Chapter 604: Chapter 602: Side Story – Tai Hao and the World-Destruction Evil Intent

Chapter 602: Side Story – Tai Hao and the World-Destruction Evil Intent

The indescribable state of nothingness had neither the existence of years nor the passage of time, let alone all living beings and myriad things. Everything was blank nothingness, an indescribable state.

Right within this nothingness, something profound and abstruse, indescribable, formless, bodyless, voiceless, resembling nothingness yet transcending the meaning of nothingness, appeared within the nothingness, reigning supreme above nothingness, until a streak of golden light illuminated the nothingness like an infinite and boundless Dao, this intent extending across the nothingness.

When the golden light vanished and returned to formlessness, it seemed that dust had appeared within the nothingness; nothingness was no longer pure nothingness, but possessed matter.

The dust gathered together, gradually converging into a small patch of land. It was unknown whether years had been born yet, but upon this small patch of land, due to the intent and charm surpassing nothingness, a small sapling grew. As the sapling grew, it gradually became a lush giant tree.

Within the nothingness, a lush giant tree grew all alone. Not knowing how many years had passed, a fruit suddenly grew on the big tree, and as the fruit matured, it fell down at a certain moment.

Bang!

Within the nothingness, a sound appeared for the very first time.

The fruit shell split open, revealing the core inside. Its form was human-like, radiating brilliance. It landed on the ground and slowly grew, finally opening its eyes—the very first living being was born.

As the humanoid living being grew, it also did not know what years were. It only occasionally sat under the big tree, seemingly comprehending something, seemingly observing something, and also looking at the patch of nothingness outside the big tree.

Along with its comprehension, the humanoid living being seemed to have gained something. The power within its body became increasingly strong, and it also possessed more powerful and abstruse abilities. It occasionally left the vicinity of the big tree to walk within the nothingness.

Not knowing how many years had passed, an emotion of loneliness arose. It looked up at the big tree. Now, this big tree, which once gave it a sense of immense majesty, had now become ordinary in its eyes, as if it was stronger and possessed more power than this big tree.

During a session of comprehension, the humanoid living being seemed to have a realization and an epiphany, murmuring to itself: "Vast and boundless, supremacy is the heavens. I should have a name, let it be called 'Hao'."

Hao looked toward the nothingness, looked toward the big tree beside him, and comprehended the dim, hazy, and indescribable abstruse wonder, as if seeing his own birth from within it, seeing the nothingness no longer being nothingness.

"Should I, Hao, also create something? Using the tree as a Foundation, create the heavens and earth and all things?!"

Hao looked at the big tree and gained some inspiration. He snapped off a tree branch, walked into the nothingness, and with all his might, slashed into the nothingness.

Rumble!

The nothingness trembled, and a sound rang out. Hao revealed a smile. He continuously waved the tree branch, continuously slashing into the nothingness. At a certain moment, light flashed within the nothingness, a roar resounded, and the nothingness was split open.

"Hahaha, good, good, it really is like this. This is thunder, that's right, called thunder. I, Hao, will no longer be lonely."

Ever since then, Hao slashed at the nothingness every day. That patch of nothingness being slashed by him became larger and larger, and the thunder also became more and more numerous. It was as if that was a place filled with thunder.

"No, it still won't do!"

Hao fell into deep thought. What was the point of having only thunder?

He sat under the big tree and began to comprehend the dim, hazy, and indescribable Dao. Finally gaining something, he then started slashing again.

After a long period of slashing, the nothingness around the big tree had already disappeared. Replaced in its stead was an ocean of thunder. Thunder roared, and the lights of the thunder were of different colors. Hao looked at this scene, a look of anticipation on his face.

Present-day Hao had grown stronger and stronger, long since different from the beginning. He could already easily split open the nothingness and blast out a land of thunder.

"Using the big tree as a Foundation, open up a realm, create the world, and give birth to the heavens, earth, and all things!"

Hao thought excitedly. He began his act of creation, using the big tree as a Foundation to open up a realm, create the world, and give birth to all things.

Finally, under Hao's tireless and diligent creation regardless of the years, a vast world was born. The creation thunder roared, blasting open the nothingness. The Qi of spiritual charm was born, and the split nothingness also produced solidified Inconvertible Qi.

