Living in the deep palace

Su Chen's arrival did not cause much of a stir on the street.

The creatures here have all broken free from the constraints of lifespan and possess lifespans of hundreds of thousands or even millions of years.

They have lived here for generations, passing down their memories in their blood. They have long been accustomed to all sorts of strange and bizarre beings. As for Su Chen, this "humanoid" creature, they only cast a few curious glances at him before ignoring him.

Su Chen concealed his aura and walked through this bizarre city like an ordinary traveler, his heart filled with endless awe.

This place is practically a museum of civilizations from all over the world!
"The most urgent task is to find the whereabouts of the 'first tree root'."

Su Chen suppressed his curiosity and began to think about how to obtain the information he needed in this unfamiliar city.

He tried to probe with his divine sense, but found that his divine sense was greatly restricted here, as if an invisible force was preventing any form of probing.

"It seems that this city has its own unique rules."

Su Chen understood.

He soon discovered that although there was no unified administrator in the city, there was a trading system that all living beings silently abided by.

The "currency" here is not Immortal Essence Stones or any form of energy, but something called "Fragments of Reality".

It could be a unique history of civilization, a unique form of knowledge, a special understanding of laws, or even just a novel story from another world.

As long as your "thing" is unique and valuable enough, you can exchange it for anything you want here.

"interesting."

Su Chen smiled.

He decided to find a street vendor first.

After paying a small amount of knowledge about "immortal alchemy" to a seemingly kind-looking, three-headed birdman, Su Chen successfully obtained the information he wanted.

In the center of the Void City stands a building called "Wanwen Pavilion".

Its owner is a mysterious being known as the "Weaver of Ten Thousand Stories".

It is said that he knows everything that happens in this city and possesses countless secrets of civilization.

As long as you can afford the price, you can get any information you want from him.

Without further hesitation, Su Chen immediately headed towards the "Wanwen Pavilion" in the center of the city.

Wanwen Pavilion is a peculiar building constructed entirely of interwoven light and flowing runes.

It has no door, no window, and is like a giant, ever-changing cocoon of light.

Su Chen arrived before the cocoon of light and announced loudly, "Su Chen of Taiyi Palace requests an audience with the Weaver of Ten Thousand Words."

hum-

Ripples spread across the surface of the cocoon of light, and a gentle voice rang out directly in Su Chen's mind.

"Please come in, guests who have come from afar."

"I've heard about you."

"In the star sea not far from here, you are the strongest in that star sea, at least on the surface."

Before the words were finished, a crack appeared on the cocoon of light, wide enough for only one person to pass through.

Su Chen stepped inside.

The scene before my eyes changed once again.

He arrived in a vast starry sky that seemed to be woven from countless threads.

Each thread represents a piece of information, a memory.

Countless threads intertwined to form a vast network covering the entire space.

At the center of that network, a humanoid silhouette, formed from countless points of light and without a fixed shape, floated silently.

He is the Weaver of Ten Thousand Stories.

"Welcome, guest from an unknown reality, to my 'Sea of ​​Information'," the Weaver of Ten Thousand Words' voice rang out once more. "State your purpose. And what are you willing to offer in return?"

Su Chen looked at the mysterious figure before him with a calm expression.

"I have come here to find the roots of the first tree."

"Oh?" The voice of the Weaver of Ten Thousand Words seemed to carry a hint of interest. "The remains of the World Tree? That's a true 'cosmic wonder'."

"Of course I know where it is."

He paused, then continued, "But, guest, what do you want in exchange for this information? You should know that this information is quite valuable."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen smiled slightly.

"I will offer you a story you've never heard before in exchange."

"Stories?" The Weaver of Ten Thousand Words' voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement. "Guest, you should know that I have heard the epic tales of the rise and fall of countless civilizations here. What kind of story haven't I heard?"

"You've probably never heard this story before."

A hint of confidence flashed in Su Chen's eyes.

