Living in the deep palace

"Those who rebel will die!"

Su Chen's intrusion was like a pebble thrown into an ancient well that had been silent for millions of years, awakening the sleeping guardian.

The spirit's gaze fell upon Su Chen, and a clear hint of contempt and disdain flashed in its sun-like eyes.

"A mere quasi-immortal dares to attempt to travel against the flow of time?"

The Quasi-Immortal Realm—in its long career of guarding this realm, it has seen at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand.

"act recklessly!"

The spirit's grand voice carried a hint of mockery and pity.

"Didn't you see those corpses in the passage? Among them are many quasi-immortals like yourself, and even ancient true immortals who stumbled into this place by chance. They are like ants, trying to touch a domain that does not belong to them."

What it said was true. Beside the teleportation array in the bronze palace, there were indeed several skeletons that had long lost their divinity. The most powerful of them had indeed reached the realm of a true immortal in life, but still perished here.

Before the words were even finished, the spirit had already made its move!
It didn't even make any extra movements; its sun-like eyes suddenly burst forth with a hazy, annihilating soul light!

This beam of soul light is neither an energy attack nor a divine power of law, but a more fundamental kind of obliteration aimed at the soul and the concept of "existence"!

It is the manifestation of the supreme law of this illusory world!

From the perspective of the soul, let alone a mere quasi-immortal, even a true immortal would only have one fate if struck head-on by this soul light—their soul and karma would be completely erased, turning into the most fundamental nourishment for this world!
Wherever the soul light passed, space silently vanished, and the concept of time was forcibly distorted, as if trying to completely dig Su Chen and the area he was in out of this tributary of time!

However, this was a fatal blow that could make any true immortal despair.

Su Chen didn't even lift his eyelids.

He simply stood quietly with his hands behind his back, dressed in white, his expression indifferent.

That hazy, annihilating soul light, powerful enough to obliterate a true immortal, seemed to transcend the distance of time and space, instantly striking Su Chen.

then……

Then there is no more then.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no unusual phenomenon of the collapse of laws.

The moment that arrogant, annihilating soul light touched Su Chen's body, it was like the first ray of spring sunshine shining on the ice and snow that had accumulated throughout the entire winter...

It melted away silently.

Even Su Chen's spotless white robes remained unmoved by the slightest breeze.

Quiet.

Deathly silence.

The whole world seemed to have been put on pause at that moment.

The terrifying spirit, towering billions of feet tall, froze its contemptuous and disdainful expression on its face in an instant.

For the first time, a feeling of "bewilderment" and "disbelief" appeared in its eyes, which burned like the sun.

It...cannot understand.

It couldn't understand what was happening before its eyes.

Why did my own primal attack, which was powerful enough to annihilate a true immortal, fail?

It was as if the other party did not exist in this dimension at all, and was not subject to the laws governing this world.

To attack oneself is like using swords in a painting to slash at a real person—it's a complete joke!
"How can this be?!"

"I was created by that being, who can even annihilate ancient true immortals, so why can't I kill you, a mere quasi-immortal who has intruded?"

For the first time, the chaotic and immense will of the soul fluctuated violently.

It had lived for far too long, so long that it had forgotten the passage of time. It had also seen far too many intruders, from weak mortals to powerful immortals.

But it had never seen anything so bizarre, so... incomprehensible!

Just how terrifying is the true nature of this seemingly "quasi-immortal" young man in white before us?!

Su Chen slowly raised his head, his eyes, half creation and half end, calmly gazing at the soul before him, which was in a state of great shock.

He is certainly not a true immortal.

He is a half-step Taiyi Golden Immortal! He is the existence that stands at the very pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm in this universe!
Although the power of this spirit is peculiar and capable of obliterating a true immortal, from his current level of understanding, it is no different from a child's play.

This bronze palace world might be able to stop a Xuanxian in the early stage, but it is far too insignificant to someone who can easily annihilate a Jinxian.

From the very beginning, they were not on the same level.

"How long have you been waiting here?"

Su Chen's voice rang out calmly, yet it seemed to contain some kind of all-knowing magic, causing the chaotic will of the soul to pause.

"How long...how long have we been waiting?"