The thunder dried up, and the Inconvertible Qi settled to form the earth. The Qi of spiritual charm floated to form the heavens. Ever since then, the heavens and earth were born. Hao looked at this scene and excitedly ran about within the heavens and earth. Meanwhile, the initial place where the nothingness was breached had light radiating within it, of various colors.

Not knowing how many years had passed, the radiating light at the initial place seemed to overflow and spill out. A streak of light shone across the world—this was a Purple Light.

"Let this be used to record the years. Repeating in cycles, returning to the origin—one light is one epoch, one light is one era."

Hao muttered excitedly to himself.

The earth was there, but all things had not yet been born. Hao fell into deep thought. He sat with his eyes closed, comprehending that dim, hazy abstruse wonder, searching for the method to give birth to all things.

Not knowing how many years had passed, when Hao opened his eyes, he discovered that this heaven and earth had actually drifted away from its original place, and it seemed somewhat loose, as if it would disintegrate before long. He instantly became troubled. At a certain moment, he saw that majestic big tree still firmly rooted there, and it had become even larger. Immediately, he had an idea.

Thus, Hao used the big tree as the support for the heavens and earth, with the tree roots as the earth and the tree crown as the heavens. A truly vast heaven and earth appeared. The aura permeated by the big tree endowed the heavens and earth with vitality, and tiny green shoots grew out on the earth.

"From now on, this tree shall be called the Heaven and Earth Tree, or the World Creation Tree."

Hao resided upon the tree crown, which was the heavens of the heavens and earth, the highest place. He felt a wondrous sensation of being high above, overlooking the vast earth below and watching the tender shoots grow sturdily.

After another period of seclusion, when Hao awoke, the earth was covered in dense forests and blooming flowers, extraordinarily beautiful. Hao was overjoyed, walking across the earth and appreciating the different beautiful sceneries.

After unknown ages, Hao once again felt loneliness. In the vast heavens and earth, there was actually only him alone. Under such loneliness, Hao began to ponder finding a companion who could keep him company.

He snapped off a tree branch and buried it into the earth. Sitting cross-legged on the burial site of the tree, he radiated his own aura, nourishing that tree branch. After unknown ages, the tree branch came to life.

This was a long, strip-shaped living being with horns. The horns were the original forks of the tree branch, and the short legs were the newly sprouted shoots of the branch.

"Chi!"

The strip-shaped living being coiled around Hao's wrist, making a chi-chi sound. Hao was overjoyed, stroking this living being and saying: "You shall be called Chi!"

Hao accompanied Chi, living on this vast earth. Chi also grew larger and larger, and Hao rode on Chi, soaring through the heavens and wandering the earth, utterly joyous. However, as time flowed by, the emotion of loneliness appeared once more.

Looking at the heaven and earth he had opened up, it was still too desolate and too lonely. Thus, Hao went into seclusion once more. He wanted to comprehend how he could make more living beings appear in this heaven and earth.

Through Hao's seclusion time and time again, and his opening up of the heavens and earth time and time again, all living beings and myriad things finally became more and more numerous, and the heavens and earth grew larger and larger. In the end, humanoid living beings like him were born. Hao was overjoyed, and began to impart knowledge and teach the Dao of cultivation.

The heavens and earth became increasingly complete, and living beings and myriad things were countless. Looking at this heaven and earth, a sense of achievement welled up spontaneously within Hao. He resided high up in the heavens, watching the changes on the earth, until one day, he saw a beast actually preying on humans. He wanted to intervene, but stopped himself.

At this moment, the laws and supreme principles of the heavens and earth surfaced in his mind. This was his comprehension, the essence of the operation of the heavens and earth. He quietly watched without intervening.

Not long after, people who had achieved success in cultivation and possessed powerful strength hunted beasts, divided and ate them, and gained harvests from doing so. Their cultivation speed became even faster, and their strength became even greater.

Various scenes of predation appeared between the heavens and earth, as if everything had its counter, with one thing feeding on another. Yet humans were the most intelligent, best at cultivation and creation among them. Hao felt a sense of inspiration, seeming to comprehend something, and he entered seclusion.

When he awoke from seclusion, the heavens, earth, and all things were even more abundant. The people who cultivated grew stronger and stronger in strength, and human tribes also became more and more numerous. In the end, wars of conquest and annexation occurred between the Human Race and the Human Race, ultimately establishing a country.