"The name of this story is... Earth."

He slowly recounted his experiences and observations on Earth in his previous life.

Su Chen's story is told without any concealment or exaggeration.

He calmly recounted the history of Earth's civilization, a world unlike any other in countless star systems, simply from the perspective of a firsthand witness.

The weaver listened quietly.

His body, composed of points of light, constantly changed shape as Su Chen narrated.

When Su Chen's story came to an end, the red nation stood tall.

The entire "sea of ​​information" fell into a long silence.

After a long while, Wan Wenzhi's voice rang out again, but this time, his voice carried an indescribable sense of emotion and admiration.

"What a peculiar history."

"I truly don't know these things, but my intuition tells me that this isn't fake—a civilization and history that even I don't know about..."

"Guest, your story is priceless."

"I am very satisfied."

His body, composed of specks of light, reformed and took shape.

He extended a finger made of light and gently touched Su Chen's brow.

What you're looking for

"Right in the very heart of this city."

"That is the resting place of the Lord of the Abyss."

"Go ahead. But whether you get it or not depends on your own fate."

Having received clear guidance, Su Chen thanked the Weaver of Ten Thousand Words and then left this "sea of ​​information".

Following the mark of light left in his mind by the Weaver of Ten Thousand Words, he flew towards the core area of ​​the City of Nothingness.

The closer he got to the core, the more he could feel the surrounding laws becoming purer and more majestic.

It was as if this place was the source of the entire city's laws. Finally, Su Chen arrived at a courtyard of utmost simplicity that floated above the void core.

The courtyard was paved with the most ordinary bluestone, with no walls around it. Only a few strange plants, whose names Su Chen did not know, were quietly growing, emitting a soft glow.

In the center of the courtyard, there is a stone table and two stone benches.

An ordinary old man, dressed in simple linen clothes and with a kind face, like a neighborly old man, was sitting on a stone bench, leisurely sipping tea.

If it weren't for the vast aura emanating from him, which perfectly blended with the entire city of nothingness, and even with the nothingness itself, becoming indistinguishable from it...

Su Chen almost thought he had just arrived at an ordinary mortal's courtyard.

"sit."

When the old man saw Su Chen arrive, a kind smile appeared on his face. He raised his hand and pointed to the stone bench opposite him.

Su Chen felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that the seemingly ordinary old man before him was the master of this city of nothingness, the Lord of the Abyss who had lived for countless eons.

Without hesitation, he sat down on the stone bench as instructed.

"Guests from afar, please try the 'Void Divine Tea' that I personally cultivated." The old man picked up the stone teapot and poured Su Chen a cup of tea that was as clear as water, yet seemed to contain countless stars.

Su Chen picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

boom!
In an instant, he felt a cool, pure, and strange energy, as if it could wash away all the dust, surge into his limbs and bones, allowing his Taiyi Dao Heart, which had already reached its bottleneck, to make a slight improvement once again!
"Excellent tea!" Su Chen exclaimed sincerely.

"Hehe, I'm glad you like it." The old man stroked his beard and smiled. "I already know the purpose of your visit, young friend."

His gaze seemed to pierce through Su Chen's body, seeing the dazzling Taiyi Dao Seed deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, and the vibrant Nine-Colored Longevity Dao Tree.

"You came here for that piece of the 'first tree root', didn't you?"

Su Chen didn't hide anything and nodded frankly: "That's right. I hope you will grant my request, senior."

"Grant it your wish?" The old man laughed again upon hearing this. "Young friend, do you know that the tree root is one of the three cornerstones of the laws that support the existence of the entire Void City?"

"It is not just a 'cosmic wonder,' but also the last hope for countless survivors of this city."

“If I give it to you, this city will not collapse immediately, but the stability of its laws will be greatly affected. In the future, if it encounters another invasion by the ‘devourers,’ it will probably have no power to resist.”

Upon hearing this, Su Chen's heart sank.

