Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

In the depths of chaos, there is neither light nor sound.

Xuanbao sat cross-legged in the void, the chaotic world origin floating in front of his chest like a beating heart, each beat radiating boundless fluctuations of law. He closed his eyes, and the primordial Dao power within his body surged like a river, transforming into an invisible giant net that enveloped the world origin layer by layer.

"Refined in an instant."

However, just as Xuanbao's magical power touched the core of the world's origin—

A sudden change has occurred!

The world's origin, which had been as docile as a lamb, suddenly erupted with blindingly bright chaotic light! An extremely violent will, like a sleeping beast awakened, let out a soul-shaking roar!

"Who dares to covet the very origin of my world!"

The voice was ancient, vast, and domineering, carrying an aura of majesty that surpassed all things, and a savage and pure force of will that seemed to crush his very soul!

If it were an ordinary Quasi-Saint, this roar alone would be enough to shatter their Dao heart and scatter their soul.

however--

Xuanbao merely raised an eyebrow slightly, and a playful smile even appeared on his lips.

"Oh? It's not that simple after all!"

Xuanbao did not back down. It was clear that this person's strength had reached at least the third level of the Saint Realm, but his current state was similar to that of a remnant soul.

Xuanbao amplified the output of his magical power. The primordial magical power, like boiling magma, surged wildly into that mass of world origin, colliding head-on with that violent will!

"boom--!!!"

The two forces clashed fiercely in the confined space, unleashing a devastating energy surge! The chaotic airflow within a radius of tens of thousands of miles around the Xuanbao was scattered and fled by the shockwave, creating a brief vacuum zone!

That will clearly hadn't expected Xuanbao to dare to confront it head-on, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Hmm? The Chaos Demon God?"

Xuanbao was too lazy to waste words with him. While increasing the refining power, he casually said, "And who are you? Hiding in a mass of world origin, pretending to be a god or something, hiding in plain sight?"

"Insolence!" The will roared in fury. "I am the founder of the Cangxuan Realm, the Cangxuan Dao Venerable! You despicable scoundrel, you stole the origin of my world, and yet you dare to utter such arrogant words!"

"Cangxuan Daozun?" Xuanbao blinked, a hint of temptation in his voice. "Never heard of him."

"you--!"

Daoist Cangxuan was clearly furious. His will fluctuated violently, and the chaotic light on the surface of the world's origin became even more dazzling, condensing into the figure of an innate Dao body—a middle-aged man dressed in a dark yellow Daoist robe, with a dignified face and an arrogant air of looking down on the world between his brows.

Although it was only a Saint, the aura it exuded had already reached the level of the third level of Sainthood!

"Boy, I'm taking pity on your hard-won cultivation. Now, hand over the world's origin and cripple your arm, and I'll spare your life," Cangxuan Daozun said coldly. "Otherwise, I'll crush this avatar of yours, then follow the causal threads to find your true body, making you wish you were dead!"

Upon hearing this, Xuanbao remained silent for a moment.

Then, Xuanbao smiled.

That smile carried three parts mockery, three parts disdain, and four parts eager excitement.

"Hey, have you been spending too much time alone? Has it made you stupid?"

Daoist Cangxuan's face darkened: "What did you say?"

"I said—" Xuanbao said, enunciating each word clearly, "you, a remnant soul who has been dead for countless eons, dare to threaten me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he flipped his right hand, and a dark red millstone the size of a palm appeared in his palm!

The millstone was dark red, as if cast from congealed blood. It consisted of two halves, the upper one engraved with countless ferocious demonic figures, and the lower one with countless twisted soul patterns. The moment the millstone appeared, the surrounding chaos began to twist violently, as if even chaos itself feared this deadly weapon!

"The Great Millstone of Destruction?!"

For the first time, the projection of Cangxuan Daozun's will showed an expression of terror!

"How do you have this?! This is a Chaos Treasure! Even a saint couldn't refine it!"

"Impossible?" Xuanbao grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "Then you'll see what 'possible' really means!"

He tossed it with a flick of his wrist, and the World-Destroying Millstone swelled in the wind, transforming into a gigantic millstone ten thousand feet tall in the blink of an eye! The millstone slowly turned, emitting a "creaking" sound, as if grinding the entire chaos! A terrifying destructive force spread out like a tide, enveloping the projection of Cangxuan Daozun's will within it!