Those few people who received the cultivation methods taught by Hao were his disciples, and they also became one of the primordial ancestors of the Human Race. They were incomparably powerful, and they also desired to ascend to the heavens to pay respects to him, their Master.

"The heavens and earth are greater than me, ah. Then this heaven and earth shall be called Tai Hao."

Hao gave this heaven and earth a name.

Time flowed by, and the heavens and earth continuously grew stronger. More and more people underwent Ascension, and all myriad clans of the heavens and earth had Experts. After arriving in the heavens, unknown since when, someone discovered the World Creation Tree, snapped off a branch, refined it into a Divine Artifact, slaughtered everywhere, and became the strongest Expert beneath Hao.

Ambition also bred at this moment. Thus, Experts searching for the World Creation Tree and refining Divine Artifacts became more and more numerous. Initially, Hao did not stop them; after all, snapping off a few branches would not cause any impact to the World Creation Tree.

After another period of seclusion, when he awoke, he was shocked to discover that one-third of the branches of the World Creation Tree had actually been snapped off, and these people, holding Divine Artifacts refined from the branches of the World Creation Tree, slaughtered everywhere and annexed one another.

The First Myriad Clans War broke out. The earth cracked open, and the heavens were also in constant turmoil. Looking at this scene, Hao was somewhat stunned. This was something he had created; why was it so chaotic, filled with usurpation and slaughter?

Not knowing why, a wisp of a thought surfaced in the depths of his mind, as if wishing to strangle all of this, destroy everything, and return to the initial nothingness, with only himself alone, quietly comprehending the supreme abstruse wonder.

This wisp of a thought came quickly and went quickly. Hao sighed. With a single hand, he suppressed those disciples of his, locked them up, reprimanded them, and made them go into seclusion to reflect on their mistakes.

At the same time, he had Chi guard the World Creation Tree, forbidding anyone from approaching, and even more so forbidding them from snapping off tree branches.

The First Myriad Clans War came to an end.

When the suppressed disciples had all admitted their wrongs, Hao released them and exhorted them to maintain the clarity of the heavens and earth and uphold the order of the heavens and earth. After all the disciples left and diligently maintained the heavens and earth with all their heart, Hao observed for a very long time, confirming that the heavens and earth would not fall into chaos, before preparing once more to go into seclusion and comprehend the Dao.

Before this, he exhorted Chi to properly guard the World Creation Tree and not let anyone snap off its branches. Then Hao felt at ease and went into seclusion.

Tai Hao welcomed a prosperous era of cultivation, with Prodigies emerging in large numbers among all clans. Those Old Ancestors, because they received Hao's warning, did not dare to act rashly. However, among one another, due to issues of benefits and some pre-existing conflicts, the friction gradually deepened, until a vendetta between juniors ignited the massive conflicts once more.

First was one of the Old Ancestors of the Human Race, an exceptionally pampered and talented junior who was also one of the renowned Prodigies of the Human Race, hailed as a Expert with the potential to grow to the Level of an Old Ancestor. As a result, he was besieged and killed by Prodigies of the other three clans.

In the eyes of the Human Race, these three clans were wary of the Human Race's strength, and thus plotted to besiege and kill the Human Race prodigy. War erupted, and the Human Race initiated a war of vengeance. Unable to withstand it, the remaining three clans went to lobby the other major clans, claiming that the Human Race's momentum was too great and once they were defeated, the next would be the other major clans.

Consequently, all the clans joined forces to compel the Human Race to cease fighting. Compelled by the situation, the Human Race could only temporarily stop fighting, yet they were unwilling to let the matter rest just like that. Thus, they prepared to steal a branch of the World Creation Tree, refine a powerful Divine Artifact, and suppress the other clans. However, the World Creation Tree was guarded by Chi, and Chi's strength was extremely formidable; no one dared to offend it.

Yet the Human Race spent over a thousand years tricking Chi, making Chi lower its guard, and also made various delicacies to bribe Chi. Taking others' food makes one's hands soft, so Chi felt a momentary softness of heart and allowed the Human Race to snap off a branch to be refined into a Divine Artifact.

War broke out once more. The Human Race single-handedly fought against multiple clans while rallying some minor clans to submit. In a mere thousand years, they had already trampled and wiped out two major clans. The remaining major clans felt a sense of crisis and also came to steal the branches of the World Creation Tree. When Chi refused, the Old Ancestors of various clans cried bitterly, claiming that if it weren't for Chi's mistake, this result would not have occurred. A balance had to be maintained among the various clans, otherwise a major disaster would surely happen, and Chi would also be blamed by then.

