Living in the deep palace

Tsk-!
It was as if an invisible, peerless, and malevolent sword, which transcended all laws, was slashing down from a distant, unknown place, following the four causal lines that connected Su Chen!

This sword strike did not sever their physical bodies, nor their primordial spirits.

What is being severed is the "connection"! It is the "cause and effect"! It is the "way" upon which they depend for existence!
"puff--!!!"

Almost at the same time, the four Heavenly Venerables, led by Xinghe Tianzun, were all struck as if by lightning!

Their bodies jolted violently, their expressions instantly turning horrified. They all opened their mouths and spat out a mouthful of golden blood containing the essence of their own Great Dao!

They felt that the portion of their primal power they had extended, along with all the causal relationships related to that portion of primal power, was completely severed and annihilated in that instant by a tyrannical, domineering, and unreasonable force!

This feeling was as if they had reached out a hand to touch a forbidden existence, only to have that hand, along with all their memories and concepts of "hand," severed at the shoulder and completely erased from their lives!

As the core and carrier of this deduction, the backlash suffered by the Great Evolution Divine Stone was terrifying to the extreme!
boom--! ! ! !

The moment the dark crack spread across the entire stone, this fourth-realm treasure, which carried the secrets of the previous era, shattered before it could even utter a mournful cry!
It turned into dust, which fell gently down from the sky.

The infinite mysteries contained within, and the myriad futures reflected therein, were all utterly brought to an end by that invisible "slash," turning into meaningless dust.

The great formation collapsed instantly.

Inside the Hall of Origin, a deathly silence returned.

Only four cosmic rulers remained, their faces ashen, their breaths weak, and golden bloodstains still clinging to the corners of their mouths. They stared blankly at the falling dust, their eyes filled with uncontrollable...fear!
"My...my Great Evolution Divine Stone..."

The Great Evolution Celestial Venerable reached out in a daze, trying to catch the powder, but the powder turned into nothingness at his fingertips.

He could clearly feel that his innate and close connection with the "heavenly secrets" was forcibly cut in half with the shattering of the divine stone!
His path has become permanently flawed!

He suddenly raised his head, and his face, which was full of wisdom and calculation, was now filled with only the fear of surviving a disaster and hysteria!

He looked at the other three Celestial Venerables, who were equally agitated, and roared in a trembling voice:
"What...what method did Celestial Venerable Shi use?! It's so terrifying!"

"What was that?! That wasn't a supernatural power at all! It was a... a 'principle'! A principle that ends all things! It... it instantly destroyed my Dao-Merging Treasure!"

"Hasn't he already lost his status as a Heavenly Dao being?"

"damn it!"

"His killing move severed half of my foundation in the fourth realm!"

The ultimate treasure of the Dao is one that is in harmony with one's own Dao. If the treasure exists, the Dao exists; if the treasure is destroyed, the Dao is harmed!

For the Great Evolution Celestial Venerable, the shattering of the Great Evolution Divine Stone was more painful than death! It meant that his path of cultivation had come to an end, with no possibility of further progress!
Star River Celestial Venerable forcibly suppressed his surging blood and qi. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at the empty center of the formation. The once brilliant sea of ​​stars in his eyes had now become dim and lifeless, filled with unprecedented horror.

"We...we were wrong."

He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse, "We were wrong from the very beginning. We shouldn't have tested him, much less tried to deduce his true intentions..."

“That’s beyond our comprehension. We tried to use a ‘net’ to capture a divine dragon soaring beyond the nine heavens, but the dragon simply swung its claw lightly and tore us and our ‘net’ to shreds.”

"He either reached the fourth realm, or he didn't lose his Heavenly Dao status and, relying on that so-called new Dao, rewoven his Heavenly Dao Net..."

"Damn you, Ten Ancient Venerables! The information we got from them is wrong. They want to use us as pawns to kill us..."

The Heavenly Venerable of Myriad Powers and the Heavenly Venerable of Spiritual Heart looked at each other in horror, remaining silent.

Their pride and confidence as masters of the universe were completely shattered and vanished under that incomprehensible "sword."

They didn't even know what the enemy looked like or where he was, yet he was severely injured by him across infinite time and space!
This is no longer a battle, but... a dimensional reduction attack!
"Issue my decree!"

