Ye Chen stumbled out of the spatial vortex, breathing heavily, his body unsteady. He looked at the small square before him, momentarily recalling the Heavenly Dao Inheritance task he’d undertaken here years ago. Back then, he was full of vigor; who knew that time, like flowing water, would pass so swiftly, leaving him now an old man facing the twilight of his life.

A slight twitch played on his lips, perhaps a bitter smile, as he stepped forward to the stone door. Set into the door was a button resembling a stone eye, which shot out a red beam that scanned his body.

“Why do you have no heart?” a metallic, aged voice boomed from within the stone.

Ye Chen shook his head and sighed, “Let me enter first.”

Crack!

The stone door rumbled open, revealing a passage. The aged, metallic voice spoke again, “Your life essence is rapidly depleting; you have ten hours at most. How did you get so injured? Could it be that the Heavenly Dao Secret Tome was exposed?”

Ye Chen murmured softly, “I did this to myself.” With that, he stepped inside. Hearing the heavy thud of the stone door closing behind him, he looked ahead. This place was unchanged, as always: vast and wide, with a spiritual energy-shrouded divine mountain standing majestically in the distance, delivering an impact of ancient grandeur.

Whoosh!

A figure swiftly swept in from the distance, clad in black, black hair streaming behind him, eyes sharp and profound, exuding an aura of cold sternness.

“Is this me?” Ye Chen gazed at the clone. Through the clone’s vision, he could see his current appearance: a man with hair like silver and a face crisscrossed with wrinkles—a stark contrast to the clone’s youthful handsomeness.

This clone was the product of a sliver of his soul being partitioned off long ago. It retained its youthful appearance and vitality; however, once his main body perished and his soul extinguished, this clone would naturally disintegrate.

As Ye Chen’s thoughts turned, the clone quickly moved forward to support his failing body. In a flash of movement, they arrived before the Heavenly Dao Mountain. At this first mountain pass, the figure clad in golden armor, resembling a mechanical warrior, swept a cold gaze over them. After scanning Ye Chen’s skeletal frame, a shock registered in his mind: “How is the life aura so weak?”

Ye Chen let go of the clone and slowly straightened up, tilting his head back. The Heavenly Dao Mountain was solemn and sacred, towering high. Though buried deep underground for countless ages, the radiant brilliance of its power had not dimmed in the slightest.

A faint sorrow touched his heart as he thought, The Heavenly Dao Teacher of those years, facing the entire world as enemies, such a figure of terrifying might, ultimately fell too. Who in this world can live forever?

Contemplating this, he felt a detachment towards life and death. With a slight smile, he slowly bent over, struggling slightly as he settled into a cross-legged position. Then, he extended a trembling hand and drew out the little white rabbit from the inner spatial layer of his robes. This rabbit had been asleep since he last saw it and didn't stir even when he picked it up, still emitting soft chirps.

Ye Chen’s expression softened as he placed the little white rabbit on his lap, stroking its smooth, white downy fur. He felt the warmth of its body and recalled how, during the Ice Age on Earth, this little creature had bravely intervened to save him. Later, when he was infected with a virus, it was also its help that expelled the contagion from his body.

“Throughout my life, Ye Chen, I have accumulated too many debts of gratitude. Master Tian Wu Wang willingly staked his entire life on one opportunity for me to appear! Master Bai Ya, who went alone to lure away a powerful enemy to save me, is now missing. Master Heavenly Dao, who bestowed the Heavenly Dao Sutra, allowing me to stand as a peerless leader in this ancient world teeming with powerhouses. Though a dark creature, he left behind the treasure that is the Demon God Palace. Without it, my achievements would never have reached this height…”

“Alas, there will be no chance to repay these kindnesses.”

Ye Chen looked into the distance with a desolate expression, lost in thought. He felt that the vicissitudes of the world could be summarized no better than this: yesterday, a peerless genius battling on the peak of White Spirit Mountain, surpassing the younger generation; today, merely an old man awaiting death.

What do the passing years leave behind?

When death stands before you, who remains fixed in your heart?

“You must live well…” Ye Chen murmured inwardly. He looked up at the sky, and suddenly feeling a stirring, he activated the Rune Space. The Rune Ship leaped out, and the excited cry of the green-rune elder immediately sounded: “Woo-ah, we’re finally out!”

“Huh?” He quickly noticed the anomaly, looking at the young clone beside him and asking in surprise, “Little Chen Chen, who is this old man next to you who looks like he’s about to kick the bucket?”

The clone shot him a look filled with killing intent. “It’s me!”

“No way?” The green-rune elder’s face was filled with astonishment. “It’s you? You’re disguised as an old man?”

The clone glanced at him sideways. “Shut your mouth!”

The green-rune elder clamped a hand over his mouth, recoiled his neck, and floated back into the Rune Ship, piloting it to park beside the wide square, not daring to fly around carelessly.

The Demon God Palace expanded to a hundred zhang, resembling a mansion, settling next to the square. A purple light flashed on its surface, and Zixiang drifted out, clad in noble purple robes that contrasted with her fair, sheep-fat skin. Her cheeks were delicate, and her dark eyes were bright and liquid—a true little beauty.

“Master,” Zixiang flashed to Ye Chen’s side, her expression anxious. “Are you alright? How did this happen? Where is your heart?”

