Living in the deep palace

Upon hearing this, Su Chen remained silent for a moment.

Then, a faint smile appeared on his face.

"I've gotten used to it all along."

"We've gotten used to being at odds with the whole world."

His tone, though calm, carried an absolute confidence that looked down on the world and was fearless!
"Hahaha! Good! What a great 'habit'!"

Upon hearing this, the Lord of the Abyss couldn't help but laugh heartily, his voice filled with boundless admiration and pleasure!
"No wonder he was chosen by 'it'!"

"Now that's the case, I can finally get a good night's sleep."

"The successor has been found!"

"I'll leave that to you, this vast world of stars! Speaking of which, I've been waiting here since the first era, until now, without ever closing my eyes."

"Now it's time to get a good night's sleep!"

The figure of the Lord of the Abyss began to slowly become illusory and transparent.

then.

The First Era ended.

Zuo Qingcang sacrificed himself to become the guardian of the Star Sea and the Sky Gate, but he, as the second ancient Heavenly Court ruler appointed by Zuo Qingcang, failed to reach the top.

The only option is to follow the path of the Great Luo.

From then on, feeling that he had failed his mission, he wandered through the chaos, hoping to find a place to rest in peace, but unexpectedly found this city of nothingness.

Then, I went into complete seclusion here.

It's been a very, very long time.

He's so tired...

Now, it's time to take a break.

He finally found someone capable of shouldering the responsibility of being the guardian of the starry sea.

And at the same time.

This simple courtyard, and the vibrant, exotic plants, also slowly faded away.

"Senior!" Su Chen was startled. "What are you doing...?"

"Hehe, this old man is tired too."

The voice of the Lord of the Abyss grew increasingly distant and ethereal.

"This city now has a new guardian."

"My mission should come to an end now."

"Young friend, remember my last words."

"The essence of the 'devourers' is 'concept'. To defeat them, mere brute force is far from enough."

"You must have a 'reality' that is even more solid than theirs!"

“And it seems that such a ‘reality’ is hidden within you.”

Go forth and seek your 'Tao'.

Go and create your own 'future'.

Before the words were finished, the figure of the Lord of the Abyss, along with his courtyard that had existed for countless eons, completely vanished into this void.

It was as if it had never appeared.

Only Su Chen remained, standing silently in the absolute void at the core.

He knew that this ancient being who had protected the last hope of the people of all realms was not dead, but had chosen true "seclusion".

He entrusted the responsibility of protecting it to himself.

He placed his last hope on himself.

"Don't worry, senior."

Su Chen bowed deeply once again to the empty void.

"I will certainly live up to your expectations."

He knew it was time for him to leave.

Leave this last refuge of the remnants of the myriad worlds.

Go back to the vast sea of ​​stars that awaits him, and face the enemies who have already been alerted by him!

……

……

When Su Chen's figure reappeared in the vast sea of ​​stars.

He did not deliberately tear through space, nor did he control any earth-shattering escape light.

He simply took one step.

With a single step, one has already traversed the endless abyss of primordial chaos.

In one step, one has returned from the edge of the universe to that familiar, star-studded world.

This was something he could never have imagined before.

Chaos and the Star Sea are two different spaces with vastly different rules, something that even a Golden Immortal would find difficult to achieve.

but.

Su Chen, however, did it.

His mastery of the laws of space and even time has reached an unbelievable new height after advancing to the "Taiyi Heavenly Immortal" realm and merging with the "Root of the First Tree"!

however!
The instant his figure appeared!

The entire vast starry sea seemed to have been paused!
All ancient beings whose cultivation had reached the Xuan Yu Immortal Ranking, or even the Golden Immortal level, regardless of where they were, whether they were in seclusion or asleep.

At this moment, everyone was simultaneously and involuntarily shaken!
They suddenly raised their heads and cast their gazes, which could pierce through billions of stars, in the same direction!
They felt—

At this moment, the "Great Dao" of the entire vast star sea seemed to have undergone an inexplicable and indescribable change!
It's as if the very laws of this universe were forcibly rewritten by an unparalleled being, with a single line of "source code" altered!
From this day forward, the operation of this starry sea will be altered because of this person's existence!
"What...what kind of power is this?!"

"It's only been a short time."

"The Star Sea has changed again?"

"What's going on? There aren't as many anomalies in the last hundred years, no, the last thousand years, as there have been in the past hundred years..."

