The darkness will end on the 20th of this month, and with its ending, a new book will begin. My updates have been terrible; even I feel too ashamed to look at the reviews or the forum. I have been swamped with personal matters, staying up until seven or eight in the morning for nearly a week straight. Right now, all I hope is to clear up these outstanding issues before the 20th so I can focus entirely on writing and updating seriously. Also, I took a look at your comments the other day; so many of you are still offering support. I am truly moved, 'Lao Gu' (Old Ancient, self-reference). Words fail me; thank you all so much.

In the silver-white space.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged upon the flowing energy of time and space. Before him, the brilliant, crimson Blood Crystal, initially the size of a fist, slowly shrank to the size of a ping-pong ball. His body was now enveloped by a swirling storm of crimson mist, completely obscuring him.

Within the red energy mass, Ye Chen’s entire musculature and skeletal structure were rapidly undergoing metamorphosis. The genetic tiers inside him were multiplying geometrically, transforming at a terrifying velocity.

The marvelous aspect of this Blood Crystal lay in the powerful energy it contained—pure, gentle, and imbued with a faint, profound mystery. Even an ordinary person absorbing the energy would have their very heart and mind reshaped by the laws flowing from the crystal, automatically comprehending the realm of the Divine.

With any other substance, even if the energy were abundant, the inherent mystery of the Laws would still require independent comprehension, leading to stagnation at every level.

No matter the world, resources are paramount; this is the fundamental basis for the rise and enduring strength of all major families and powers.

When enhancing one's physique, the Blood Crystal is undoubtedly the premier choice.

The viral power contained within this Blood Crystal was automatically refined and repelled under the influence of Ye Chen's Divine Fire Physique. His body had now transcended the level of mere flesh and bone; it was entirely composed of flame.

Blood Fire, Bone Fire, Soul Fire.

Everything was fire.

This flame possessed the ability to mimic the structure of genetic flesh and blood, and it could also transform into an inky black flame. When mimicking the physical form, it could absorb various energies to enhance its physical strength.

"Epoch Realm eighth layer... ninth layer..."

Ye Chen kept his eyes closed. The rate at which the pitch-black flame enveloping the Blood Crystal refined it reached an astonishing degree. Streams of energy, like blood dragons, coursed out of his pores and surged into his body, remodeling every genetic cell.

Time flowed by unnoticed...

It wasn't until the Blood Crystal before Ye Chen had been refined down to the size of a soybean-sized red diamond that a tremendous, surging thunderclap erupted within his body, shaking the silver-white temporal airflow around him. The entire silver-white space seemed poised to collapse and shatter in an instant.

Ye Chen suddenly snapped his eyes open, his sharp gaze shooting out like twin swords. His body felt as if it had broken free from the constraints of a world, reaching a brand-new echelon, linking with the power of another world hanging in the heavens.

Void Heaven Realm!

The powerhouses of the Void Heaven Realm could forge their own Heavenly Dao, acting on behalf of Heaven itself, essentially serving as the representative of the 'Heaven'—where 'Heaven' typically referred to the primal power of the ancient world. Void Heaven Realm experts could forge their own Dao, stand above the River of Time, carve out their own path, defy fate, and stand against the entire world!

When any single 'Dao' is pushed to its absolute extreme, it will touch the core of the world's origin.

All Daos return to the Origin.

Only those who truly touch this boundary understand that by elevating a single Dao to its zenith, one can encompass the world. Just as many Sword Gods, Blade Gods, or War Gods in the Void Heaven Realm managed to comprehend different Daos to their ultimate conclusion.

The world and philosophy contained within the Sword—such as noble dignity, the tireless striving of a gentleman, actions as sharp as a blade, yet light and yielding.

The world and philosophy contained within the Blade—such as being invincible like a wildfire, crushing all argument and fact with absolute dominance, where only the dance reigns supreme.

This is akin to the harmony of rigidity and softness found in Tai Chi, and achieving that balance in life and endeavor represents the highest realm.

Any 'Dao' pushed to its extreme will invariably contain humanistic thought and a worldview.

"My Dao..." Ye Chen looked up at the sky. The silver-white space above his head was torn open by an overwhelming power, revealing an expanse of boundless, cerulean sky—

"Like everyone else, I was born from the joining of love, arriving in this world with hopeful eyes. Yet, the world has painted too many colors upon each of us; some have too much hatred, too much cynicism; others, too much selfishness, too much boundless depravity."

"The world seems governed by Fate, the threads of which are tethered to every person, manipulating everyone to move along predetermined tracks: the world-shaking romance born of chance encounters, the father-son estrangement demanded by inevitability, the subtle shift in the heart upon witnessing the sordid actions of a stranger..."

"The pigments applied to every person are those painted by those around them. But who painted the initial raw material?"