The spirit murmured to itself, its immense will sinking into deeper confusion, "I do not know... I only know that my mission is to protect this place, to annihilate everything... those who dare to defy the tide..."

"Is that so?" A hint of understanding, along with a touch of pity, flashed in Su Chen's eyes. "Your mission is complete."

He could sense that this spirit was not a real living being.

It's more like a pre-programmed "program," a "puppet" endowed with immense power; its very existence is an endless torment.

Day after day, year after year, they repeat the same mission in endless solitude and darkness.

"That's fine."

Su Chen sighed softly.

"Then I will send you to find liberation."

"After countless years of torment, you should finally rest in peace."

"To live forever, to remain here in such a solitary state, would be torture for any living being..."

After speaking, Su Chen slowly raised his right hand, and with a finger as white as jade, he gently pointed at the enormous soul spirit from a distance.

It has no earth-shattering power, no world-destroying energy.

Only a faint wisp of chaotic light, seemingly containing all the mysteries of the beginning of the universe and the origin of all things, flashed and disappeared from his fingertips.

The moment that terrifying spirit saw that wisp of chaotic light, all the confusion, shock, and bewilderment in its sun-like eyes vanished.

What replaces it is an unprecedented clarity and liberation!

In that instant, it seemed to see through all the illusions and understand its true nature.

Its enormous body, towering hundreds of millions of feet high, began to silently transform from beneath its feet into specks of golden light, slowly dissipating.

This is not destruction, but a... return.

Returning to the most fundamental nothingness.

It looked at Su Chen, and its enormous head slowly lowered.

He bowed deeply to Su Chen, a gesture filled with boundless gratitude and respect.

"Thank you... for making it possible..."

A grand will filled with relief and liberation resounded in Su Chen's sea of ​​consciousness.

Then, just before its massive body was about to completely dissipate, a core containing all its memories, enveloped in a dense golden light, slowly flew out from between its brows and floated before Su Chen. Having done all this, this terrifying soul that had guarded this place for countless epochs finally transformed into a shower of light and vanished into this illusory world.

As it dissipated, the world that it had maintained began to tremble and collapse violently.

Su Chen reached out and caught the ball of memory light. Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed it directly into his brow.

boom--! ! ! !

In an instant, ancient, weathered memories, filled with endless loneliness, surged into his consciousness like a flood bursting its banks!

He witnessed the birth of this spirit.

It was not born of heaven and earth, but was created at will by a terrifying being that cannot be described in words, filled with absolute "self" and supreme "domineering" will!

The face of that being was shrouded in a thick layer of Great Dao mist, making it impossible to see clearly.

But he simply stood there, and it was as if he were the center of the entire universe! The origin of all paths!

He casually pointed to this void point in spacetime, and his words became law:
"You are here, waiting for someone destined to be with us."

"If he can get past you, then give him this item. It might be useful for what you need..."

Immediately, that terrifying being left behind a mark filled with the Daoist essence of "Taiyi," then turned and left, stepping into the main channel of the chaotic river of time and disappearing from sight.

From then on, this spirit began its long, seemingly endless wait.

Until today, with the arrival of Su-Chen.

"The destined one..."

Su Chen slowly opened his eyes, and the myriad scenes before him ultimately turned into a long sigh.

"It seems I am the one destined for you."

He was processing the memories of the spirit, but a tidal wave of emotions was surging within him.

Because, from that mysterious powerhouse, he sensed an extremely familiar, domineering aura filled with absolute "self"!

Although that aura was even purer and more... domineering than the mysterious "Cang Daoren" he had encountered before!
However, its origin perfectly overlaps with a name deep in his memory that has long been regarded as a taboo and a legend!
The First Immortal Emperor – Zuo Qingcang!

"It was him!

Su Chen was filled with astonishment and confusion.

"Why would Zuo Qingcang leave such a contingency plan here?"

"Did he know that I would return to the Realm of Mountains and Seas and travel through this tributary of time to the 'End of Time'?"

A series of huge mysteries began to surface in Su Chen's mind.

But he soon felt relieved.

"Too."

"He is the most powerful ascent to the top in history, a true being who stands at the pinnacle of this universe."

"In his glorious era, the river of time was not as chaotic and blocked as it is now. With his cultivation level, he might truly be able to foresee a corner of the future and see my arrival..."

