367: Chapter 358 The Sixth Incarnation: Heavenly Venerable (Forty-Six)

A massive phantom coffin, grayish-white and flowing with "the end" dao patterns, cast a deathly silence over the Star Domain;

A Light and Shadow of the "Primordial Egg" pulsed emerald green, radiating infinite life and restlessness, as the powers of life and mutation permeated the air;

A phantom of the "River of Time" flowed brokenly, reflecting the past and future, causing time itself to fall into disorder;

An illusion of the "Dimensional Axis," heavy and folded, bearing all things, caused the spatial structure to distort;

Electric flashes of pitch-black, exploding, and purely destructive "Thunder of Destruction" swept through with the true intent of annihilation;

...

Ten Ancient Venerables' will projections, representing the oldest and most fundamental Daos of this world, appeared together. They surrounded the world-ending heaven refining cauldron, facing the hastily assembled Alliance of over ten Dao Lords from later generations!

On one side was the oldest Origin Alliance, cold and lethal, having planned for eons, wielding the heaven refining cauldron with perfectly integrated Dao Rhyme!

On the other was the Resistance Alliance of later-generation Dao Lords, fighting a hasty battle, united against a common enemy but lacking coordination, their Battle Intent high yet unable to hide their fear!

Between the two sides, the Void Realm seemed frozen and crushed by this terrifying confrontation. Invisible killing intent and Dao Rhyme collided, bursting into silent ripples of destruction capable of tearing stars asunder!

"Very well... it saves us the trouble of searching."

The cold intent of the "death" Dao Lord, like an eternal freezing wind, was the first to sweep across the battlefield. Its "gaze" scanned the Dao Lords standing in battle formation, finally landing on their leader, the Gengjin Sword Lord. "Gathering of your own accord is indeed convenient..."

"Since it has come to this, there is no need for further words."

Dao Lord Shang Qing spoke calmly, the seven-colored Dao wheel behind him shimmering with flowing light, its resonance with the heaven refining cauldron growing stronger.

"This battle shall determine the Order of the world and open a new heaven!"

"Kill!"

Gengjin Sword Lord took a deep breath, suppressing the instinctive tremor caused by facing ten Origin Ancient Venerables. The platinum ancient sword in his hand let out a clear, long cry, its Sword Intent soaring to the skies. His voice was resolute, echoing through the Star Domain!

...

Terrifying attacks of various attributes, each containing a Dao Lord's lifelong Dao fruit and death-defying will, roared like a torrent of Laws from the dawn of the Universe. They intertwined, underwent Fusion, and tore through the stagnant Void Realm, fiercely striking the heaven refining cauldron and the ten Ancient Venerables' projections around it!

"RUMBLE—!!!"

The world-ending battle between the heaven refining cauldron and the ten Ancient Venerables' projections against the Alliance of over ten later-generation Dao Lords caused Dao tremors, Law disorder, and terrifying ripples of space-time collapse. These had long since surpassed the boundaries of the core battlefield, sweeping through every corner of the myriad worlds like an unstoppable world-ending tsunami!

The stars trembled, flickering uncertainly as if they might be extinguished at any moment;

The barriers of endless worlds fluctuated violently; within them, mountains crumbled, tsunamis surged, subterranean fires erupted, and celestial phenomena changed drastically, as if doomsday had arrived;

In countless cultivation Holy Lands, Spiritual Veins became disordered and dried up. Low-level Cultivators lost control of their magic power, and those suffering from Qi Deviation were beyond count;

As for the common mortals, they could only shiver in the boundless fear and suffocating oppression of this heaven-toppling catastrophe, their Souls instinctively trembling. They prayed for a slim hope, not knowing where this world-ending calamity originated or when it would finally end.

This was the ultimate collision between Dao and Dao, the death knell of an era reaching its end!

The mere aftershocks of its power were enough to make the heavens lose their color and plunge all living beings into despair!

For the vast majority of creatures, this was doomsday, despair, and the collapse of the Dao.