Seeing this, Chi could only turn a blind eye, allowing the Old Ancestors of the various clans to snap off branches. As a result, the true war broke out right then and there. Divine Artifacts bombarded each other, the earth shattered, the firmament cracked, and the entire heavens and earth suffered heavy damage. Hao was also startled awake from his seclusion.

This time, Hao was startled awake while comprehending the Dao. Looking at the tragic war, looking at the dilapidated heavens and earth, he was extremely furious. A fierce and malevolent Qi surged from the depths of his heart, and once again a thought arose: the heavens and earth should not exist, and he should just be by himself, quietly comprehending the Dao with no one to disturb him.

A furious Hao struck out with a bang, suppressing all of his disciples and subjecting them to severe punishments, making them bear pain at all times and feel the miserable despair of living beings, thereby alerting them to the importance of peace in the heavens and earth.

It took a very long time for Hao to smooth over the dilapidated heavens and earth. Looking at the World Creation Tree, whose branches had been snapped off once more, he stood blankly for a long time, while Chi lowered its head like a child who had made a mistake.

Looking at this living being that had accompanied him for the longest time and was also the first living being he created, Hao ultimately could not muster up any anger. He knew that Chi's mind was overly simple, so he earnestly instructed and taught Chi for some days.

As the long years passed, the dilapidated heavens and earth flourished once again. Hao once more felt happy for this heaven and earth he had opened up, feeling a sense of immense achievement.

He went to see his disciples. Through such a long period of suppression, the disciples had all recognized their mistakes and received a wake-up call. Hao released them, and the disciples knelt on the ground, kowtowing in sincere repentance, and stated that from then on, they would wholeheartedly follow their Shifu's footsteps, comprehend the wondrous mysteries of the Dao, and beg their Shifu for some guidance.

Hao was very happy, so he gave guidance to his disciples on their cultivation and passed down to them the methods of comprehending the Dao. The disciples bid farewell and left, returning to their respective clans. True to their word, they no longer interfered in worldly affairs and wholeheartedly comprehended the Dao.

Seeing this, Hao entered seclusion once again. However, having learned his lesson from before, his seclusions were not long, and he would wake up every once in a while to take a look at this heaven and earth and see how those disciples were doing.

Every time he woke up, the disciples were cultivating in bitter seclusion and working very hard. Hao was finally relieved. Looking at the initial land, stepping out in plain clothes, as years alternated, yet another epoch arrived.

Hao no longer knew which epoch this was since he had split open the heaven and earth. After all, when he was in seclusion comprehending the Dao, time was no longer within his perception. Sometimes, a single seclusion would last an entire epoch, and he had no mind to explore the past few epochs.

This seclusion was long and yielded massive gains. Once again, Hao touched the dim and distant Dao up close, comprehending more of the supreme principles of heaven and earth and all living things.

Time flowed on, epoch after epoch. Ever since the heaven and earth was split open, it had been slowly expanding. Lightning flashed at the edges of the heaven and earth, slowly breaking apart the nothingness. Today's Tai Hao had long since grown much larger.

On this day, several figures stepped out of the heaven and earth and began carving out the nothingness, wishing to expand the heaven and earth and break apart the nothingness. Seeing this scene, Hao asked his disciples.

The several disciples all expressed their willingness to contribute to the heaven and earth, follow the steps of their Shifu, create a greater heaven and earth, make Tai Hao even larger, and make all living things more prosperous.

Hao was extremely happy, so he gave guidance to his disciples. Ever since then, those disciples of Hao carved out the nothingness outside the heaven and earth, cultivating outside the heaven and earth, and their strength grew stronger day by day.

Tai Hao was getting larger and larger, while Hao had been in seclusion for a very long time. Chi, who guarded the World-Creating Tree, was also dozing sleepily coiled around the tree. On this day, Hao's disciple came to the World-Creating Tree and brought delicious treats for Chi, saying it was a spiritual treasure carved out when carving out the nothingness.

Chi instantly became vigilant, stating that it would not accept bribes. Hao's disciple said this was to make amends for last time and apologize for past mistakes, telling Chi not to worry about them making any demands.