The Golden Immortal Alliance was awakened once again, and they gathered at the assembly point.

The whisk in Xuan Yuan Jin Xian's hand turned into dust without a sound! For the first time, a look of horror appeared on his perpetually calm face!

"The Great Dao resonates! All laws submit! Is this the legendary realm of the 'Dao Lord'?!"

"Impossible! This universe is riddled with flawed laws, and the path to becoming a Golden Immortal is severed. How could such an existence have been born?!"

"One who can become the master of a path will surely reach the summit!"

Even if you don't reach the summit, you'll still be a great immortal!

"The path to becoming a Golden Immortal is basically cut off. How can one become a Great Luo Immortal and reach the top?"

The Golden Immortals of Lujue and Miaoyin, among others, could not even stand steadily. Under that supreme pressure that seemed to originate from the very source of the universe, they trembled and their Dao hearts were almost on the verge of collapsing on the spot!

There were Golden Immortals, such as Xuan Yuan, who wanted to gather the power of all the Golden Immortals to make a deduction, but no matter what they did, they were unable to make the deduction.

even.

Forced simulation.

All the Golden Immortals present coughed up a mouthful of blood, their expressions extremely listless.

"We cannot proceed with this analysis."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid both of us will be devoured by the unseen forces of the Great Dao..."

"What on earth is going on?!"

"Why do unexpected anomalies keep happening..."

For a moment, the Golden Immortals' gathering fell silent.

At this moment.

As figures at the pinnacle overlooking the vast starry sea, having lived through countless epochs, they all felt a sense of insignificance, like ants.

……

...Deep within the ruins of the Heavenly Court.

Di Yuan, the former Celestial Emperor who was in seclusion, attempting to rebuild his Dao foundation and attain the power of a Golden Immortal, suddenly opened his eyes!
He watched as his slowly condensing immortal laws crumbled inch by inch under that sudden, supreme pressure!

"puff!"

Di Yuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden imperial blood, his eyes filled with endless horror!
He discovered that his status as a Celestial Emperor prevented him from ascending to that realm.

This……

"In the end, we were still a step too late."

"Ugh!"

Emperor Yuan sighed.

He knew it was that guy! It had to be him!
He actually went that far?!

Even though he had reached the limit of the second realm of the Xuan Yu Immortal Ranking very quickly and was moving towards the third realm to gain power, he was still one step behind his opponent.

……

……

Inside the magnificent divine palace.

The Divine Emperor Di Xuan also sensed this supreme aura that was capable of changing everything.

He felt neither anger nor jealousy.

He simply stood up quietly and walked out of the shrine.

He looked up at the boundless sea of ​​stars, his face showing unprecedented fervor and excitement!

"Is it finally here?"

"A true rival who can compete with 'the one behind the door'!"

"Su Chen, you have indeed not disappointed me!"

"This game is only getting really interesting from this moment on!"

……

……

Listening to Immortals Pavilion.

The pavilion, forever shrouded in mist, collapsed with a deafening roar at that moment!

The Pavilion Master and his deputy emerged from the ruins in a disheveled state. Looking at the ancient tortoise shell and the Heavenly Mystery Compass in their hands, which had long since turned to dust, the two stared at each other, seeing only endless emptiness and bewilderment in each other's eyes.

"I can't figure it out."

"It's completely impossible to calculate."

"From this day forward, the secrets of this starry sea will be entirely in his hands..."

……

……

Taiyi Immortal City.

The Golden Light Ancient Immortal and the millions of cultivators in the city felt an unprecedented sense of peace and tranquility the moment Su Chen returned.

It's as if, even if the sky were to collapse, someone would always be there to hold it up for them.

They all looked up at the sky without prior arrangement.

They seemed to see an indescribably enormous nine-colored divine tree, its canopy covering the entire starry sea, its roots taking root in every corner of the universe.

And they, and this entire immortal city, are merely insignificant leaves on this divine tree.

Yet they enjoy the gentlest protection of the sacred tree.

Seeing this scene, Jin Guang Gu Xian was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He knew that the glorious era he had been waiting for had truly arrived.

He bowed deeply to the sky.

"This old man respectfully welcomes the Dao Lord's return!"

Su Chen ignored the enormous commotion caused by his return throughout the Star Sea.

