I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

He is just one step away from the fourth level of the highest chaos.

But he didn't rush to make a breakthrough.

Because he discovered that the Enlightenment Tower in the third heaven was more effective than the one in the second heaven.

He decided to go to the third heaven.

The third heaven, the fourth heaven, the fifth heaven...

With each level of ascension, Qin Yuan's cultivation speed increased by one degree.

With each new level of ascension, his fame grew even greater.

Five hundred years later, he stood on the eighth heaven.

The peak of the eighth level of Chaos Supreme.

Only one step away from the ninth heaven.

That day, he received an invitation.

The invitation came from the Ninth Heaven, and was signed by the Ninth Heaven of Chaos.

"Fellow Daoist Qin Yuan, I have long admired your name. I await your arrival in the Ninth Heaven. If you can pass the test, I will personally guide you to break through to the Ninth Level of the Chaos Supreme Realm."

Qin Yuan's eyes lit up.

The guardian of the Ninth Heaven, the Supreme Ninth Heaven of Chaos, personally invited him.

He put away the invitation and flew towards the Ninth Heaven.

The Ninth Heaven is the highest level of the Chaos Supreme Heaven.

There are no cities, no continents, only a palace floating in the void.

The Supreme Heavenly Palace.

Qin Yuan stood in front of the palace gate, gazing up at the magnificent building that was hundreds of millions of feet tall.

Four large characters are engraved on the palace gate:

"The Supreme Heavenly Palace".

He took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The palace was empty except for a high platform in the center.

On the high platform, a figure sat cross-legged.

He was an old man with white hair, an aged face, and an unfathomable aura.

The ninth level of Chaos Supreme.

"You've arrived."

The old man spoke, his voice gentle.

Qin Yuan clasped his hands in a salute.

"Junior Qin Yuan greets Senior."

The old man looked at him, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Five hundred years, from the ninth level of Chaos Ruler to the eighth level of Chaos Supreme. I have lived for hundreds of millions of years and have never seen such a fast cultivation speed."

He paused.

"However, the breakthrough from the eighth to the ninth level of the Chaos Supreme Realm cannot be achieved through mere accumulation. You need to comprehend the true essence of the Dao."

Qin Yuan listened attentively.

The old man raised his hand, and a beam of golden light shot into his brow.

In an instant, countless insights about the Tao flooded into my mind.

The true essence of Tao is not the pursuit of power, but the pursuit of origin.

Power is limitless, and so is the Way. But the true Way is not about how much power one possesses, but about understanding where power comes from and where it goes.

Qin Yuan closed his eyes and pondered.

He opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time.

Breakthrough to the ninth level of the Chaos Supreme Realm!

His aura surged, instantly breaking through the bottleneck of the eighth level of the Chaos Supreme Realm and stepping into the ninth level of the Chaos Supreme Realm!

The old man looked at him with eyes full of satisfaction.

"Good. Good. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

He stood up.

"From this day forward, you will be the guardian of the Ninth Heaven."

Qin Yuan was taken aback.

"senior……"

The old man waved his hand.

"I am old and it is time for me to retire. For countless millennia, I have been waiting for a successor. Today, I have finally found one."

His figure gradually became transparent.

"Go. Above the Supreme Heavenly Palace lies the highest realm of the Chaos God Emperor. If you can reach there, you will meet the legendary Creator."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure vanished completely.

Qin Yuan bowed deeply in the direction where he disappeared.

Then, he looked up at the highest point of the Supreme Heavenly Palace.

There is a door there.

Behind the door lies the legendary Chaos God Emperor.

He stepped forward and walked towards the door.

At the highest point of the Supreme Heavenly Palace, the door is right before your eyes.

Qin Yuan stood before the door and took a deep breath. Beyond this door lay the legendary Chaos God Emperor—the ultimate destination for all cultivators, the end of the Dao.

He reached out and pushed the door open.

Behind the door was an endless void.

There was no sky, no earth, no light, no darkness, no time, no space. There was only a pure, absolute nothingness.

Qin Yuan stepped inside.

In that instant, he felt an unprecedented tranquility. It wasn't deathly stillness, but a peace that transcended all existence. It was as if the entire universe had found its home there.

In the void, a figure sat cross-legged.

It was an old man, his face indistinct, his aura ethereal. He seemed to be one with nothingness, or perhaps nothingness itself was his embodiment.

The Supreme Chaos God Emperor.

The creator of the Chaos Supreme Heaven.

"For billions of years, you are the first person to reach this place," the old man said, his voice calm yet seemingly resonating deep within the soul. "Sit down."

Qin Yuan sat down cross-legged, facing the old man.

The old man looked at him, his eyes devoid of scrutiny or expectation, only a timeless tranquility.

"What's your name?"

"Qin Yuan".

"Qin Yuan..." the old man murmured repeatedly, "A good name. Yuan means beginning. The fact that you've come this far shows that you understand that power isn't everything."

Qin Yuan remained silent for a moment.

"Power is not everything, but without power, you cannot protect those you want to protect."

The old man laughed.

"Well said. That's what I thought back then too."

He paused, then continued.

"Do you know why I created the Chaos Supreme Heaven?"

Qin Yuan shook his head.

The old man said.

"In search of an answer."

"What's the answer?"

"What lies at the end of the Tao?"

He raised his hand, and a wisp of chaotic energy condensed in his palm, transforming into a miniature universe. Within this universe, stars revolved, life multiplied, and all things changed.

"Look how beautiful this world is," the old man said softly. "But even the most beautiful world will one day come to an end. Stars will fade, living beings will die, and all things will return to nothingness. So, what is the meaning of all this?"

He clenched his fist, and the universe vanished.

"I have searched for billions of years and have finally found the answer."

Qin Yuan listened attentively.

The old man looked at him and said slowly.

"The end of the Tao is not power, not law, not even nothingness itself. The end of the Tao is—nothingness."

"none?"

"Yes, nothingness." The old man nodded. "Nothingness is not emptiness. Emptiness is still existence; it is the concept of 'nothingness.' But nothingness transcends existence and nothingness. It cannot be spoken, cannot be thought, cannot be named. But it is there; it is the origin of everything and the destination of everything."

He raised his hand, and a glimmer of light appeared at his fingertips.

"Look at this light. Where does the light come from? From energy. Where does energy come from? From laws. Where do laws come from? From the Tao. Where does the Tao come from?"

The light faded.

"From nothing."

Qin Yuan fell into deep thought.

The old man continued.

"Cultivators pursue power, laws, and the Dao. But few have considered where the Dao itself comes from. I have spent billions of years figuring it out—the Dao comes from nothingness and ultimately returns to nothingness. Nothingness is true eternity."

He looked at Qin Yuan.

"Do you understand?"

Qin Yuan remained silent for a long time.

Then he shook his head.

"not understand."