A glint of wisdom shone in Su Chen's eyes.

He instantly grasped the key to it.

Zuo Qingcang, the first supreme immortal emperor to walk the "Taiyi Path", once attempted to break through to the legendary "Taiyi Golden Immortal" realm!
Unfortunately, according to Cang Daoren, he failed!

In fact, in order to enter the ranks of ordinary Golden Immortals, he had to tarnish one-tenth of his Dao Fruit foundation!
This may be the biggest regret of his life.

“So…” Su Chen’s gaze became incredibly profound, “He left a contingency plan here not to test me, but to… guide me!”

"He also hopes that I can find a way out of the path he couldn't find back then!"

He also hoped to see for himself what the legendary 'Taiyi Golden Immortal' was all about!

Having figured all this out, Su Chen felt a complex and indescribable emotion welling up inside him.

"Zuo Qingcang..."

"do not worry."

"The road you didn't finish, I will finish for you!"

"I will definitely see the scenery of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm for you!"

At that very moment, with the complete dissipation of the soul, this illusory world finally reached the end of its collapse.

Space, like a shattered mirror, crumbled inch by inch!

……

……

When that illusory world constructed by the will of the soul shattered and vanished completely, like a mirage.

A truly magnificent river of light, shimmering and brilliant, woven from the pure laws of time and space, appeared before Su Chen.

This is the true form of the "Mountain and Sea Realm," this tributary of time!
The river water is not a real flow of water, but a kind of "fragment of time" composed of countless tiny, ever-changing "fragments of time".

Each fragment reflects a piece of true history belonging to the Mountain and Sea Realm, a history that has been buried by time for millions of years.

Su Chen could clearly see ancient demon gods roaring and galloping across the desolate land.

Ancient human ancestors, dressed in ancient sacrificial robes, were setting up an altar and praying to the heavens.

Furthermore, one can even witness the horrific scene of countless immortals and gods falling from the heavens like dumplings being dropped into a pot during the apocalyptic war that swept across the entire world—a scene of carnage and devastation.

This river is a microcosm of the five million years of history in the Mountain and Sea Realm!
At the end of this river of light lies a vaster, deeper expanse, filled with endless chaos and storms... the dark void.

That place is the "main road" of the river of time!
"So this is the real path."

Looking at the dangerous and unknown tributary of time before him, Su Chen's eyes showed no fear whatsoever, but instead burned with an even more intense fighting spirit!
Zuo Qingcang's backup plan had cleared away his last bit of confusion.

He knew that his choice was the right one!
Without any further hesitation, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and his figure disappeared into that surging tributary of time!

boom--! ! ! !

The instant he stepped into the River of Light!
An indescribable, terrifying pressure emanating from "time" itself was pressing down on him from all directions!

The feeling was as if the entire five million years of history of the world had been condensed into an invisible cage, ready to completely crush and assimilate him, this alien from the "future"!
Countless fragments of time, like the sharpest blades, sliced ​​through his body.

The chaotic flow of time, like an invisible giant hand, tore at his soul, attempting to completely erase his "present" from the level of "existence"!
If any Golden Immortal were here, their Golden Immortal body would probably be completely torn apart by this terrifying power of time the moment they stepped into this place!
however!
Su Chen, however, only swayed slightly before standing steadily in the rushing river.

Buzz—! ! ! !

A faint layer of chaotic light, containing the mysteries of "creation" and "end," emerged from his body.

His "Primordial Dao Body," which had long surpassed the realm of ordinary immortals and gods, displayed its truly terrifying power at this moment!

Those time fragments, powerful enough to tear apart Golden Immortals, disintegrated silently and inch by inch the moment they collided with that layer of chaotic light.
Those temporal turbulences that were powerful enough to obliterate the soul couldn't even get within three feet of his body before being forcibly smoothed and purified by the supreme Daoist aura containing the will of "Primordial Beginning"!
"Such intense pressure."

Su Chen felt the power of time that was constantly eroding him, and his heart couldn't help but tremble slightly.

He knew that this was only a "tributary".

If one were to enter that even more chaotic and terrifying "main road," how terrifying would the pressure be? (End of Chapter)