He simply walked quietly, step by step, from the end of the starry sea back to the Taiyi Immortal City, which he had built with his own hands and which floated on the Sea of ​​Separation and Hatred.

He returned to the Taiyi Palace that belonged to him.

In front of the hall, Jin Guang Gu Xian had already led all the high-ranking officials of Taiyi Palace, waiting respectfully.

"Welcome, my lord!"

Everyone spontaneously knelt on one knee, their voices filled with reverence and fervor from the depths of their souls.

Su Chen's gaze swept over them.

He saw several newly promoted Xuanxian elders over the past ten years.

He saw those young disciples who were once naive, but were now capable of standing on their own.

He saw the old face of Jin Guang Gu Xian, which, though tired, was filled with satisfaction.

A gentle smile finally appeared on his face.

"Everyone, get up."

"I am back."

Yes, he is back.

No longer the "terrifying immortal" who needed to travel around seeking opportunities.

No longer the "Number One on the Xuan Yu Immortal Ranking" who needed to establish his authority through killing and intimidate villains.

He returned with an air of supreme authority, as the "Dao Lord" who wields the Great Dao!

……

……

Su Chen's return did not cause a grand celebration at Taiyi Palace.

He simply returned calmly to the top floor of the Taiyi Palace and summoned the Golden Light Ancient Immortal and a dozen or so newly promoted high-ranking officials who had distinguished themselves from millions of cultivators over the past few decades thanks to their outstanding merits and talents.

Among these people were former members of the Immortal Alliance, powerful rogue cultivators who came because of their reputation, and even two Xuanxian experts from other races.

But in Taiyi Palace, they share only one identity—elders of Taiyi Palace.

At this moment, they stood respectfully in front of Su Chen, their expressions excited, not daring to even breathe loudly.

They could clearly sense that although the white-robed Daoist Master before them possessed a restrained and unassuming aura, his pale golden eyes seemed to contain a universe of birth, death, and reincarnation. Just one glance from him was enough to make them feel as if their very souls were being completely seen through, leaving them with no room for any other thoughts.

"Everyone, take a seat."

Su Chen's voice was gentle and calm, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they carefully sat down on the prayer cushions on both sides.

"Jin Guang, I appreciate your hard work in managing the palace affairs during these years of my seclusion." Su Chen's gaze first fell on Jin Guang Ancient Immortal.

"It is my duty to share your burdens, sir!" Jin Guang Gu Xian hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "I have not failed you. Now, my Taiyi Palace has become the number one holy land in the Tianxu Star Region and even several surrounding star regions! The number of registered disciples in the palace has exceeded three million, there are one hundred and eight Xuanxian high-level elders, and countless cultivators who spend their years meditating before the Taiyi Dao Stele, regarding my immortal city as their second home."

He gave Su Chen a concise report on the development of Taiyi Palace over the years, his tone filled with pride and satisfaction.

Su Chen listened quietly and nodded slightly.

All this was within his expectations.

With his prestige, coupled with heaven-defying resources like the Taiyi Dao Stele and the Longevity Medicine Garden, it would be truly strange if he still couldn't attract all the immortals to pay homage.

"Very good," Su Chen praised. "All those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded. Please prepare a list for me later, and the palace treasury will be open to them."

"Yes, sir!" Jin Guang Gu Xian was overjoyed.

"However," Su Chen changed the subject, his brows furrowing slightly, "when I observe the cosmic energy and sense the laws of heaven, why do I always feel there's something slightly off?"

"It seems that the laws governing this sea of ​​stars have become more 'fragile' than before I went into seclusion?"

Upon hearing this, Jin Guang Gu Xian's expression also became solemn.

“Your Excellency is extremely discerning,” he said in a deep voice. “This is precisely the matter I wished to report to you.”

"Ten years ago, after you, my lord, slew two ancient god-kings of the divine race and wiped out the remnants of Tian Buyu, the Star Sea has ushered in a rare period of peace. But for some reason, the 'tainted sun' hanging high in the sky has become more and more active."

"The foul aura it emits is several times stronger than before! Some star fields near the Central Divine Court have already shown signs of abnormal changes in living beings and distortion of laws."

"Several old geezers I know well have sent me messages several times, their words filled with worry. They suspect that your earth-shattering battle before, sir, disrupted some ancient balance that maintains the stability of the starry sea." (End of Chapter)