Ye Chen's gaze held a ripple like clear water, as if immersed in the exploration of the Great Dao. "The origin of the pigment was naturally painted by the world itself; a primal world gave rise to primal humans, forging their initial thoughts and behaviors. Every object in the world—mountains, water, wind, earth—shaped a person's perception: seeing torrent and softness in rushing water, sharpness and lightness in the wind..."

"All sin originates from the beginning..."

"The Dao of Origin..."

A light of illusion and destruction flickered across Ye Chen's body, as if countless blurred phantoms were rotating around him, containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth. Any cultivator at the Divine Emperor realm witnessing this would instantly achieve enlightenment, their soul power reaching the Epoch Realm.

Those at the Divine Spirit realm, however, would fall into utter confusion. —When something surpasses the observer's realm too greatly, the observer sees not the thing itself.

"My Dao, is it the Origin?" Ye Chen's eyes flashed with a watery blue light, revealing resistance and struggle. "No, there must be a Dao even stronger than Origin..."

If any other Void Heaven Realm expert overheard this, they would surely be dumbfounded, vomiting blood, because upon reaching the Void Heaven Realm, they would have gained access—through their respective sects or factions—to the Myriad Heavens Divine Dao Records, handed down from the Primordial Era. This text contained thirty Great Daos and billions of Minor Daos, and the Dao of Origin ranked among the top three of the Three Thousand Great Daos.

Origin is the End.

The countless lights of illusion and destruction that had manifested around Ye Chen rapidly vanished. His expression settled back into deep contemplation.

"In my life, Ye Chen, I have committed countless killings; my hands are stained with blood. While most of those slain were villains, there were good people among them too. In truth, there is little difference between a bad person and a good person; it only depends on whether the other person is bad to you or good to you."

"Everyone's cognition begins with the self as the starting point. A father dotes on his children yet commits murder and arson—who can judge him as good or bad?"

"Perhaps there are no good people and bad people in this world, only the clever and the foolish."

"Slaughter is the end, and creation; it is destruction, and birth; it is the conclusion of all things, and the beginning of all things..."

Ye Chen looked up at the sky, the rippling blue light in his eyes suddenly receding, revealing a state of utter clarity. A surging, overwhelming dark power erupted from his entire body, like a spewing volcano, punctuated by flickering, indistinct illusions.

"This world was originally pitch black..."

"This world was originally illusory..."

"This world was originally a barren wasteland..."

A sudden, profound clarity dawned in his heart. The power within him instantly surged, increasing exponentially. The spatial energy extending from the void above his head was being projected from the Celestial World, one of the Eight Great Worlds, which governed the origin of the 'Dao.'

But at this moment, this influx of energy suddenly recoiled wildly, and the massive rift instantly sealed itself shut.

"I myself am the 'Dao'; why should I need you to bestow it? I am destruction itself; if I can destroy myself, I can create myself! Destruction is creation, and this world was always black..."

Peerless dominance flashed across Ye Chen's face. The black flames inside him shot out like a surging tide of dark light, coiling around his body, intertwined with a vague, pitch-black Dark Dao that flickered in and out of existence.

"Darkness is the world..."

[The Celestial World, One of the Eight Great Worlds]

The entire Celestial World resembled a vast celestial realm: lush green grass covered rolling hills, birds played happily among the thickets, and the streams ran clear, appearing as pristine, untainted nature.

There was no clamor of technology here.

There was no war or bloodshed.

It was breathtakingly beautiful.

At this moment, a colossal floating castle hovered high above this realm. The ancient bronze gate was cast with a single, large character: Zun (Venerable/Supreme).

This was clearly the residence of one of the Three Supremes of the Celestial World.

In this city~~Shushu Web The world was silent, as quiet as a morgue.

Yet, suddenly, an unbelievable sound erupted from the floating castle: "How is this possible!!!"

Inside the castle, the various buildings were exquisitely luxurious. In the grandest structure, resembling a palace, a silver-white, exquisite coffin floated suspended in the center of the vast hall—undoubtedly the most luxurious and exquisitely crafted coffin in existence.

For a person to forge a coffin with such refinement suggested a taste far beyond the ordinary.

At this moment, the lid of the enormous silver-white coffin scraped sharply open, revealing a face so handsome it was indescribable. The beauty of his features would cause the surrounding stars to dim in comparison. Even though his face was contorted in fury, his handsome appearance remained utterly captivating.

A handsome man remains handsome, even in anger.

"Who is this? To reject the power of the Origin Great Dao, and forcibly seal the inheritance channel! Furthermore... as that channel sealed, the aura that radiated from him... that aura... could it be? Has he forged an entirely new Dao, separate from the Three Thousand Great Daos and the Billions of Minor Daos?!"