Living in the deep palace

【Ancient God Ruins - Heart Temple - Main Hall】

"Click——!!!"

It was a chilling cracking sound, like the crisp sound of some high-dimensional, regular crystal being chewed up.

Inside the main hall of the Imperial God Palace, which had been silent for hundreds of millions of years, this crisp sound was like a thunderclap, shattering all the tranquility.

Beneath the towering throne that reached into the clouds, Su Chen had transformed into a ferocious chaotic demon god, with the [Gluttony] maw behind him biting down hard on the dark "Shadow of the Ancient God".

That shadow originally represented the combat instincts of a sixth-realm expert, the most insurmountable aggregate of rules in this ruin. It possessed infinite energy and the authority to replicate all supernatural powers.

But at this moment, it was like a fish being pressed onto a chopping board, emitting a shrill and distorted scream as it was torn apart by that chaotic giant mouth.

“Ahhhh——!!!”

"This is impossible... What kind of law is this?! This isn't devouring... this is tampering! You're tampering with the definition of my existence!!"

The shadow of the ancient god struggled frantically.

It attempted to transform its body into nothingness dark matter, trying to escape Su Chen's bite using "phase shift." Over countless years, it had used this trick to toy with countless intruders, rendering all their attacks ineffective.

However, this time, it failed.

No matter how it changes form, that chaotic maw seems to be growing on its body, and even changes with its shape.

Because what Su Chen used was no longer a simple physical tearing or a simple magical absorption.

Rather, it is—【Origin and Definition】.

"run?"

Su Chen's mouth was full of black fragments of rules, and his blue-gold eyes burned with a flame called "greed".

"Once you're in my mouth, you're meat."

"This is the definition I've given you!"

"Origin Law - Absolute Lock-On!!"

Om-! ! !
The [Origin Dao Fruit] on Su Chen's chest spun wildly, spewing out billions of azure threads. These threads ignored the distance of space and time, directly piercing into every inch of the ancient god's shadow's "black mist."

Immediately afterwards, Su Chen's ultimate will, that of a "freeloader," erupted.

That was the hunger that came from climbing up from the lowest depths of mortal life. It was the madness of daring to devour even the gods and Buddhas of the heavens just to survive!

"I am alive, you are dead."

"I have a future, you only have a past."

"A dead remnant of a memory dares to call itself a god before me?!"

"Swallow it!!!"

A beast-like roar erupted from deep within Su Chen's throat.

Rumbling--

The Chaos Branch within his body instantly transformed into a massive millstone. This millstone, propelled by two diametrically opposed forces of "creation" and "destruction," spun violently within Su Chen's abdomen.

"Suck it-"

Su Chen took a deep breath.

The shadow of the ancient god let out a final, desperate cry.

Its massive body, composed of countless fragments of combat experience and rules, was forced to collapse into a black torrent under the suppression of the Origin Law, sliding unstoppably down Su Chen's throat.

grunt.

A clear swallowing sound echoed in the hall.

The world fell silent.

The thick black fog dissipated.

The twelve ancient divine pillars that were about to collapse stopped trembling.

Even the oppressive aura of the sixth realm that constantly weighed on people's hearts vanished with the disappearance of that shadow.

Only Su Chen remained, standing in the center of the hall.

He kept his eyes closed, remaining in a swallowing position, completely still.

But within his body, a cataclysmic change was taking place.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A rumbling sound, like muffled thunder, emanated from Su Chen's abdomen.

Although the ancient god's shadow was devoured, the energy it contained was simply too immense. After all, it was a battle projection left behind by a sixth-realm expert, and its energy density was high enough to destroy a hundred Great Luo Golden Immortals!

The violent power of the rules surged through Su Chen's body, attempting to tear apart his internal organs and break free from his physical constraints.

Su Chen's skin instantly turned bright red, and countless golden cracks appeared on his body, like a porcelain vase about to shatter.

"Humph."

"You think you can rebel now that you're inside me?"

Su Chen snorted coldly, his will as sharp as a knife, slashing fiercely into his body.

"Origin - Suppression!"

"Chaos - Digestion!"

"Give me everything...!"

hum!
The phantom of the Longevity Tree appeared behind him.

This time, the Dao Tree was no longer an illusory blue, but was stained with a thick layer of dark gold.

In particular, the branch that represents the "divine weapon" is growing wildly at this moment, with countless ancient battle patterns appearing on its surface.

