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

The Dao Ancestor raised his hand, and a beam of chaotic light shot towards Qin Yuan. Qin Yuan blocked with his bone blade, but was blasted back a thousand feet, spitting out blood. The Dao Ancestor's cultivation far surpassed that of the Chaos Heavenly Venerable; he was a "Chaotic Dao Ancestor" at the first level. Qin Yuan burned his lifespan, and twelve hundred patterns on his bone blade lit up as he charged forward again. The seven women attacked from the side, but the Dao Ancestor casually waved his hand, sending all seven women flying and crashing to the ground, spitting out blood.

Enraged, Qin Yuan forcefully activated the remaining power of the Heavenly Venerable Source Core, temporarily raising his cultivation to the second level of the Chaos Heavenly Venerable. He engaged in fierce combat with the Dao Ancestor, trading blows. He stabbed the Dao Ancestor in the left shoulder, but the Dao Ancestor shattered Qin Yuan's right arm with a palm strike. Qin Yuan didn't retreat, instead wielding the blade with his left arm and stabbing again. The Dao Ancestor's first wound appeared, black blood flowing out. Looking at his wound, the Dao Ancestor said, "Interesting. You actually managed to hurt me."

The Dao Ancestor no longer held back, attacking with all his might. Qin Yuan was in grave danger, covered in wounds, while the seven women struggled to their feet. Mu Hongyi shouted, "We can lend you our power! The secret technique of the Heavenly Fire Holy Sect can combine the power of many into one!" The seven women joined hands, pouring all their cultivation and source energy into Qin Yuan's body. Qin Yuan's aura surged, and his cultivation broke through to the fifth level of the Chaos Heavenly Venerable. Two thousand golden patterns appeared on the bone blade, their light dazzling.

He charged towards the Dao Ancestor. The two clashed in the void, each collision causing the peak of ten thousand paths to tremble. Qin Yuan pierced the Dao Ancestor's chest with his blade, forcing the Dao Ancestor to stagger back several steps, blood flowing from the wound. But the wound healed rapidly.

"I am immortal. As long as all worlds exist, I will exist," said the Dao Ancestor.

Qin Yuan asked, "Then how can I kill you?"

"You can't kill me. But you can replace me," the Dao Ancestor explained. He was the embodiment of the will of all realms, and each Dao Ancestor was the chosen successor of the previous one. "Why should I replace you?" Qin Yuan asked. The Dao Ancestor said, "Because if you don't replace me, all realms will lose order and return to chaos." Qin Yuan remained silent. The Dao Ancestor said, "You don't have to decide now. I'll give you time." His figure vanished, and the Gate of Return to Nothingness closed. Qin Yuan and the seven women were teleported back to the City of Myriad Daos.

Back in Wandao City, Qin Yuan remained silent for several days. The seven women took turns keeping him company, and no one disturbed him. Su Yao asked him, "What are you thinking about?" Qin Yuan replied, "I'm thinking about what I've come all this way for." Su Yao said, "To become stronger, to protect those I want to protect." Qin Yuan nodded. "Now, the myriad realms need my protection."

He decided to become the new Dao Ancestor. But he set a condition: retain self-awareness and not become a puppet of the Dao. The Old Man of Ten Thousand Daos said, "This requires you to speak with the Dao Ancestor again." Qin Yuan went alone to the summit of Ten Thousand Daos and pushed open the Gate of Return to Nothingness once more.

The Dao Ancestor reappeared. Qin Yuan said, "I can replace you, but I have my own will. The rules of the myriad realms are set by me, not by you." The Dao Ancestor was silent for a moment. "You are the first person to propose such a condition," Qin Yuan said, "because I never act as anyone's puppet." The Dao Ancestor said, "If you can withstand the 'Backlash of Myriad Paths,' I will agree." Qin Yuan asked what the Backlash of Myriad Paths was. The Dao Ancestor said, "The karma, cause and effect, and sins of the myriad realms will all backlash against you. If you cannot withstand it, you will be reduced to ashes." Qin Yuan said, "I will withstand it."

The Dao Ancestor poured the power of all realms into Qin Yuan's body. Black karmic force surged like a tidal wave, flooding his meridians, bones, and soul. Qin Yuan felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart; each karmic force was a curse from a departed soul. He saw everyone he had ever killed—from the outer disciples of the Xuan Yuan Sect, to his opponents in the Hundred Sects Battlefield, to the elders of the upper sects of the Southern Continent, to the prodigies of all realms, to the God Emperor of the Origin God Clan, to the True Monarch of Ten Thousand Paths, to the God Emperor himself. Every face flashed before his eyes, every voice screamed in his mind.