"No--!!!"

Cangxuan Daozun let out a shrill scream! His projected will, under the crushing force of the World-Destroying Millstone, began to shatter and disintegrate inch by inch, as if it were made of paper!

"Boy! You wait! I won't let you get away with this! Although my true body has perished, I still have a backup plan deep within the chaos! When I return, I will tear you to pieces—"

Before he finished speaking, the projection of Cangxuan Daozun's will completely collapsed, turning into specks of starlight and dissipating into the chaos.

The world's origin, now free from the will to obstruct it, finally fell completely still, like a docile cat, obediently floating in Xuanbao's palm.

Xuanbao clapped his hands and pouted, "You talk too much nonsense."

He absorbed the origin of the world into his body and began to slowly refine it with his Primordial Dao Power. That primordial power flowed like a warm stream along his meridians, nourishing every inch of his flesh, every meridian, and every acupoint. He could clearly feel that his cultivation was improving at a steady pace—though the increase was not large, it was persistent and solid.

"A remnant soul of a Saint at the Third Heaven... It seems the waters of the Cangxuan Realm are deeper than I imagined."

Xuanbao muttered to himself, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He had originally thought that the Cangxuan Realm was just an ordinary Great Thousand World, at most with a Quasi-Saint level God Emperor overseeing it. But now it seemed that this world was far more complex than that—the contingency plans left by the Pioneer, the remains of the Chaos Demon God, and that unfathomable "Ancestor"...

"However, the more complicated, the better." Xuanbao smiled. "It's easier to fish in troubled waters, after all."

He stood up and stretched his limbs. After refining the origin of the world, he felt that although his cultivation level had not broken through, his understanding of the laws of heaven and earth had deepened. In particular, his understanding of the laws of space and time had made a qualitative leap.

"Next..."

Xuanbao's gaze pierced through the chaos, looking towards the direction of the Cangxuan Realm. He could sense that a powerful aura was awakening in that Great Thousand World—it was the God Emperor, whom he had slapped four times before, reporting to some being.

"The third level of Sainthood, huh..." Xuanbao stroked his chin. "With my current strength, plus the World-Destroying Millstone and those eight thousand-plus innate spiritual treasures, it's not like I can't put up a fight. However, there's no need to confront them head-on right now."

……

Deep within the Cangxuan Realm, in an ancient temple that has been sealed away for countless eons.

The Divine Emperor knelt in the center of the hall, one cheek still swollen, his golden imperial robes tattered, his twelve-tasseled crown askew on his head, looking utterly disheveled. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so humiliated—since he inherited the throne, he had always been the one making others look bad; when had it ever been his turn to be so disgraced?

But he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

He knelt there, head bowed, not daring to breathe.

Deep within the main hall, all was pitch black. In the darkness, a colossal statue could be vaguely discerned—a humanoid statue carved entirely from chaotic jade, standing a hundred feet tall, its face indistinct, yet radiating a suffocating pressure. The statue's eyes were tightly closed, as if it had fallen into an eternal slumber.

However, at this moment, those eyes, which had been tightly closed for countless eons, slowly opened a crack.

With just a crack, the entire hall began to tremble violently! Tiles fell from the roof, and cracks appeared on the walls, as if it would collapse at any moment! The God Emperor felt an immense and boundless pressure pressing down on him like a mountain, making it difficult for him to even breathe!

"Ancestor..." the God Emperor began with difficulty, his voice hoarse, "Your disciple is incompetent, allowing thieves to steal the origin of the world..."

There was a moment of silence in the darkness.

Then, an aged yet majestic voice, as if transported from ancient times, slowly echoed through the hall—

"I...understand."

The voice was soft, yet it seemed to contain the ultimate truths of heaven and earth; every word caused the hall to tremble. The Emperor lowered his head even further, his forehead pressed against the cold floor tiles, daring not to be the slightest bit negligent.

"Who is that thief...?" the aged voice asked again.

"This disciple is unaware." The Divine Emperor gritted his teeth, his voice tinged with humiliation. "His cultivation is extremely high, at least at the second level of the Saint Realm. This disciple couldn't even withstand a single move from him... Moreover, he seemed to know everything about this disciple, seeing through the fact that the Ancestor was behind him at a glance..."

