264: Source Core Recognizes the Lord, Lord's True Advent

Behind the gate lay an endless void of darkness.

Only the dark gray "source core of silence" at the center emitted a faint light, like the sole star in an eternal night. However, this star currently radiated a cold, indifferent, and repelling terrifying will.

It was not the emotion of a living being, but a defensive mechanism spontaneously formed by a collection of rules—an instinctive rejection and test for any existence attempting to approach or control it! This will was pure and powerful, acting directly upon the Soul and the essence of existence, as if asking: Do you have the qualifications to wield "termination"?

Ye Chen stood before the gate, holding the chaos and silence sword. His figure appeared incomparably small under the impact of the vast source core will, like a lone boat in a storm. His aura, which had just stabilized, fluctuated violently again. A stinging pain came from the demon seal on his chest, and the power of return to silence he had just absorbed seemed about to be forcibly stripped away by this will!

Qing Lin behind him felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. If not for the Origin of the ancient tree of life being closely connected to her and providing a steady stream of support, her Divine Soul would likely have frozen and shattered long ago under this pure "termination" will.

"Fellow Daoist Ye Chen... be careful! This source core... has a spirit!" Qing Lin warned with difficulty.

Ye Chen did not look back; all his focus was devoted to confronting the will of the source core. He could feel that this was not malice, but a kind of... screening. Just like a divine weapon choosing its master, it could not be controlled by anyone lacking great perseverance, great wisdom, and great Karma.

"Qualifications?" In Ye Chen's eyes, the color of Chaos and the intent of return to silence intertwined and circulated. Facing that terrifying torrent of will, not only did he not retreat, but he took a step forward instead!

"I have experienced life and death, and found balance amidst the erosion of the abyss!"

He took another step, and the chaos and silence sword in his hand emitted a clear sword hum, faintly contending with the source core will.

"I carry the legacy of Yu, willing to continue the fire and stop the spread of the abyss!"

Taking the third step, he stood at the edge of the gate, facing the source core across the distance.

"I take Chaos as my root, absorbing all Laws, accommodating termination! To me, this power of return to silence is not destruction, but a necessary aspect of Chaos! I... am the qualification!"

The moment these words fell, he slammed the chaos and silence sword in his hand into the Void Realm before him!

"Hum!"

The sword trembled, and the runes flowing on it reflected the light of the source core. Ye Chen no longer resisted the onslaught of the source core will; instead, he completely released his own Chaos Origin and the balancing power of the demon seal on his chest, letting the vast "termination" will rush into his Sea of Consciousness like a flood, scouring his Dao foundation and testing his essence!

This was an extremely dangerous move, equivalent to exposing himself completely to the judgment of the source core! If his Dao Heart had even the slightest flaw, if his understanding of "termination" had the slightest deviation, or if that fragile balance could not withstand the impact of this Origin will, he would instantly perish, his Dao vanishing, and become a part of this eternal darkness!

"Boom—!"

Endless scenes of return to silence churned in his consciousness—stars extinguished, worlds returned to ruins, civilizations turned to dust, powerful beings turned into withered bones... All prosperity, all existence, ultimately pointed to that one final destination—nothingness!

Cold! Dead silence! Despair!

This will tried to assimilate him, making him agree that this eternal "termination" was the only truth of the Universe.

Ye Chen's consciousness drifted in this torrent, like a lone reef in an angry sea. His Dao Heart withstood an unprecedented test. For a moment, he was almost persuaded by that absolute nothingness, feeling that all struggles and all existence were meaningless.

But just as his consciousness was about to sink—

The chaos minor world within him, that Chaos seedling swaying with five leaves (the two newborn ones containing the Dao patterns of return to silence), suddenly erupted with unprecedented radiance! A more ancient, more primordial Chaos intent rose up!

Chaos precedes "existence," and also precedes "nothingness"! It is the starting point of everything, containing everything, and also containing... "nothingness"!

Termination is not unique! Within Chaos, termination is also a beginning, and death breeds new life! That absolute nothingness is merely another form of Chaos before it has evolved, or after it has evolved to its extreme!

"My Dao is Chaos! It contains everything, and it also contains your 'return to silence'! But it will never submit to you!"

Ye Chen's consciousness emitted a firm Dao sound, like the first thunderclap of creation, exploding in that endless scene of return to silence!