Seeing that he was sincere, Chi accepted the food. Besides, with such long years passing, these people had already changed their ways.

In the following years, Hao's disciples successively delivered delicious food to Chi, all to make amends and apologize for past mistakes.

Chi was very happy. These things were too delicious, and these people did not make any demands or try to break the World-Creating Tree, so it accepted all of them.

Perhaps because it had eaten too much and was fully satisfied, and guarding the tree was too boring, Chi began to doze off and slowly fell asleep. After it fell asleep, a group of people arrived here.

"The pain of an epoch, the torture of an epoch! He is our Shifu, yet over just a few branches, he tortured us like this."

"That's right. Since he is not benevolent, we don't need to be filial either."

"We also contributed to this heaven and earth!"

"Can we really kill him? The Old fellow is too strong."

"This World-Creating Tree is the most powerful Divine Artifact. If we join forces and launch a sneak attack, we will definitely be able to kill him!"

With ferocious expressions, Hao's disciples began to sever the World-Creating Tree, refine it into a peerless Divine Artifact, and launch a sneak attack on Hao!

Hao, who was in seclusion, was suddenly startled awake. He found it hard to believe that his disciples, the living beings he created, the disciples who received the great grace of his Dao propagation, actually wanted to kill him, and the World-Creating Tree had actually been severed!

"You deserve to die!"

At this moment, ferocity and malicious thoughts were born within Hao. An unprecedented, crazy growth of malicious thoughts desiring to destroy this heaven and earth and return to nothingness surged forth. He only wanted to quietly comprehend the Dao!

Time and time again he was disturbed, time and time again he was sabotaged. This heaven and earth should not exist!

Even the World-Creating Tree, they actually heartlessly severed it!

Boom!

The great battle erupted. Although Hao's disciples joined forces and possessed the Divine Artifact refined from the World-Creating Tree, they were still no match for Hao and were all completely obliterated by him.

However, the heaven and earth was also shattered in the battle. Of the tattered heaven and earth, only a sparse area remained, yet it was still bustling and beautiful.

Looking at the deeply asleep and unaware Chi, Hao angrily grabbed it, locked its body onto the tree roots, and walked through the heaven and earth with red eyes. Before destroying this heaven and earth, he wanted to take one last good look.

He saw a few innocent and lively children supporting a fallen elderly person. Seeing this scene, Hao seemed to sense something, and his malicious thoughts were suppressed.

"Why are malicious thoughts born? Is it a problem that arose from being disturbed during this seclusion?"

Hao muttered to himself.

Looking at the tattered heaven and earth and the already severed World-Creating Tree, Hao closed his eyes for a long time, seemingly gaining some comprehension.

"The mortal world is naturally like this; I was too persistent. The demise of one species and the birth of another are merely the laws of all living things in this heaven and earth. The heaven and earth is so beautiful, how can it be destroyed? Tai Hao! Tai Hao! The heaven and earth is greater than me; I cannot destroy this heaven and earth."

At this moment, Hao attained enlightenment, but deep within his heart, a vague voice of malicious thoughts was bewitching and instigating him, claiming that only by destroying the world, annihilating all living things of this heaven and earth, returning to nothingness, and quietly comprehending the Dao alone could be the right path!

He suppressed this voice, and then Hao began to rebuild the heaven and earth. He realized that the strong and the weak should not be mixed together, and there needed to be a path for ambitious people to constantly ascend.

Thus, Tai Hao had the Tai Hao Thirty-Three Heavens, and the broken branches and leaves of the World-Creating Tree transformed into the sun, moon, and stars. A more magnificent Tai Hao World appeared.

Hao undid Chi's shackles and took Chi into seclusion.

Time flowed on. People appeared in the Thirty-Three Heavens and ascended to the peak of Tai Hao, proclaiming himself the Heavenly Emperor of Tai Hao and ruling over the Thirty-Three Heavens. After countless more years, the Heavenly Emperor of Tai Hao was besieged and killed, and Tai Hao welcomed a great turmoil.

Hao emerged from his seclusion and looked at this scene. The malicious thoughts began to grow wildly again, wishing to make him destroy the world. This time, Hao realized that a huge problem had occurred with himself.

Therefore, he uprooted and expelled his malicious thoughts and went into seclusion once again.