He never imagined that the tree root would be so important to the city.

"But," the old man changed the subject, his seemingly cloudy but actually wise eyes falling on Su Chen.

"I know that you and the sea of ​​stars behind you also need its power."

"You and the 'Devourer' will eventually have a battle."

"And the outcome of that battle not only concerns the survival of your universe, but also whether my little refuge can continue to exist."

The old man's voice became serious.

"So, I can give you that piece of tree root."

"But you must prove to me that you are entitled to it and capable of protecting it."

Su Chen's expression turned serious; he knew that the real test had begun.

"Senior, please tell me, how do I need to prove this?"

“It’s very simple.” The old man slowly raised his hand and gently waved it towards the void in front of him.

Buzz—! ! ! !

Su Chen felt a blur before his eyes, and the scenery around him suddenly changed!
That simple courtyard and that kind old man vanished in an instant!
Instead, there is a boundless, dark universe filled with deathly silence and coldness!
Here, there are no stars, no light, and no life.

There is only eternal entropy increase and decay.

"This is my former home."

The ancient and distant voice of the Lord of the Abyss rang in Su Chen's ears.

"It has reached the end of its life."

"My first test will be in this universe where everything has come to an end..."

"It helped me find the meaning of 'new life'."

Before he finished speaking, Su Chen felt an invisible yet irresistible terrifying pressure surging in from all directions!
The Taiyi Immortal Power within him, the Taiyi Dao Seed in his sea of ​​consciousness, all his cultivation and power were sealed away under this pressure!
At this moment, he seemed to have become an unarmed mortal!

A feeling of unease arose in Su Chen's heart.

What realm is this old man with such strength? Is he a late-stage Golden Immortal or a Great Luo Golden Immortal?
It must be someone among the most powerful immortals, the most ancient gods, and even someone who can rival those who have reached the top.

You can only observe with your own eyes.

Use your heart to feel.

Use your own will to find that seemingly impossible answer!

This is
The Lord of the Abyss's First Trial—

Silent decay!
Endless darkness, endless cold, endless silence.

When Su Chen's consciousness re-converged, he found himself floating in an absolute void.

Here, there are no stars, no light, not even a speck of dust.

All the matter that makes up the universe has long since decayed into the most basic and disordered particles under the law of entropy increase over billions of years, and is evenly distributed in every corner.

The temperature approaches absolute zero.

Time, as if it had lost its flowing meaning, had become a frozen, one-way street leading to eternal death.

This is the final destination of a universe after countless years—heat death.

"Find the meaning of 'new life' in this universe where everything has ended."

The ancient and distant voice of the Lord of the Abyss, like the last echo, slowly dissipated in his sea of ​​consciousness.

Immediately afterwards, Su Chen felt an irresistible supreme law originating from this death universe itself, like an invisible shackle, binding his vast Taiyi Immortal Power, the brilliant Taiyi Dao Seed in his sea of ​​consciousness, and all his supernatural abilities and cultivation...

Seal them all!

At this moment, he was no longer the "terrifying immortal" who could destroy stars with a flick of his finger and awe the starry sea.

He became a defenseless mortal, helplessly drifting in this eternal darkness and cold.

If it were any other powerful being, even a Golden Immortal with a will as firm as a rock, facing such a desperate situation where their power was stripped away, their hope was extinguished, and they could only watch helplessly as they were assimilated by eternal death, their Dao heart would probably collapse and they would go completely insane.

But Su Chen did not.

He simply floated silently, letting the biting cold penetrate his "mortal body" and the boundless darkness devour his vision.

There was no fear, no despair, not even the slightest ripple in his heart.

It was as calm as an ancient well that had been frozen for millions of years.

Because he knew that this was the first test the Lord of the Abyss had given him.

The test is not of strength.

Rather, it is the Dao heart.

This is the most fundamental understanding of the "Tao". (End of Chapter)