Star River Celestial Venerable took a deep breath, his face regaining its usual indifference, but beneath that indifference lay a deep fear that could never be erased.

"From this day forward, the 'Time Celestial Venerable' shall be listed as the 'First Taboo,' which is unspeakable, unseen, and unexplorable!"

"All intelligence about him shall be sealed and destroyed! Anyone who attempts to deduce or search for him shall be treated as a traitor!"

"He... is beyond our comprehension. Let him do what he wants. We... should just watch."

The other three Celestial Venerables nodded silently upon hearing this.

On this day, in the new mythological era that had just been born a hundred years earlier, all the rulers standing at the top of the pyramid reached a tacit consensus.

In this universe, there is still an unseen... "Emperor".

And they were all subjects.

……

In the ruins of the Dao.

Su Chen slowly lowered his sword finger, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"The results were even better than expected."

He could clearly feel that as he unleashed his sword strike, the four causal threads that had been entangled with him, along with the supreme treasure at their source, were completely annihilated.

From this day forward, no one in this world will be able to glimpse even a trace of him through the means of cause and effect and destiny.

The Heavenly Slaughter Sword is not only a sword of killing, but also... a sword of isolation!
Cut off everything, and isolate everything.

Having done all this, Su Chen didn't linger.

He chose a direction, took a step, and his figure completely disappeared into this eternal nothingness.

The new era begins in 1600.

When the Celestial Venerable reappeared, he startled the four gods with a single sword strike.

But his hunt has only just begun.

……

……

The moment Su Chen stepped out of the ruins of the Dao, he completely isolated himself from the world.

He was like a ghost walking in the world, traversing the bustling sea of ​​stars, yet untouched by any cause or effect.

His mind was immersed in the vast sea of ​​memories of Chen Sheng, searching for a "beacon" for his next target.

Soon, a faint yet incredibly clear resonance came from some remote corner of the universe.

It was a feeling full of "extinction" and "decay", as if all things had come to an end, all the splendor had faded, and everything would return to decay and silence.

“‘Wu’…”

The name naturally came to mind for Su Chen.

Among the ten taboos in ancient life, "芜" represents the origin of "withering".

Without the slightest hesitation, following that mysterious and profound feeling, he took a step forward. The starry river before him instantly blurred, as if being pulled backward by an invisible hand.

When the scene became clear again, he had already traveled countless billions of miles and arrived in an unfamiliar star field.

This is a wild frontier that has never been touched by the forces of the Ten Ancient Venerables and the Ten Heavenly Venerables. The spiritual energy of the universe is thin, and most of the stars are desolate and lifeless planets.

Before Su Chen floated a vibrant blue star, brimming with life, seemingly out of place in its surroundings. This star was enveloped by a faint yet incredibly resilient barrier, isolating it from all external detection.

If Su Chen didn't possess the memories of Chen Sheng and be able to directly sense the origin of "Wu", even a fourth-realm being passing by would probably only regard this place as an ordinary life-bearing planet and sweep it past.

"An interesting fellow." A hint of curiosity appeared on Su Chen's face.

"Wu," in its essence, means "withering," the end of life. Yet, He carefully protects this vibrant world with a barrier. This contradictory behavior piqued His interest in exploring it further.

Instead of forcibly breaking the barrier, he moved swiftly and silently merged into it, like a phantom.

……

……

This is a small world full of ancient charm and chivalry.

The towering city walls, the pavilions with flying eaves and brackets, the ancient road paved with bluestone, and the arrogant wanderers with long swords at their waists traveling along the road.

A powerful dynasty ruled this land, establishing laws and suppressing all forces. Beyond the dynastic order, countless martial arts sects roamed the land, seeking revenge and pursuing the ultimate in martial arts.

The mortals here, though lacking the talent for cultivating immortality, are all martial arts enthusiasts. By tempering their physical bodies and comprehending a special kind of "primordial energy" in the world, they too can possess extraordinary powers such as splitting mountains and shattering rocks, and walking on air.

As Su Chen walked through the capital city of this land, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar scene before him, a long-lost ripple stirred in his heart.

This place is very similar to the "world in the palm of his hand" he experienced when he was still insignificant.