He no longer passively endured, but actively guided his own Chaos will, like a supreme creator, beginning to forcibly evolve within this void of return to silence in his consciousness!

A glimmer of light was born from nothingness; that was the "singularity" of the beginning of Chaos! Then, clear and turbid separated, Yin and Yang were born, stars lit up, and all things sprouted... Although all these scenes rapidly collapsed and perished under the vast will of return to silence, the traces of "life" had already been left behind!

Life and death, existence and nothingness, under the guidance of his Chaos will, began to cycle and coexist!

That cold source core will seemed to be shaken by this grand scene that was completely different yet seemed to originate from the same source (Chaos contains everything), and the force of its onslaught visibly stalled!

It "felt" the unwavering firmness in Ye Chen's Dao Heart, and felt that his attitude towards "termination" was not fear or blind obedience, but understanding and accommodation, and even... a form of "mastery"!

More importantly, it felt the chaos and silence sword power within Ye Chen that was of the same Origin as it, yet more active and inclusive, as well as the strange demon seal that balanced the abyss and Chaos!

This human did not want to "possess" it, but wanted to "understand" it, "integrate" with it, and use it as a foundation to walk a more grand and difficult path!

The will of the source core, that cold indifference, gradually faded, replaced by an ancient recognition that seemed to have slept for eons.

"Hum..."

The source core of silence suspended in the center of the darkness emitted a soft and low hum. The speed of the scene of all things returning to ruins within it slowed down, finally freezing into a pattern of a Chaos nebula endlessly creating and destroying. That terrifying repulsive will retreated like a tide.

The next moment, the source core turned into a dark gray stream of light, actively flying towards Ye Chen and merging into the chaos and silence sword he held!

"Clang—!"

The sword emitted a joyful, clear sound, and its form instantly solidified several times over! On the sword body, the dark gray luster was restrained and profound, as if it contained the terrifying power to make all heavens and worlds return to silence. A complete and majestic authority of "return to silence" surged through the sword body into Ye Chen's limbs and bones, completely fusing with his own Chaos Origin and the demon seal on his chest!

His aura skyrocketed at this moment! The Bottleneck that was originally only at the Peak of the Middle Stage of Law Realm was easily broken through like paper under the infusion of this Origin power!

Late Stage of Law Realm!

And it was not just an initial entry, but directly stabilized at the Late Stage, even taking a big step towards the Peak!

The dark gray demon seal on his chest, nourished by the complete authority of return to silence, completely stabilized. The vortex in the center no longer transmitted a sense of hunger, but instead, like a bottomless spring, slowly flowed out pure power of Chaos and silence, forming a perfect cycle with his Small World. That dangerous balance was finally broken, turning into a powerful source of strength completely under his control!

He succeeded! Not only did he obtain the source core of silence, but he also used it to break through his Realm and completely stabilize his state!

"Succeeded!" Qing Lin felt the reborn-like changes in Ye Chen, as well as the heart-stopping yet incredibly stable Sword Intent of return to silence, and a relieved smile finally appeared on her pale face.

However, just as Ye Chen was initially refining the source core and feeling the joy of the surging power within his body—

"Boom crack—!!!!"

A loud noise, as if the entire Ancient Path was about to be torn apart, came from outside the Valley of Buried Soldiers—no, from the depths of endless distant space!

A will, even more terrifying, more vast, and filled with absolute desire for destruction and domination than the throne shadow and the source core will before, descended like an awakened demon god of world destruction, shrouding the entire Valley of Buried Soldiers, and even the wider world!

The barrier of the Emerald Forest Realm groaned under this will, the ancient tree of life trembled violently, and its leaves withered and fell!

On the Ancient Path, all remaining worlds and outposts shivered under this will!

Countless living beings prostrated on the ground, the most primitive fear surging from the depths of their Souls!

A cold, majestic voice, carrying a trace of suppressed anger after being repeatedly provoked, resounded like billions of thunderclaps in the heart of every existence capable of perceiving at the Law level:

"Chaos... bug... you... are very good..."

"To actually destroy my throne, and seize my source core..."

"The game... is over."

"This seat... descends in person... to grant you... eternal sinking!"

The Abyssal Lord...

His true form has finally... descended!

Ye Chen looked up abruptly, gripping the transformed chaos and silence sword, with no fear in his eyes, only boiling Battle Intent and cold determination.

What was meant to come, has finally come.

Then, let us fight!