doing?" Ji Du suddenly materialized, staring coldly at the approaching figures.

"Do you think we are easy prey?" No one spoke, not even the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon or Kuang, whose faces were grim and whose gazes swept over Ji Changkong with chilling sharpness. "Master!" Zihan’s expression changed drastically as she cried out, "Are you planning to move against Lingmeng?

Though Lingmeng and I are not from the same Daoist sect, you are the ancestor of both our sects. Will you truly do this?" The white-bearded old Daoist's face flickered with indecision, clearly struggling with his resolve.

A portion of the crowd surrounded Osos and Number Nine, releasing their divine soul power, ready to seize an opportune moment to strike. It was at this precise juncture that the external nuclear energy seemed to complete its transmission.

Beams of strange nuclear light vanished within the Source; no more external energy was injected. The nuclear fluctuations around Osos, Lingmeng, and Number Nine gradually faded, and the wisps of peculiar silver light clinging to them slowly receded back into their bodies.

The three began to return to normal, but the immense energy fluctuations radiating from them became extremely unstable. It seemed they had not yet fully mastered the sudden power they had acquired—this presented an excellent window of opportunity.

Candice struck first! Filled with dread toward Osos, she was uncertain what would happen once he awoke.

Driven by a mixture of fear and a desire to claim the powers of the Cognito and Tyr from him, the moment she saw the nuclear energy dissipate from Osos, she hesitated no longer and finally launched her attack. Lingmeng's master finally abandoned any pretense of restraint.

Seeing Candice move, he could no longer suppress the yearning for greater power that he had nurtured for millennia. He roared, "Get out of the way!" The shout manifested as five visible silken threads that instantly bound Zihan and pulled her aside.

Simultaneously, the Southern Barbarian Saint Ancestor, 'Kuang,' also moved against Ji Changkong.