However, for another small group of supreme existences who had long stood at the Peak of mortal cultivation, with Dao Hearts as firm as rock and Foundations as deep as an abyss, yet who—for various reasons—dared not, could not, or would not take that final step—

This doomsday-like Chaos had now become a once-in-a-millennium, perhaps even unprecedented, golden opportunity—the best barrier-breaking chance and protection for attaining the Dao!

Once upon a time, attaining the rank of "Dao Lord" was an honor, but also a death warrant.

Within the world, the number of Daos is finite, and their authority has masters.

The birth of a new Dao Lord meant that the authority of a certain "Dao" would gain a new ruler, or a brand-new "Dao" would squeeze into the already crowded "Great Dao Chessboard."

This would inevitably trigger a violent reorganization of the corresponding Laws and the flow of Luck between heaven and earth. The resulting Dao celestial phenomena would be like lighting the brightest lighthouse in a silent, deep sea—impossible to hide!

In that old era where the Law of the jungle prevailed and the struggle for the path was cruel to the extreme—especially for many veteran Dao Lords on the verge of dao transformation, with their Lifespans nearing an end and their paths hopeless—a "newly ascended Dao Lord" who had just attained the Dao, whose Foundation was unstable, and whose control over their own Dao was not yet refined, was simply the perfect "life-extending great medicine" and "Dao fruit nourishment" bestowed by the heavens!

Plundering their Dao fruit could delay one's own dao transformation;

Devouring their Origin could compensate for one's own deficiencies;

Studying their new Dao might provide a spark of inspiration to break through one's own Bottleneck through analogy!

Therefore, throughout the endless ages of the past, countless brilliant existences at the Peak of the "Golden Core extreme" finally touched the threshold of "Dao Lord." Yet, the moment they triggered the tribulation of attaining the Dao, what awaited them was not the congratulations and baptism of the Dao, but the ambush and siege of veteran Dao Lords who came from all directions like hungry wolves upon hearing the news!

Over a hundred years ago, the Lord of the Human Dao Su Yuan, who appeared out of nowhere, was the most tragic and vivid example!

He rose as rapidly as a meteor, gathering the Luck of humanity to Heaven-Defyingly attain the position of the "Humanity" Dao Lord. On the day his Dao was completed, the magnificent celestial phenomena shone upon the heavens—how glorious it was!

However, this glory was also like the sweetest bait, instantly attracting several ancient Dao Lords who had long coveted the Luck of humanity, or whose own paths were related to "Order" or "living beings," and who were currently at a Bottleneck or on the verge of dao transformation, to join forces and hunt him down!

In the end, although Su Yuan possessed heaven-shaking combat power and fought a fierce, bloody battle, he still fell because his Foundation was shallow and he stood alone. His Dao body was destroyed, his true spirit fled into the Return to Ruins, and the position of the "Humanity" Lord was left vacant—a truly lamentable end.

And examples like Su Yuan have been countless since ancient times.

No one is willing to let their hard cultivation become a wedding dress for others. Thus, those supreme ones across the myriad worlds who aspire to the position of "Dao Lord" would rather continue to painstakingly polish and accumulate at the "Golden Core extreme," even actively suppressing their urge to break through, rather than easily take that final step, fearing they would follow in the footsteps of their predecessors and become "stepping stones" and "nourishment" on someone else's path.

However, at this moment, everything has been shattered!

The world-ending war initiated by the heaven refining cauldron and the Alliance of Ancient Venerables was like a crude, chaotic hammer, violently smashing the relatively "stable" Law Order and power balance that the myriad worlds had maintained for countless eons!

The Great Dao vibrated violently amidst wails, the heavenly secrets became completely chaotic in the slaughter, and Karma was torn to pieces in the collisions!

The entire world seemed to have fallen into an ultimate "Chaos Barrier" that swept through all dimensions and affected all Laws!

Under this extreme Chaos—

The "celestial phenomena of a new Lord attaining the Dao," which in the past were so clear they could guide veteran Dao Lords from across the endless Void Realm, had their fluctuations and ripples perfectly covered, confused, and diluted within these omnipresent, ever-present world-ending battle aftershocks and Dao disorder!

Like a drop of water falling into a boiling pot of oil, it was instantly assimilated, annihilated, and made indistinguishable!