The malicious thoughts descended upon a youth who had been bullied and oppressed, breeding hatred in his heart—hating the unfairness of this heaven and earth, and hating the unfairness of this mortal world. A peerless Demon was born. He manipulated people's malicious thoughts, magnified all of mankind's sinful hearts, founded the New World Sect, and destroyed the world to establish a new world.

The Thirty-Three Heavens welcomed its second ruler, who was called the Tai Hao Demon Emperor. Countless Righteous Path Experts were slaughtered by him. The entire Tai Hao World was overflowing with malice, leaving only slaughter. Countless Experts joined forces only to be defeated at the hands of the Tai Hao Demon Emperor.

The Tai Hao Demon Emperor grew stronger and stronger, and the mortal world was filled with malicious thoughts. Hao, who was in seclusion, was suddenly startled awake. When he stepped out of his seclusion grounds, he discovered the massive upheaval in the Tai Hao World.

"You deserve to be executed!"

Hao made his move, annihilating the Tai Hao Demon Emperor, and began restoring the Tai Hao Thirty-Three Heavens. It took a very long time for the Tai Hao World to recover.

Before another seclusion, Tai Hao assigned Chi to be responsible for maintaining the Tai Hao World so that the disaster of the Tai Hao Demon Emperor would not happen again. With Chi patrolling and guarding, Hao went into seclusion with peace of mind.

Time flowed on, and an epoch passed. Although battles broke out every moment in the Tai Hao Thirty-Three Heavens, with dynastic changes and the destruction and creation of Sects, these were all natural laws. Chi did not interfere; its task was to prevent the emergence of a second Tai Hao Demon Emperor.

Hao also occasionally emerged from seclusion to take a look at the Tai Hao World. He was very satisfied, so he continued his seclusion. He felt that he was getting closer and closer to that dim and distant Dao, even within arm's reach, yet there was still a feeling of being out of reach.

"If the Dao were like a book that could be directly observed, how wonderful that would be."

Hao sighed inwardly.

In the first heaven of Tai Hao, a figure sat cross-legged. His appearance was identical to Hao's; the only difference was that he appeared somewhat ferocious, as if he carried an intent of destruction toward everything he saw.

"This shouldn't have existed in the first place. Hao, you are too obsessed and unrepentant. Quietly comprehending alone is the right path; everything should exclusively belong to one person. I will destroy all of this and make you return to the right path."

Hao, who was in seclusion, had no idea at all that the malicious thoughts he had uprooted and expelled had not vanished. Instead, they had grown increasingly powerful, approaching his own strength, and the malice was growing stronger, with the thought of world destruction becoming more and more terrifying.

The Tai Hao World had always been slowly breaking apart the nothingness and slowly growing. In the boundless Thirty-Three Heavens, all races vied for supremacy, countless living beings existed, and Prodigies emerged in generations.

Epoch after epoch, new factions finally appeared in the Thirty-Three Heavens, and not just one. Under Chi's control, a balance was maintained among the factions rather than a single person dominating and ruling the entire Tai Hao World.

Rumble!

Suddenly, the Tai Hao World trembled. Rolling black Qi appeared in the first heaven, as if wanting to destroy everything. Experts from the upper heavens descended to suppress the black Qi, but they were eroded by the black Qi and became violent and bloodthirsty. The Tai Hao World ushered in another great turmoil that affected the Thirty-Three Heavens, giving rise to the conflict between the Righteous Path and the demons.

Seeing that the situation was not quite right, Chi manifested itself, preparing to suppress the black Qi. However, it encountered "Hao", who stopped it and claimed that this was a great tribulation that the Tai Hao World had to experience; only through this great tribulation could it truly be perfected.

Seeing this, Chi no longer interfered. As the conflict between the Righteous Path and the demons intensified more and more, more than half of the living beings had perished, and half of all races had vanished in the great battle, it gradually realized something was wrong.

However, why didn't Hao step in to intervene?

Chi vaguely felt that something was not quite right, yet it didn't know exactly what was wrong. Until only thirty percent of the living beings remained, and Tai Hao was shrouded in gloom and misery, Chi couldn't help asking when this great tribulation would end and why it needed to go through such a great tribulation.

"Coming from nothingness, returning to nothingness, and then being reborn—this is the right path."

Hao smiled and said, "Chi, you don't understand. Just watch!"

At this moment, Chi revealed a look of terror. It discovered that the "Hao" before it was not the real "Hao". The Hao before it seemed filled with malice, with all the evil of the mortal world.

