Primordial Era: A man at the mouth of the Guanjiang River marries the Third Holy Mother.

"Hahaha... Merit Golden Lock! What a lovely name!"

"It used my own merits to suppress me!"

"It told me that I bear the weight of supporting the heavens, and my karmic connection with this world is too great for me to be reincarnated. Suppressing me here is to maintain the stability of the universe!"

"Once again, for the sake of stabilizing the world!"

"To hell with stability!"

The Xuan Turtle roared madly, and its palm-sized soul body erupted with hatred a thousand times more terrifying than before.

"They discarded it after using it! They kicked away the bridge after crossing the river!"

"It exploited me, drained me of everything, and in the end, it even tried to pin the label of 'maintaining the stability of heaven and earth' on me, condemning me to eternal damnation, never to rise again!"

"Tell me, shouldn't this Heavenly Law die?!"

The final question struck Chen Changsheng's heart like a thunderbolt.

He froze on the spot, his hands and feet ice cold.

He had considered countless possibilities, but he never imagined that the truth would be so cruel and so unbearable!

The Heavenly Dao, the supreme will of the primordial world, would actually use such despicable means to deceive and exploit a being who has made unparalleled contributions to heaven and earth!

This is no longer a simple act of betrayal.

This is utterly shameless!

No wonder!

No wonder the black tortoise's hatred was so pure and so terrifying.

Anyone who experienced such betrayal and despair would go insane!

Looking at the soul tortoise trembling in its rage before him, Chen Changsheng felt, for the first time, a deep-seated disgust and... wariness towards the lofty "Heavenly Dao".

He remembered his own identity—the variable.

How will Heaven deal with itself, this "variable"?

Could it be that, just like with this black tortoise, they first use it, and then... ruthlessly eliminate it?

A chill ran down his spine and straight to his head.

He looked at the Xuan Turtle, at its soul, tormented repeatedly by the golden chains formed from the power of merit, and a thought uncontrollably popped into his head.

"senior……"

He spoke slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse.

Is the justice of Heaven truly unjust?

Is that really the case?

Upon hearing Chen Changsheng's words, the Xuan Turtle's frenzied emotions seemed to be paused.

Its dark eyes were fixed on Chen Changsheng, as if trying to discern something from his face.

"What's wrong?"

Its intent carried a hint of sharp mockery.

"You don't believe me? Do you think I'm slandering the lofty, impartial, and selfless Way of Heaven?"

"No."

Chen Changsheng shook his head, his eyes clearer than ever before.

I believe you.

He paused, then said, word by word, "Because I am the 'anomaly' and 'variable' in the eyes of Heaven."

boom!

This statement is more impactful than any of the previous explanations.

The tiny soul of the Xuan Turtle trembled violently.

It stared intently at Chen Changsheng, and for the first time, its ancient eyes revealed a third emotion besides hatred and despair—shock!

An anomaly?

variable?

Having lived for countless ages, it naturally understands what those two words mean.

That means that the being before us is an existence that has broken free from the control of the Heavenly Dao!

It is an "error" that should not have occurred in the trajectory of the operation of the Heavenly Way!

No wonder!

No wonder he possesses the contradictory forces of humanity, shamanism, and the sage's lineage all at once!

No wonder he was able to take out Rahu's demonic spear, which was specifically designed to suppress the soul!

Everything makes sense now!

"Haha...hahahaha!"

The black tortoise suddenly burst into laughter, its laughter filled with madness and ecstasy.

"Great! What a great variable!"

"Oh, Heavenly Dao, you calculated everything, but could you have foreseen that an uncontrollable variable would break into the cage you built with your own hands?"

"This is retribution! This is your retribution!"

Its laughter made its entire soul tremble, and the resentment that had been suppressed for countless eons seemed to find an outlet at this moment.

Chen Changsheng did not interrupt it.

He knew he had made the right bet.

No amount of sweet talk will work against this kind of old monster who has been harmed by the laws of Heaven.

The only solution is to align ourselves with it.

And the "enemy of Heaven's Way" is the best pledge of allegiance.

After laughing for a long time, the black tortoise slowly stopped.

The way it looked at Chen Changsheng again had completely changed.

There was no more scrutiny, no more hostility, and even displaced anger disappeared.

Instead, a more complex perspective is adopted when looking at "our kind".

"Kid."

It even changed how it addressed Chen Changsheng.

"You're very good."

"You've got guts and brains. Most importantly, you and it are not on the same side."

For the first time, the Xuan Turtle's thoughts carried a trace of genuine approval.

"Since we share the same goal and both consider the Way of Heaven to be our enemy, then I won't beat around the bush with you."

Its tone became extremely serious.

"What do you seek from this place? A primordial spiritual treasure? A supreme Daoist temple? Or do you wish to uncover its secrets?"

Chen Changsheng's heart skipped a beat; he knew the real topic was coming.

He frankly said, "I am about to get married and want to find a top-notch blessed land as my training ground. I have heard of the name of Penglai Immortal Island, so I came here to explore."

"A dojo?"

Upon hearing this, the black tortoise let out a disdainful sneer.

Do you know where this place is?

"This is a fragment of a world that shattered from beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens when Pangu created the world. Its origin is on par with the primordial world!"

"This shattered continent is the remnant of my depleted physical body; every inch of its soil contains the primordial power of chaotic gods and demons!"

"You actually only want to use it as a training ground?"

Chen Changsheng was stunned by what it said.

Does this mean I have a narrow perspective?

"Listen up, kid."

The black tortoise's will was incredibly alluring.

"If you can do me a favor, I'll not only tell you the way out of here, but I'll also give you this entire Penglai Immortal Island!"

"What?!"

Chen Changsheng's heart pounded wildly, and his breathing became rapid.

Would you give him the entire Penglai Immortal Island?

This is an incredibly extravagant gesture!

This is a small world that exists independently outside of the primordial wilderness!

Its value is probably higher than ten or eight innate treasures combined!

"You don't need to doubt it."

The black tortoise saw through his thoughts.

"This world was imprisoned because of me. My physical body is the foundation of this land, and my soul is the core of this world. If I so choose, I can transfer control of this world to you at any time."

"At that time, you will be the sole master of this Penglai Immortal Island! Here, you will be the heavens!"

Chen Changsheng forcibly suppressed his excitement and calmed himself down.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Such great benefits come at a price that is absolutely beyond imagination.

"What favor would you like me to do for you, senior?"

He asked in a deep voice.

At this moment, the Xuan Turtle's thoughts became extremely solemn, even carrying a hint of pleading.

"Help me...get out of trouble!"

It spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Help me break this damned golden shackle of merit, and free me from this endless imprisonment!"