Because the core value of the Shadow of the Ancient God is not energy, but rather—[skill].

It is the combat skills that the ancient god accumulated through a lifetime of battles and fights across the heavens!
this moment.

Countless images flashed through Su Chen's mind like a revolving lantern.

He seemed to have transformed into that ancient giant, creating the world from chaos, capturing dragons in the sea of ​​stars, suppressing eternity with his iron fists, and shattering the Great Dao with his pure flesh.

[Ancient God - Heaven-Shattering Fist!]

[Ancient God - Shattering Star Finger!]

【Ancient God - Divine Demon Suppressing Prison Force!】

Countless profound martial arts principles were violently dismantled by the Chaos Branch, removing the personal imprints of the ancient gods and leaving only the purest "power exertion techniques" and "rule application," which were then perfectly integrated into Su Chen's memories.

"I see……"

"So this is how the physical body is used in the sixth realm."

"It's not just about brute force, but about transforming each cell into an independent 'dantian,' or even a 'world.'"

"Resonance! Eruption! Collapse!"

Su Chen's aura began to rise steadily.

The realm that was originally somewhat unstable due to forcibly entering the Divine Palace is now being rapidly solidified.

His [Origin God-Demon Body], nourished by this immense energy, began to evolve towards a higher level.

His originally bluish-gold skin gradually shed its mortal aura, becoming as smooth and warm as the most perfect jade, yet containing a weight strong enough to crush the void.

"Kakaka..."

Su Chen slowly clenched his fist.

With just a simple fist-clenching motion, the air in the palm is compressed into a liquid state, producing a series of popping sounds.

"call--"

Su Chen opened his mouth and exhaled a breath of black exhaust gas.

Those are the resentments and impurities left behind in the shadow of the ancient god.

As he exhaled that breath of stale air, Su Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

Two beams of golden light shot out from his eyes, piercing through the space thousands of meters ahead and burning two bottomless holes in the incredibly hard temple wall.

"belch--"

Su Chen let out a very unladylike burp and rubbed his slightly bloated stomach.

“The taste is a bit strong.”

"It's like cured meat that's been sitting out for too long; it's too hard and gets stuck in your teeth."

"but……"

Su Chen felt the immense power within his body, which was at least 30% stronger than before, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

"It is indeed rich in nutrients."

"Now, if I were to face that shadow again, I wouldn't need to use the laws of origin to cheat."

"Three punches."

Su Chen held up three fingers.

"Within three punches, I can shatter it into dust!" *Thud*

With the complete annihilation of the ancient god's shadow, the chains of rules that had originally sealed off the space around the hall instantly lost their source and dissipated into specks of starlight.

At this moment, the Imperial Palace finally revealed all its secrets to Su Chen.

Su Chen turned around, his gaze passing over the empty hall and landing on the deepest part.

There, there is a suspended black sealed crystal.

And within the crystal, there was that stunned... white soul fire.

……

【Imperial God Palace - Sealing Altar】

Dead silence.

It was even more utterly silent than before.

If the remnant soul of the Skeleton Lord, sealed within the crystal, had a physical form, its chin would have already smashed through the floor.

What did he see?
He saw a madman, a complete monster!

That's the shadow of an ancient god! It's the strongest defensive line left behind by this sixth-realm corpse! Even in his prime (late fifth-realm), he could only barely contend with this shadow. Back then, in order to clear a path for Chen Sheng, he even had to self-destruct his physical body to gain a sliver of hope.

But now?
been eaten?
Just like eating spicy snacks, you chew them up and swallow them?!
And judging from that kid's appearance, not only was he not possessed and burst by the will of the ancient god, but he also received an immense fortune, yet he's still complaining about the taste?!
"Is this... even human?"

The Soul Lord's soul fire trembled violently, and a storm raged in his heart.

"Origin... Is this the tyranny of the laws of origin?"

"No, it's not just about the origin."

"There's something even more terrifying about this kid... that obsession with 'life,' that demonic nature that sees everything as sustenance..."

Da da da.

Steady footsteps were heard.

With his hands behind his back, Su Chen strolled leisurely towards the sealing crystal, like a nobleman who had just finished a meal and was taking a walk.

He looked down at the trembling soul fire inside, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"Hey."

"Old bones."

Have you had enough of the show?

The Skeleton Lord shuddered violently, nearly extinguishing the flame of his soul.

But he was, after all, a powerful figure in the fifth realm who once dominated the region. Even if he was just a remnant soul, he still couldn't lose the aura of a strongman.

