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

The scene before them suddenly changed. They were standing on a mountain peak. The peak wasn't high, but the scenery was beautiful. Below the mountain was a stream, its water crystal clear. By the stream, a little girl with her hair in two buns was squatting on a blue stone, washing medicinal herbs, humming an off-key lullaby as she did so.

Xuan Yuan Sect. The back mountain. That little stream.

Qin Yuan stared blankly at the little girl. That was Lin Qing'er. The Lin Qing'er from many years ago. The Lin Qing'er who washed spiritual herbs by the stream behind the Xuan Yuan Sect.

Hearing footsteps, the little girl looked up and flashed a bright smile. "Brother Qin Yuan, you're back?"

Qin Yuan's eyes suddenly stung with tears. He remembered many years ago, when he stood by the stream in the same way, watching that little girl smile at him. Back then, he was still an outer disciple of the Xuan Yuan Sect, worrying about a few spirit stones every day. His world was small then, so small that it only encompassed the small area behind the Xuan Yuan Sect. But back then, he was happy.

Because he knows what he wants. He wants to become stronger, and to protect the people he wants to protect. It's that simple.

He went further and further down the road, reaching ever higher and higher. He went to the Taiyi Sect, to the Southern Continent, to the Upper Realm, to all the myriad worlds, to the Outer Chaos Domain, to the Supreme Chaos Heaven, and to the Sea of ​​Nothingness. He grew stronger and stronger, strong enough to destroy the entire world. But sometimes, he would forget why he had ever wanted to become stronger in the first place.

Now, he's back. Back to where he started.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the little girl tilted her head and looked at him. "Brother Qin Yuan, what's wrong?"

Qin Yuan smiled. "It's nothing. I just remembered some things."

He walked to the stream, squatted down, and looked at his reflection in the water. In the reflection, he was neither the God of Nothingness nor the Supreme Chaos Emperor, but simply an ordinary young man. His eyes were clear, and his smile was warm.

"Qing'er," he said softly.

"Um?"

"Thank you."

The little girl was stunned. "Thank me for what?"

Qin Yuan didn't answer. He simply reached out and gently ruffled her hair, just as he often did many years ago.

The scene shattered. The little girl vanished, the stream vanished, the mountains vanished. They returned to that gray, white sea of ​​nothingness.

But Qin Yuan knew he had found the answer.

The ultimate void is not power, not laws, not nothingness. It is the original aspiration. It is that little girl washing spiritual herbs by the stream behind the Xuan Yuan Sect. It is that version of myself fighting to the death in the Hall of War Gods. It is that version of myself who, along the way, has never forgotten why I started.

He closed his eyes. In an instant, his aura began to transform. Ninth level of the God of Nothingness… Peak of the Ninth level of the God of Nothingness… Supreme of Nothingness!

breakthrough!

The entire Sea of ​​Nothingness trembled. Grayish-white mist surged wildly, and countless void creatures roared in terror as they fled into the distance. The leader of the Devouring Legion, the Devouring Sovereign at the peak of the ninth level of the Void Sovereign realm, awoke from his slumber and looked in Qin Yuan's direction, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Supreme nothingness? How is that possible?!"

It has lived for hundreds of millions of years and has never seen anyone reach that level. Because that level requires not strength, not talent, but—original intention.

Qin Yuan opened his eyes. In them, there was no gray, empty light, only a crystal-clear tranquility. That was the color of his original aspirations.

He looked down at Lin Qing'er beside him. "Let's go. Let's go home."

Lin Qing'er nodded. The two held hands and flew towards the Void Ocean.

At the edge of the Sea of ​​Nothingness, the stronghold of the Alliance of All Realms.

Xu Wuzi stood before the stone tablet, gazing into the depths of the Sea of ​​Nothingness. He sensed an unprecedented aura. It wasn't pressure, nor power, but an existence that transcended all of that. It was as if the entire Sea of ​​Nothingness was submitting to that person.

Qin Yuan's figure emerged from the grayish-white mist. Xu Wuzi looked at him, his pupils slightly contracting.

"You...you've reached that level?"

Qin Yuan nodded.

Xu Wuzi remained silent for a long time. Then he smiled, a smile of satisfaction. "Good. Good. I knew I hadn't misjudged you."

He paused. "What are you planning to do?"

Qin Yuan said, "Let's go home."

Xu Wuzi was taken aback. "Go home?"

Qin Yuan nodded. "Go back to where you came from. Go see the people you want to see, and do the things you want to do."

Xu Wuzi looked at him and suddenly understood something. "So that's how it is. The highest void is not the end. Home is."

Qin Yuan nodded.

Xu Wuzi laughed. "Go. I'll stay here and guard you."

Qin Yuan clasped his hands in a respectful bow. "Thank you."

He took Lin Qing'er and traversed the Sea of ​​Nothingness, the Supreme Chaos Heaven, the Outer Chaos Domain, and countless worlds, returning to the Central Continent, to Qingzhou, and to the Xuan Yuan Sect.

The Xuan Yuan Sect has changed. What was once a small sect has now become one of the top three sects in Qingzhou, with tens of thousands of disciples and hundreds of spiritual peaks. But the stream behind the mountain still exists.

Qin Yuan stood by the stream, gazing at the clear water. The starry sky was reflected in the water. He suddenly remembered many years ago, when he had also stood by the stream, looking at the stars and thinking about his future.

At that time, he had no idea that his future would lead him so far. He didn't know he would become the supreme being of nothingness, the strongest being in all the heavens and realms. He only knew that he had to become stronger, and that he had to protect those he wanted to protect.

It's that simple.

Lin Qing'er stood beside him and whispered, "Brother Qin Yuan, what are you thinking about?"

Qin Yuan smiled. "I'm thinking, shouldn't we get married?"

Lin Qing'er froze. Then her face flushed, as red as the sunset. "You... what did you say?"

Qin Yuan looked at her. "I said, we should get married."

Lin Qing'er lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "Who...who wants to marry you..."

Qin Yuan reached out and gently lifted her chin. "You don't want to?"

Lin Qing'er blushed and glared at him. "I...I do..."

Qin Yuan smiled. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

Under the starry sky, by the stream, the two embraced. At this moment, he was not the supreme being of nothingness, nor the supreme being of chaos, but simply an ordinary young man holding his beloved girl.

A month later, a simple yet heartwarming wedding took place on the back mountain of Xuan Yuan Sect.

Not many people came, but they were all their closest relatives and friends. The Human God Emperor came, the Primordial God Lord came, the Void Child came, Bai Ye came. Ling Shuanghua came, Lei Dong came, Jian Wufeng came, Liu Ruoxi came. All the old friends who had accompanied them on their journey came.

The Human God Emperor presided over the wedding. Standing by the stream, he looked at Qin Yuan and Lin Qing'er, his eyes filled with satisfaction. "I have lived for so many years and presided over countless weddings. But this one is the most special."

He paused. "Because the groom is the strongest person I've ever met. He's also the one I've never forgotten his original aspirations."

He looked at Qin Yuan. "You rose from an outer disciple of the Xuan Yuan Sect to where you are today. You've experienced countless battles and traversed countless worlds. You've become the supreme being of the void, the strongest being in all the heavens and myriad realms. But you've never forgotten why you wanted to become strong."