In the darkness, the statue's eyes opened completely.

What eyes they were! They seemed to hold the entire starry sky, so deep that one glance would make you lose yourself in them. Within those eyes, countless stars were born and died, countless worlds cycled, as if they contained all the mysteries since the beginning of chaos.

"Oh."

The voice chuckled softly, a laugh tinged with disdain, amusement, and a profound, enigmatic meaning.

"Reserving my Cangxuan Realm?" The statue's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. "Interesting. In all my years of life, this is the first time I've heard anyone dare to say such a thing to me."

The Divine Emperor lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to respond. He knew that the more nonchalantly the Ancestor smiled, the more he cared about this matter.

"A Primordial Grand Luo Golden Immortal." The statue spoke slowly, its voice carrying a hint of certainty. "Moreover, there is something strange about him—an ordinary Primordial Grand Luo Golden Immortal could not possibly see through the mark I left on you at a glance."

The God-Emperor raised his head and asked cautiously, "Ancestor, could that thief... also be a Chaos Demon God?"

"It doesn't seem like it." The statue shook its head. "Although this person walks the path of primordial chaos, he is not a chaotic demon god. Instead, he possesses a... very pure innate Dao charm. He is more like an innate being."

"Innate beings?" The God Emperor was taken aback, then looked puzzled. "But weren't all the innate beings of the Cangxuan Realm since ancient times all... by you, Ancestor?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already very clear.

In the darkness, the statue remained silent for a moment, then let out a low laugh.

"Heh... You think only the Cangxuan Realm has innate beings?"

The Divine Emperor was taken aback: "What does the Ancestor mean...?"

"The vastness of chaos far exceeds your imagination." The statue's voice became distant and profound, as if recalling something. "When I roamed the chaos in my youth, I saw countless great worlds. Some worlds were a hundred times more vast than the Cangxuan Realm; some worlds had beings so powerful that even I had to be wary of them. The Dao aura on that boy's body is not a product of the Cangxuan Realm, but comes from... another world."

The God-Emperor gasped: "Other Great Thousand Worlds!"

"The aura emanating from him... seems somewhat familiar to me." The statue's voice deepened, carrying a rare solemnity, "It possesses the primordial energy of Pangu creating the world."

"Primordial Era?" The God Emperor was taken aback; he had never heard of this name before.

After uttering the words "primordial chaos," the statue fell into a long silence.

The Divine Emperor knelt on the ground, not daring to breathe, only daring to steal a glance at the ancestor's expression—on that blurry face, a rare and complex expression appeared. There was fear, there were memories, and there was also a trace of inexplicable resentment.

After a long silence, the statue finally spoke again, its voice slightly hoarse: "The primordial world... that was the world created by Pangu."

The God-Emperor asked cautiously, "Ancestor, was Pangu... very powerful?"

The statue remained silent.

The silence lasted for a full ten breaths.

Then, the statue spoke in an extremely calm tone: "In the War of Chaos, there were countless Chaos Gods. I was ranked 4,970th among the Chaos Gods."

The God Emperor nodded, thinking that the ranking was a bit low.

The statue continued, "Pangu is number one."

God Emperor: "..."

"And then?" The Divine Emperor swallowed hard. "Ancestor, did you ever fight Pangu?"

The statue fell silent again.

This time, the silence lasted even longer.

"I only caught a glimpse of him from afar back then," the statue's voice trembled slightly, "and then I ran away."

The God-Emperor's eyes widened: "They...they escaped?!"

"Should we just run and get hacked to pieces?" The statue's tone suddenly became agitated. "Do you know how outrageous that Pangu was? With one axe, he chopped from the east end of chaos to the west, reducing countless chaos gods to mere cats and kittens! I personally witnessed the top-ranked 'Time God' being cleaved in two by his axe, even severing the River of Time! How could I not run?!"

The Emperor was dumbfounded.

He had never seen his ancestor so distraught. In his memory, his ancestor was always a wise and composed figure, seemingly in complete control. But now, this wise man was speaking in an almost roaring tone, denouncing the fear of being dominated by Pangu in the past.

"Then... were all the people of the primordial world as strong as Pangu?" the God Emperor asked cautiously.