"Cough cough..."

The Skeleton Lord forcibly calmed his mind and sent out a deliberately profound thought.

"Hmph, junior."

"The methods are rather ruthless. To actually think of using the method of devouring to break the deadlock, although it is a bit crude, it can be said to have some of the style of the old me."

"Barely... I'd say I passed."

"Now that you have dealt with that shadow, quickly break this 'Divine Refining Crystal' and release me."

"If I'm in a good mood, I might even give you some pointers and tell you the true secrets of this divine palace."

The Skeleton Lord tried his best to make his voice sound majestic and superior.

In his eyes, he was a "senior," a guide who knew all the secrets. Although this kid was good at fighting, if he wanted to survive in this ancient god's body, which was fraught with danger, he would still have to rely on his own experience.

however.

Su Chen did not bow respectfully as he had expected, nor did he rush to break the seal.

He simply watched the Skeleton Lord quietly, his eyes filled with amusement, as if he were watching a monkey trying its best to perform acrobatics.

"Give me pointers?"

Su Chen extended a finger and gently tapped the surface of the crystal.

thump.

This gentle tap contained a trace of the "ancient god's tremor power" that he had just comprehended.

"what!!"

The space inside the crystal trembled instantly, and the remnant soul of the Skeleton Lord felt as if it had been thrown into hell and burned, almost being completely incinerated.

"You! What are you doing?!" the Skeleton Lord cried out in terror.

"It's nothing, just testing how sturdy this cage is."

Su Chen withdrew his hand and smiled faintly.

"Senior, times have changed."

"Your old-fashioned tricks won't work on me."

"You are now a lonely ghost trapped in a jar. And I am the only master here."

Su Chen moved closer to the crystal, and in those blue-gold eyes, the flames of fear of the Skeleton Lord were reflected.

"Want to figure it out?"

"can."

"But it wasn't you who instructed me, it was..."

"beg me."

……

"You...what did you say?!"

The Skeleton Lord's thoughts were stuttering, and the fire of his soul was leaping wildly in the crystal, radiating a furious red light.

"Please?!"

"Junior! Don't be so arrogant! I am the Corpse Venerable! I am a fifth-realm powerhouse who roamed the Void Domain, a contemporary of the Heavenly Emperor, and even the Heavenly Court had to be wary of me!!"

"Back when I and Chen Sheng shattered this divine palace, you weren't even fully formed in your mother's womb yet!"

"You dare make me beg you? Believe me or not..."

The Skeleton Lord was still incessantly boasting about his seniority, trying to use his past glory to cover up his current predicament.

Su Chen picked at his ear, looking impatient.

"Do not believe."

"It seems you haven't figured out the situation yet."

Su Chen took half a step back and slowly raised his right arm.

Om-! ! !
With his movement, the air in the entire Imperial Palace seemed to be sucked out instantly.

His entire right arm instantly swelled up, the dark golden muscle texture rose like a mountain range, and a terrifying divine light flowed beneath his skin.

An aura of ancient gods, pure to the extreme and domineering to the extreme, erupted from Su Chen.

This aura is even more refined and real than the ancient god's shadow from before!

"This...this is..."

The voice of the Skeleton Lord abruptly stopped.

He felt that power. It was the ultimate realm of physical sanctification that he had dreamed of but could never reach... the ultimate state of physical immortality!

"If you don't want to ask, then stop wasting your breath."

"I'm a pretty straightforward person. I don't like solving puzzles or breaking formations."

"I only like... brute force!"

Su Chen grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"Ancient God - Heaven-Shattering Fist!!"

boom! ! !
Su Chen threw a punch.

There are no fancy magical effects or dazzling lights, only the most simple and unadorned expression of power.

Before the fist even arrived, the surface of the "Refining God Crystal," which was said to be unshakeable even by a Great Luo Golden Immortal, was already covered with dense cracks.

"Wait! No!! This crystal will explode..."

The skeleton's terrified screams were drowned out by the enormous roar.

boom--! ! !
There was a loud bang.

The black crystal that had imprisoned the Skeleton Lord for three thousand years was like a fragile piece of tofu, blasted into dust by Su Chen's punch.

Crystal fragments exploded like a meteor shower, piercing through the surrounding walls.

And at the epicenter of the explosion.

A pale, blurry figure darted out, tumbling dozens of times in the air before barely managing to regain its footing. (End of Chapter)