Chapter 857: Originally, This Is the Universe

Around Ding Huan, under the circulation of billions of principles, a separate space slowly formed within this vast chaos.

Ding Huan was lost in this space, completely forgetting everything around him.

The chaotic principle river in the Great Dao world continuously expanded, and one after another chaotic principle was perceived and fused by Ding Huan into this chaotic principle river.

At first, because the chaotic principle river was not yet fully perfected, it was smaller than the other principle rivers.

As Ding Huan continuously perceived and integrated various chaotic principles, the types of chaotic principles within the river grew increasingly vast.

Ding Huan felt the chaotic principle river, vastly exceeding all other principle rivers, yet he found it somewhat incomprehensible.

The chaotic principle river far surpassed all other principle rivers, yet it still had not reached perfection.

Does this mean chaotic principle is superior to all other principles?

Yet the universe originated from chaos.

All worldly principles also emerged from chaos.

That is to say, all chaotic principles within his chaotic principle river may one day evolve into various types of heavenly and earthly principles.

Thinking of this, Ding Huan simply stopped worrying about when his chaotic principle river would be perfected, and devoted himself entirely to perceiving every chaotic principle he could.

There was no concept of time within chaos.

But the time of the greater universe beyond chaos did not cease flowing just because Ding Huan had perceived chaotic principles.

When Ding Huan opened his eyes again, ten thousand years had passed.

He ceased further perception of chaotic principles to fill his chaotic principle river.

It was not that his chaotic river had been perfected, but that he had perceived the true Great Dao of the universe.

Upon comprehending the formation of the universe, the emergence of countless starlands, and the possible origin of cosmic calamities, he suddenly felt fear.

Now, within his Great Dao world, the chaotic principle river had transformed into a chaotic principle sea, or simply, the Chaos Sea.

The Chaos Sea occupied a range far exceeding the combined space of all other principle rivers, yet the Chaos Sea remained imperfect.

All the principle rivers he had previously perfected now flowed around the Chaos Sea.

His will was at the very center of this Chaos Sea.

This was his Great Dao world, so Ding Huan knew clearly that as long as he continued perfecting it.

Those principle rivers would each form their own starlands...

As long as he wished, these starlands formed from his Great Dao world's principle rivers could collapse at any moment...

Ding Huan's fear stemmed from his suspicion that he himself might be within

a starland formed by someone else's principle river.

If one were to suppose the vast universe worked this way:

Around a patch of chaos, under the river of time, various principle rivers formed.

Beneath these principle rivers, countless starlands emerged.

The principle rivers and starlands continuously expanded, so the true vast universe had no edge—only constant, frantic expansion at every moment.

Because the principle rivers differed, the heavenly and earthly rules of these starlands also differed.

For example, the Light Divine Realm he had once seen had the light principle most clearly defined under its heavenly rules.

Not all starlands were like this; some had multiple principle rivers fused together, forming a place with relatively complete rules.

Like Xiao Tian Xu.

Moreover, chaos itself was not uniform.

He had seen many types of chaos—such as the chaos at the edge of Dunyi Divine Realm and the chaos at the edge of the great universe—each entirely different.

More precisely, the chaos at the edge of the great universe better matched the definition of chaos.

Whether the chaos at the edge of Dunyi Divine Realm or the chaos at the edge of the great universe,

these chasms were likely splinters from the central chaos of the vast universe, which then fused with principle rivers to form

an entirely new starland.

If this were true, then this great universe chaos that nearly killed him was also not true chaos.

True chaos must lie at the very center of the vast universe.

Even the central chaos he hypothesized resembled his own Chaos Sea.

The only difference was that no one knew where the exact center of the vast universe was.

Ding Huan could only hope that the center of their vast universe was naturally formed, not perfected through perception like his own.

If it were truly formed this way, it would be terrifying.

For instance, if a starland had formed beneath the outer principle rivers of his Great Dao world, and life had arisen upon it,

then with a single thought, he could make that starland collapse—and all life upon it would perish.

Ding Huan's thoughts were now clearer than ever.

He wondered: if his speculation was correct, how could he escape the constraints of being beneath someone else's roof?

To escape the endless cosmic calamities and the bondage of life, he must accomplish two things.

⊙￠o

The first thing was to find the chaotic center of the vast universe.

The second thing—if this chaotic center was controlled by a being,

then kill that being. If the chaotic center was naturally formed, then destroy its sentience.

In Ding Huan's view, the chaotic center must possess sentience.

Otherwise, how could cosmic calamities occur so frequently throughout the universe?

Yet Ding Huan judged that whether the universe's chaotic center was a being or a naturally formed sentience, it could not fully control the vast universe as he could.

If the other could fully control the vast universe, he would not need to act at all—because he would have zero chance.

And his Chaos Law Sea, to fully take shape, must find the true Chaos itself.

