"It seems that even as the consciousness of the universe, you fail to grasp the true efficacy of the Eye of Reincarnation," Lei Dong stated expressionlessly, using the swirling vortex of the Eye of Reincarnation to steadily erode its divine consciousness.

Divine consciousness, being an extension of the soul, was theoretically a part of the soul itself. This was precisely why directly assaulting it was a perilous act, as certain powerful beings possessed specialized techniques aimed at the soul. Furthermore, if the divine consciousness suffered any form of shock or impact, it could cause a backlash to the soul, leading to injury.

In the utter terror of the Chaos Beast, it attempted to withdraw its divine consciousness, but what frightened it was that its soul was firmly held by the vortex of the Eye of Reincarnation. Not only that, but through its now almost tangible divine consciousness, strands of its very soul were being pulled out, entangled in the Eye of Reincarnation, torn apart, pulverized, and transformed into streams of exquisitely pure Chaos Spiritual Energy and Origin Source.

"Awoooh!" The nascent Chaos Beast, a mere avatar of the Universal Will, emitted a roar that vibrated Lei Dong's soul through the colossal Chaos Egg—a wave of chaotic fluctuation.

At this level of cultivation, there was absolutely no need to transmit sound through the air; one could directly utilize the undulations and vibrations of divine consciousness to convey and express intent. This counterattack clearly showed the Chaos Beast was not ready to give up, attempting to use its soul fluctuations to create a shockwave to assault Lei Dong’s own soul. If it could shatter his soul, it could naturally escape the terrifying suction of the Eye of Reincarnation.

Alas, the Universal Will had held its lofty position for too long. Its perception of Lei Dong remained rooted in the memory of that trembling, bewildered human soul it had once fished out of the sea.

It had not adapted to the fact that Lei Dong was now a powerhouse, no longer that frail, easily dispersed wisp of a soul that a mere gust of wind could scatter.

With his power at the peak of the Quasi-Saint level, divine consciousness was Lei Dong’s forte. Compared to this Chaos Beast that hadn't even fully emerged from its shell, the notion of it relying on a soul shockwave to roar away Lei Dong's divine consciousness was sheer fantasy. Though the vibrational impact was significant, Lei Dong's soul stood immense and immovable as a mountain, utterly solid and utterly still, no matter how the Chaos Beast screamed.

Failing this maneuver, the Chaos Beast immediately realized Lei Dong was an immensely powerful opponent. It swiftly changed tactics, condensing the brilliant golden light into a Hammer of Annihilation and sending it hurtling down.

"Do you think you're the only one who understands the Law of Annihilation?" Lei Dong's mastery of the Law of Annihilation was also profound; he pointed his fingers like a sword, striking out repeatedly.

Hiss, hiss.

Several solidified beams of golden light shot straight toward the sky like sword rays, emitting a dazzling brilliance. The Immortal Slaying Finger—a supreme technique inherited from the (Nether God) lineage—was the manifestation of the Law of Annihilation.

Upon impact, the golden light exploded everywhere, scattering like the most magnificent fireworks, erupting across the heavens.

After repeated setbacks, with its soul constantly being devoured and ground down by Lei Dong, the screaming Chaos Beast finally capitulated, crying out for mercy: "Lei Dong, considering I was the one who pulled your soul over and gave you a chance at rebirth, let us call a truce? This Sovereign is willing to share this universe with you, equals for eternity."

"Sovereign?" Lei Dong scoffed repeatedly. "Heh, so the Universal Will, upon gaining a soul, also finds itself incapable of loneliness and seeks to cast off the shackles of its rules to become the true Sovereign of the Universe. So this is your trap, your ultimate goal? It’s quite an ambitious idea, sharing the universe."

With that, Lei Dong urged the Eye of Reincarnation onward, accelerating its efforts against the Chaos Beast. He didn't believe a single word of its plea. A being still encased in an egg was already this formidable; what terrifying entity would it become once truly hatched? Moreover, Lei Dong held the clear upper hand now; how could he be duped by such a low-level ploy? Even if Lei Dong harbored the ambition to become the Universe Sovereign, it would be far superior to eliminate this dangerous entity now and claim the position solely for himself, rather than co-governing with a partner.

Suddenly, within the Eye of Reincarnation, Lei Dong felt a clean essence flow into his body. It was a great power, mysterious and pure, a force he had never encountered in his life. Looking inward, he saw streams of silvery-white light. Unlike the golden threads of the Chaos Origin Source, this felt similar yet infinitely purer, closer to the essence of life's evolution.

Soon, from the fragmented messages within the Chaos Beast's soul being ground away by the Eye of Reincarnation, Lei Dong understood the nature of this substance:

The Heart of Chaos.

This was the true Heart of Chaos—the very foundation of all things in the cosmos, the most critical existence within the universe, the central point from which all species originated. In that instant, Lei Dong understood everything: the soul generated by the Universal Will used the Heart of Chaos as its foundation to nurture its avatar, because all the laws of the universe's origin actually stemmed from this Heart. To completely grasp the Heart of Chaos was to become the genuine Sovereign of the Universe. And once this Chaos Beast fully gestated, no one would likely be able to stop it.