The same dynasty and the same martial arts world, the same chivalrous heroes and conflicts.

He entered a restaurant, sat down by the window, and ordered a pot of the strongest liquor. The surrounding noise and the loud conversations of the wandering swordsmen gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

"Have you heard? 'Overlord Blade' Liu Qingtian, three days ago, on the summit of Cangmang Mountain, he single-handedly cut down three thousand armored guards sent by the dynasty to surround and annihilate him! He was truly awe-inspiring!"

"Hmph, what's that? Ye Gucheng, the 'Sword Comes from the West,' entered the capital alone yesterday, and amidst a million people, took the head of the corrupt official Minister Li, and escaped unscathed! That's what you call a true hero!"

"The dynasty's fate is sealed, and the world is about to descend into chaos. We, the heroes and heroines of the martial world, should take up our swords and achieve unparalleled feats!"

Su Chen listened quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

He could sense that the "primordial energy" flowing between heaven and earth was, in essence, a different kind of life energy formed after the "withered" origin of "Wu" had been diluted and transformed countless times.

While it cannot grant immortality, it can stimulate the body's potential, allowing life to shine with its most brilliant brilliance within its limited time.

All living beings in this world are children of "Wu".

He nurtured this flourishing martial arts civilization with his own withered essence.

"This weed is quite interesting."

"The source of decay, however, is the birthplace of business, the birthplace of a world."

Su Chen drank the wine in his cup, already having made up his mind. He didn't linger any longer, taking a step and disappearing into the bustling restaurant.

……

……

The mighty river flows eastward, its waves sweeping away the past.

On the banks of the most vast river in this small world, all is silent. The thousand-foot-tall willows on the bank sway in the wind, casting dappled shadows.

An old man dressed in simple linen clothes sat on a blue stone, holding a green bamboo pole, fishing quietly.

His body was hunched over, and his breath was peaceful, as if he had completely merged with the natural world around him.

If an ordinary person were to pass by, they would simply see him as an ordinary fisherman.

But Su Chen could see the astonishing essence hidden beneath his humanoid body.

That seemingly aged skin is actually ancient tree bark that has accumulated over hundreds of millions of years, covered with mysterious Taoist patterns.

Those sparse white hairs are the crystallization of life formed after absorbing endless decay.

He is "Wu".

Su Chen's figure quietly appeared behind the old man.

The old man didn't turn around, as if he already knew he was coming. He simply raised his other hand and pointed to another futon and a pot of warm wine that had been prepared beside him.

"You've arrived." His voice was hoarse and aged, like the sound of wind blowing through a withered forest. "Sit down."

A strange light flashed in Su Chen's eyes. But he did not hesitate and sat down on the futon as instructed.

The old man poured him a full glass of wine.

The wine had an amber color, within which countless phantoms of life seemed to rise and fall, exuding a rich, peculiar aroma that was a mixture of vitality and death.

Su Chen picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Non-toxic and harmless!

This cup of wine actually had indescribable benefits for his physical health.

The pungent liquor, once swallowed, transforms into a gentle, warm current, containing within it the joys and sorrows, the happiness and sadness of countless lives.

"Why are you offering me drinks? Don't you know I'm here to kill you?"

After putting down his wine glass, Su Chen calmly asked.

His gaze fell upon that wrinkled, aged face, as weathered as tree bark.

The old man, also known as "Wu," turned his head slowly upon hearing this.

His cloudy eyes were like two ancient amber pieces that had withstood the test of countless ages; there was no hostility or fear in them, only a tranquility and composure that had seen through life and death.

"I've been alone for a long, long time..."

He sighed softly, his voice filled with endless vicissitudes.

“I am the embodiment of ‘decay’, the end of all things.”

"From the day I was born, all prosperity withers upon seeing me; all life is extinguished upon encountering me."

"All living beings fear me, the Great Way abandons me; I am destined to be an eternal loner."

"So, in the midst of endless loneliness, I once made a promise to myself."

"I want to invite the first person who can truly find me and sit down with me to share a drink. Whoever he is, whatever his reason for coming."

"That's all."

"Even if this person wants to kill me, it doesn't matter..."

"I'm so lonely..." (End of Chapter)