Regardless, from this moment on, his life and future must be controlled by himself.

No matter if this vast universe is controlled by others, no one shall control Ding Huan.

If need be, he will enter his own cosmic world and strive to develop his own universe.

One day, he too shall become the supreme existence within that universe.

Having the universe under his own control is far more secure than leaving it in others' hands.

At least he won't casually unleash a cosmic-scale calamity; at least he won't regard countless cosmic beings as expendable ants.

As if sensing Ding Huan's resolve to control his own life,

Ding Huan's Dao was perfected once more.

Ding Huan marveled at the frantic surge of his divine yuan and divine awareness—had he really reached the Twelve-Transcendence Saint realm?

Hadn't his Life Law River still been incomplete?

Almost the instant Ding Huan thought of his incomplete Life Law River, a torrent of Dao sounds surged from his Dao Consciousness Sea.

His Life Law River was now fully perfected.

Ding Huan was stunned by this Dao insight—had a single thought perfected an entire river?

Was it his realization of the universe's true essence, or his resolve to control his own life, that perfected the Life Law River?

This was the first time.

Ding Huan had ascended to the Twelve-Transcendence Saint realm before perfecting the Law River.

Yet this was not the end.

Ding Huan's Dao aura continued to surge wildly; his cosmic world kept expanding.

Even though his Life Law River was now complete, he could still continuously infuse new Life Laws into it.

These Life Laws were entirely self-realized, born from the rapid perfection of his own Dao.

This was going to…

As Ding Huan wondered whether he was about to enter the Eternal Realm, the surrounding Chaos abruptly parted.

Infinite Chaos primordial energy was sucked away by his Great Cosmos Technique Zhou Tian, and the Chaos aura around Ding Huan steadily retreated.

It looked as if Ding Huan himself had carved out a space within the Chaos.

His own cosmic world continued expanding, and the various Law Rivers within his Dao world stretched outward endlessly.

He was truly about to enter the Eternal Realm.

At this moment, Ding Huan understood the Dao of the Eternal Realm with absolute clarity—it was the true essence of life; he felt he could even raise his hand and grasp this Eternal Dao principle.

But each time this feeling reached its peak, a single thread was missing.

Ding Huan immediately realized it was due to insufficient heavenly primordial energy.

He had a pile of Divine Spirit Veins.

At this moment, Ding Huan had a hunch—even if he extracted all his Divine Spirit Veins,

they still might not be enough to let him enter the Creation Dao Realm.

Even if they could, it would require time to accumulate.

Without hesitation, Ding Huan plunged into the Chaos.

The Chaos that had once nearly crushed him into nothing now had zero effect on Ding Huan.

Ding Huan advanced through the Chaos as if in a desperate dash.

Ding Huan didn't know if it was due to his Chaos Law Sea or psychological reasons.

After all, he now knew the Chaos he was in, though closest to the definition of Chaos, was certainly not the true source of Chaos.

As if summoned, Ding Huan's goal was clear, his perception sharp.

Only a day passed before Ding Huan stopped.

The moment Ding Huan halted, the Chaos around him retreated again, forming another living space.

Ding Huan reached out and seized a thousand-zhang primordial vein.

As soon as the primordial vein, saturated with supreme Dao rhythm, emerged, Ding Huan knew—it was unquestionably a Dao Vein.

He had seen Dao Veins before.

Now, seeing a true Dao Vein, he realized the ones he had encountered were merely broken fragments slightly superior to top-grade Divine Spirit Veins—barely even low-grade Dao Veins.

The vein before him was undoubtedly a true Dao Vein.

Ding Huan did not sit cross-legged; he stood atop the Dao Vein, beneath his Great Cosmos Technique Zhou Tian, myriad Laws gathering like clouds.

The surrounding Chaos aura rapidly retreated; the Chaos primordial energy followed the Dao Vein as it was drawn out, then enveloped Ding Huan.

Blossoms of ethereal, spirit-laced colored clouds appeared around Ding Huan.

Boom!

Like a thunderclap exploding.

Ding Huan's Dao world and his own cosmic world gradually merged.

His Chaos Law Sea even wrapped around his own cosmic world.

Forming three layers within his new world.

The innermost layer was his own cosmic world, the second layer was the Chaos Law Sea, and the third layer was composed of the Law Rivers from his original Dao world.

From now on, his Dao world and his own cosmic world were no longer separate—they were one whole.

If this was his universe,

then anyone entering his universe who wished to oppose him would have to pass through those Law Rivers, cross the Chaos Sea, before reaching his cosmic world.

So this… was what a universe truly was.

Ding Huan exhaled a long breath; he had attained the Eternal Life Realm.

He had taken the first step on the path of Eternal Life: creating a Dao.

He had forged his own cosmic Dao.