Lei Dong was momentarily stunned by the influx of complex information, but he quickly urged the Eye of Reincarnation to shatter the Universal Will's soul—partly for his own survival, and partly for the Heart of Chaos. In this entire cosmos, the most precious entity was this Heart of Chaos; even the value of the Chaos Origin Source was not worth a fraction of it.

The Chaos Beast, still trapped within its egg, felt its power being steadily siphoned away by Lei Dong, and the Heart of Chaos, already integrated into its soul, was being seized bit by bit. It roared in fury and then begged desperately for Lei Dong to spare it.

Lei Dong’s resolve was unshakeable. No matter its pleas, threats, or intimidation, he did not waver, continuing the task at hand. Time passed, unmeasured. Lei Dong was steadfast, drawing out various powers from the Chaos Beast's soul—including the Heart of Chaos—with the relentless effort of an ant moving a mountain. Unbeknownst to him, half of the Heart of Chaos had already been concealed within his body, while countless reserves of Chaos Origin Source had been condensed into solid orbs and stored away.

Just as both Lei Dong and the Chaos Beast believed victory was assured for Lei Dong, an unexpected interruption occurred.

The Azure Dragon Emperor, who had been lost in the Chaos Sea for an unknown duration, tore through the void. The purple-gold crown atop his head was gone, and his dragon robe had been reduced to rags. However, he exuded an aura of absolute, savage violence. Moreover, his resentment had solidified into a tangible substance, spreading around him like wisps of black smoke. His once handsome features were now twisted into a countenance as grotesque and terrifying as a vengeful specter—how many vengeful spirits must this fellow have consumed to reach this state?

"Huh?" Upon entering this space, the Azure Dragon Emperor noticed not Lei Dong first, but the colossal egg. His voice was hoarse yet tinged with excitement: "What a massive egg! This Sovereign has been fighting for ages; I am quite hungry." He paused, then abruptly spotted Lei Dong locked in a mental struggle with the giant egg.

If there was one person the Azure Dragon Emperor hated most in the current universe, it was undoubtedly Lei Dong. His thousand-year pursuit had been driven by hatred and an insatiable desire for the Chaos Pagoda's artifact spirit. As he descended further into madness, this obsession only deepened, becoming so ingrained that it now seemed imprinted upon his very soul, an intrinsic part of his instinct.

"Lei Dong! This Sovereign will kill you! Hand over the Chaos Pagoda spirit at once!" The Azure Dragon Emperor roared like a madman and lunged toward Lei Dong.

He lashed out with a single hand, unleashing a torrent of Chaos Sword Qi that blotted out the sky, cleaving toward Lei Dong. In the time they had been apart, the Azure Dragon Emperor seemed even more formidable. His Chaos Sword Qi not only radiated immense destructive power but was also saturated with violent, dark malevolence. When such malevolence accumulated sufficiently, it became incredibly potent—mildly, it could disturb one's soul; severely, it could plunge a person into boundless illusions and agony.

Faced with a direct strike from a Sovereign-level powerhouse, even Lei Dong, with his current strength, could not withstand it head-on. Casting all caution aside, he enveloped Ji Shuangshuang, who was behind him, and fled into the distance.

Barely dodging the attack, he was struck hard by the Chaos Beast's divine sense. Its soul broke free from the restraint of Lei Dong's Eye of Reincarnation. Having been thoroughly terrified by Lei Dong, the beast dared not oppose him further and swiftly retracted its divine sense back into the egg.

The Azure Dragon Emperor, believing he had cornered Lei Dong, sneered maliciously and surged forward again, launching an attack filled with potent malevolence: a blast of the Immortal Slaying Finger.

The Immortal Slaying Finger moved with extreme speed, heavily infused with the Law of Annihilation. Lei Dong’s body was already unsteady from the collision with the egg’s soul and he lacked time to evade, forcing him to activate an Indestructible Shield to meet the blow directly.

BOOM!

The Azure Dragon Emperor's Immortal Slaying Finger seemed mutated; the annihilation attribute was not overly strong, but the countless savage malevolent energies vastly amplified the explosive power of his strike. Though Lei Dong's Indestructible Shield possessed outstanding defense, reinforced by the profound Law of Indestructibility, there was ultimately a gap in power level between him and the Azure Dragon Emperor.

The finger strike shattered the Indestructible Shield, and the potent malevolence transformed into a powerful shockwave that sent Lei Dong vomiting blood as he flew backward. It felt as if countless malevolent energies had rushed into his soul, attempting to corrupt it. Under normal circumstances, Lei Dong could easily use the Eye of Reincarnation to shred these savage energies, but the Emperor’s attack had rattled his soul so severely that his internal organs felt overturned. For a moment, the malevolence seized the opportunity to invade, relentlessly entwining itself with his innate consciousness.

"Hah! Where do you think you can run now, brat?" the Azure Dragon Emperor howled, his face contorted like a demon's, viciously demanding, "Hand over the artifact spirit quickly!"

The Azure Dragon Emperor failed to notice the giant egg behind him was quietly closing the distance. Suddenly, the mouth of the egg snapped open, revealing a hideous maw lined with menacing, sharp teeth. (To be continued)