Sensing Qin Yuan's pain outside the City of Myriad Paths, the seven women rushed into the Gate of Return to Nothingness. The Dao Ancestor did not stop them. Su Yao grasped Qin Yuan's hand. "We'll stay with you." Yan Lingji, Mu Hongyi, Jian Wushuang, Bingji, Hongyue, and Yueyao also grasped his hands. The power of the seven women's trust surged into Qin Yuan's body, resisting his karma. The karma was suppressed.

Qin Yuan opened his eyes. The blackness in his eyes faded, turning into gold. He had withstood the backlash from all directions.

The Dao Ancestor looked at Qin Yuan and said, "You have succeeded. From this moment on, you are the new Dao Ancestor." His figure dissipated, turning into points of light and merging into Qin Yuan's body. Qin Yuan's aura surged, soaring from the fifth level of Chaos Heavenly Venerable to the first level of Chaos Dao Ancestor. Ten thousand golden patterns on the bone blade lit up, transforming into a blade of light that illuminated the entire Pinnacle of Myriad Daos.

He sensed everything in all realms—every world, every grain of dust, the joys and sorrows of every living being. His will could change everything. Su Yao looked at him and softly asked, "Are you still Qin Yuan?" Qin Yuan replied, "Yes. Forever." He waved his hand, and the Gate of Return to Nothingness transformed into a golden pillar of light, shooting straight into the sky. He said, "The new rules for all realms will be set by me."

Qin Yuan and the seven women returned to Wandao City. The Old Man of Wandao knelt in worship. "Greetings, Dao Ancestor." Qin Yuan helped him up. "No need to kneel before me. I am not a god. I am just someone who once planted taro." He looked into the distance, where the paths he had walked, the enemies he had killed, and the people he had protected lay. The seven women stood behind him, the wind ruffling their robes.

Qin Yuan gripped the bone blade, its light gradually fading. He closed his eyes, then opened them again. The myriad worlds had never been so clear in his eyes.

Qin Yuan sat atop the Guixu Palace, surrounded by seven women. Su Yao was brewing tea, Yan Lingji was polishing her longsword, Mu Hongyi was perusing an ancient book, Jian Wushuang was tending to his sword with his eyes closed, Bing Ji was gazing into the distance, Hongyue was practicing with her spear, and Yueyao was picking flowers. Life was as peaceful as the stream beneath the old plum tree, without ripples or end.

Then the sky cracked open.

It wasn't a slow crack; it was as if two hands had suddenly ripped it open from the outside. Seven-colored light poured down from the crack, illuminating the entire Guixu Palace. Qin Yuan looked up and saw a gigantic golden hand emerge from the crack, its five fingers spread wide, blotting out the sky. The hand didn't strike down, but gently grabbed at Su Yao, Yan Lingji, Mu Hongyi, Jian Wushuang, Bing Ji, Hongyue, and Yue Yao simultaneously. The seven women didn't even have time to react before their bodies were enveloped in golden light and lifted into the air.

Qin Yuan drew his sword. Ten thousand golden patterns on the bone blade lit up simultaneously as he slashed at the golden palm with all his might. The sword energy struck the palm, sparks flying, but the palm remained unmoved. The golden palm retaliated, sending Qin Yuan flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing through the wall of the Guixu Palace, bouncing twice on the rubble, and rolling outside the palace. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and three ribs were broken in his chest. The power of a Dao Ancestor was like a baby throwing a punch before this palm strike.

A deep, resonant voice echoed from the crack, as if it came from eternity ago. "The seven women possess unique physiques—the Chaos Saint Body, the Heavenly Fire Saint Body, the Limitless Sword Body, the Profound Ice Saint Body, the Purple Thunder Saint Body, the Azure Wood Saint Body, and the Taiyin Saint Body. I will take them; they will be of great use. If you wish to save them, come to the Chaos Origin Realm." Qin Yuan crawled out of the ruins, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Where is the Chaos Origin Realm?" the voice asked. "You don't even know the Chaos Origin Realm? Truly a person from a lowly world. Dao Ancestor? Here, that's just the beginning." The crack closed, and the seven-colored light dissipated. The sky returned to its normal color, as if nothing had happened. But the ruins of the Guixu Palace and the blood at Qin Yuan's mouth proved that it was not a dream.