Ye Chen’s expression was gentle as he reached out to stroke her soft, fine hair. “Don’t worry. Life and death are fated. After I die, you can find a new master to guide.”

“Master, you…” Zixiang’s eyes blurred with tears, and she began to sob softly.

Ye Chen smiled and patted her small shoulder, then gazed toward the distant Heavenly Dao Mountain, lost in contemplation. The green-rune elder crept cautiously nearer, and seeing Zixiang weeping sadly, immediately had a bad premonition. He whispered, “Little Chen Chen, you, you’re alright, aren’t you?”

The clone glanced at him.

The green-rune elder swiftly retreated several thousand zhang, shrinking back into the Rune Ship, muttering something with a resentful look.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged in silence for a long time. After a while, he suddenly felt a warmth spreading through his body and was inwardly astonished. He quickly performed an internal inspection and discovered a crimson-gold heart suspended in his chest cavity on the right side. Numerous secret patterns coiled around its surface, emanating pure energy.

He had noticed this heart before but hadn't had time to deal with it amidst the events on White Spirit Mountain, which had entirely focused his mind on the battle and Bai Yijun. He’d had no opportunity to contemplate this mysterious heart within his body. Seeing it now emit gentle energy, a thought struck him. He quickly commanded the divine power within him to surround the heart and drag it toward the left side.

In the location of his left ventricle, there was an empty gap. As this heart was transplanted, several blood vessels connecting to the cardiac meridians automatically linked up with it.

However, as soon as these few vessels connected, they shuddered slightly and were pushed away by a faint electrical current. Simultaneously, Ye Chen felt a heart-wrenching, tearing pain surge through his body, his entire mind buzzing, plunging him into a momentary blankness.

After a while, he gradually regained consciousness. Ye Chen was still shaken, feeling the crimson-gold heart suspended in his left ventricle. Although it was settled in the empty socket where his original heart had been, the surrounding meridians dared not connect, all repelled by the immense power contained within the heart.

Ye Chen frowned, pondering for a long time before shaking his head slightly and sighing wryly, “I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. This heart contains rich energy and a powerful, surging will that conflicts with my own; fusion is impossible.”

He sighed deeply. Just then, he noticed that the crimson-gold heart was covered in myriad abstruse secret patterns. These patterns gave off an air of the cryptic yet natural, seeming to tell something profound.

A sudden thought sparked in Ye Chen’s mind: Could these patterns be a cosmic law diagram? If I comprehend all of them, can I attain godhood? Thinking this, he immediately focused his spirit to examine them. As he observed the entire surface, the patterns on the heart seemed to activate, unfolding in his mind starting from the concept of “one,” slowly demonstrating the universe and the heavens.

Mysterious, miraculous!

Ye Chen was momentarily lost in contemplation until a tearing pain in his body jolted him back, pulling him from that wondrous state.

Although he had only grasped a fraction, this moment of observation delivered a powerful shock, completely overturning the construction of the 300-plus star charts he had previously comprehended and leading him into a new realm. The secret patterns on the heart narrated things far more profound. In the short time he gazed upon them, comparing them to his own 300-plus star charts felt like the gap between a university lecture and kindergarten.

He had no time to weigh the subtleties of the two concepts. He looked down toward the source of the pain and immediately saw his skin cracking all over, as if all moisture had been lost, breaking open into countless alarming fissures that made one’s scalp tingle.

Ye Chen froze, momentarily seeing the moment before his rebirth, lying quietly in the mouth of a Blood Horned Beast, feeling his body being ground apart bit by bit by sharp teeth. He never imagined that after so many years, he would once again watch his own body slowly dying…

His expression was unreadable, neither sad nor happy. After a moment, he slowly raised his head, his demeanor unexpectedly calm. His eyes fixed on the majestic Heavenly Dao Mountain ahead. With a slight gleam in his eyes, he suddenly said to Zixiang beside him, “Bring me wine.”

Zixiang was stunned. “Master, you…”

“Wine!” Ye Chen said, his voice low.

Zixiang glanced at him, daring not to disobey further. With tears in her eyes, she beckoned, and several wine gourds and elegant white porcelain bottles flew out from the Demon God Palace. The corks were opened, and fragrant wine vapors wafted out, intoxicating the senses.

Ye Chen mustered his strength and slowly stood up with effort. He summoned a yellow wine gourd, flicked his finger to pop the wooden stopper, and tilted the gourd toward the earth, sweeping out a stream. He declared solemnly, “Master Heavenly Dao, Master Bai Ya, Master Tian Wu Wang, your disciple is powerless to repay your great kindness in this life. I offer you this cup!” Saying this, he tilted his head back and took a deep draught of the strong liquor. The wine was sweet upon entering his mouth, but as it flowed to his heart, it felt like hot charcoal in his stomach, causing unbearable agony.

Perhaps it was because his end was near that he felt liberated. He let out a few booming laughs, shouting loudly, “Myriad Hero, though you are a dark creature, you showed me kindness, I toast you as well!” With that, he poured a splash onto the ground, then raised his head and downed another large gulp, laughing out loud. His voice held no sorrow, only immense spirit: “My life, Ye Chen’s life, has not been lived in vain!”

With the final word, Thud!

The wine gourd dropped to the ground. Wine stained the front of his robes as he fell backward, looking up at the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Master!” Zixiang cried out mournfully.