"You are not Hao!"

"I am, I am the real Hao!"

"You... you are..."

Terrified beyond measure, Chi directly triggered the power shaking its whole body to awaken Hao who was in seclusion. Sure enough, it saw another Hao emerging from the seclusion grounds.

Looking at the malicious thoughts, Hao revealed a solemn expression.

"You shouldn't exist!"

"If I didn't exist, how could you exist? I am fundamentally you; this mortal world shouldn't exist in the first place!"

"Today, I shall annihilate you!"

Hao made his move. This was a truly peerless great battle. The world-destroying malicious thoughts had no scruples, but Hao had scruples—he was afraid of completely destroying the Tai Hao World. During the protracted battle, Hao defeated the malicious thoughts time and time again, but the malicious thoughts quickly recovered.

"You can't kill me. As long as Tai Hao has malicious intent and living beings with malicious thoughts, I will be eternally Indestructible. Unless you shatter Tai Hao, that is the only way to completely kill me. Hurry up and shatter Tai Hao."

With a painful expression, Hao could not bring himself to destroy Tai Hao with his own hands. Looking at the tattered Tai Hao and the remaining roots of the World-Creating Tree, which were all shattered, he closed his eyes slightly and made his move once more.

"Haha, if you don't destroy the world, I'll help you!"

The world-destroying malicious thoughts laughed wildly. Amidst rumbling sounds, the Tai Hao World collapsed. Where the battle took place was a stretch of Primal Void. The Inconvertible Qi condensing the earth dispersed and formed a place of Primal Void.

"Shifu, I will help you!"

Chi let out a roar, burning everything about itself to join the battle. Hao took a deep breath, burning himself and burning his Dao. He looked up toward the dim and distant place and let out a sigh.

"If the Dao were like a book, how wonderful that would be so one could fully comprehend the Dao."

Having finished his sigh, Hao utilized everything, carving out a place of nothingness between the Primal Void and the tattered Tai Hao, and casting the world-destroying malicious thoughts into it.

"Hao, you're crazy! You actually want to kill yourself, but you can't kill me, and you can do nothing to me! I will definitely reappear in the mortal world and destroy this world!"

The world-destroying malicious thoughts roared.

Roar!

Chi burned itself crazily to lend strength to Hao. Looking back at its Shifu one last time, it seemed to see its own birth. A final drop of blood dripped into the Primal Void.

Hao's figure grew increasingly faint and could vanish at any moment. He looked at the shattered roots of the World-Creating Tree. With a wave of his hand, the roots of the World-Creating Tree scattered across the incomplete Tai Hao World. The largest piece of root fell deep into the earth like a peerless piece of jade.

The illusory and faint figure smoothed over the Tai Hao World after the great battle and reshaped the Thirty-Three Heavens. Seeing that all races did not exist and that the Human Race—the largest living beings possessing the greatest wisdom and the most complex thoughts—stood alone in dominance, Hao looked at himself and revealed a helpless smile. He was the ancestor of humanoid living beings after all, and everything was merely influenced by him.

"Tai Hao is greater than me. The mortal world is beautiful; why destroy it? May the mortal world endure for a long time."

Hao muttered to himself, sighing once more. He was already very close to that dim and distant Dao, but ultimately he could never catch a glimpse of the Dao again.

"If the Dao were like a book, I could observe it, but how could the Dao be like a book."

Hao let out a sigh. He came to that piece of land where he was born at the very beginning and silently dissipated there, completely vanishing.

As the years alternated and epochs remained unchanged, the Tai Hao World after the great battle welcomed a prosperous era once again. However, unlike the initial Tai Hao World, today's outside of the Tai Hao Thirty-Three Heavens was a Land of Primordial Chaos.

Experts rose and fell, each leading the fashion of their times. Another epoch opened, and a prodigy rose, obtaining the Taihao Divine Artifact, refining the Undying Divine Armor, founding the God Palace of Undying, and proclaiming himself the God Lord of Undying.

In the first heaven of the Tai Hao World, a youth walked out from a desolate and remote place. No one knew that this desolate and remote place was Tai Hao's very first piece of land, as well as the place where Hao dissipated.

The youth possessed Talent and brilliance unique through the ages, hailed as the number one prodigy in Tai Hao's history.

His name was Taicang!