Chapter 211: The Prior Origin Realm — Why Is the Universe Dead Silent?

Keep in mind that the universe is vast, and scientists have yet to explore it all, but exploration of the solar system and the Milky Way has never ceased; despite decades of searching over an area countless times larger than Earth, no life has been found.

Unfathomable.

In this immense universe, Earth is but a speck of dust—yet apart from Earth, there is no life, only utter silence.

Suddenly!

Li Kui's body suddenly trembled as she remembered two things.

One was a topic that circulated online shortly after the supernatural event occurred: why none of the nine planets harbor life, and how Mars might have once supported life, but some unknown ancient cause led to its extinction—this theory ties into a divine war that destroyed life across the nine planets.

The other was the scene she witnessed in the video of the gods' return, depicting the return of Greek deities.

The memory was vivid.

In the vision, the Earth goddess Gaia and other gods ruled a vast world, until, for reasons unknown, they departed into the distant depths of the universe, after which the second generation of gods—the Twelve Titans—emerged.

She remembered clearly that during one era in the vision, the Twelve Titans raised their heads to the heavens and roared toward the boundless cosmic depths, their cries shaking the stars and splitting the Milky Way.

At that time, the surroundings of the Twelve Titans were a boundless world of towering mountains, endless grasslands, roaring lakes and seas, and majestic, magnificent earth.

That was the human world—the world ruled by gods before their departure.

Upon careful reflection, that vast world dwarfs modern Earth by an unimaginable margin—it hardly seems like the same planet. Yet both Greek mythology and the vision confirm that this world was, in fact, Earth, and the Greek gods were Earth's own mythological figures.

The original form of the Primordial Realm!

It's highly likely that the world inhabited by Gaia and the Twelve Titans was the Primordial Realm before it shattered.

It later became today's Earth.

Connecting these two revelations, Li Kui's heart pounded violently, her breathing quickened.

On the day the gods returned, people witnessed Gaia and the other deities entering the cosmic depths; in the ages that followed, the new generation of gods—the Twelve Titans—also departed without hesitation, letting out a mighty roar to the heavens before vanishing into the cosmos, never to be seen again.

Back then, no one understood what the Twelve Titans were roaring about or why.

But with the gods' return and the battle between Quetzalcoatl and God, humanity began to glimpse the truth: Gaia and the other deities, along with the Twelve Titans, had journeyed to the Primordial Battlefield to fight for their people—perhaps the Titans were roaring in grief for the first-generation gods who had perished there.

The gods departed into the unknown cosmic far reaches…

The nine planets' lack of life may have been caused by a divine war…

The boundless, endless universe is dark, dead, and silent—only Earth harbors life…

Add to this the fact that the Primordial Realm shattered long before the ancient era, and Earth was once a vast, boundless expanse…

Li Kui stood frozen, her pupils dilated in shock.

At this moment…

Her mind could no longer process anything—she could not think of anything else, only one hypothesis, a conclusion drawn from all these scattered clues.

The universe—the Primordial Realm—once endured an unimaginably colossal war in the ancient era, a battle that shattered the Primordial Realm and reduced nearly all of it to utter desolation, extinguishing all life except for a tiny core region that still retained vitality.

This war may have been connected to the Primordial Battlefield.

This is Li Kui's hypothesis.

A staggering, terrifying conclusion that would frighten even gods and demons.

Unconsciously, Li Kui looked up at the starry sky above.

The night sky sparkled brilliantly, stars scattered across the heavens, the silver moon hanging high, the Milky Way cascading like a curtain—beautiful beyond measure.

Yet who could imagine that this exquisitely beautiful cosmos is, in truth, utterly dead and barren?

Perhaps this dazzling, radiant night sky is a testament, a lament—telling the beings of this universe and this world how once, long ago, the cosmos was magnificent, glorious, and breathtakingly beautiful.

"The Primordial Battlefield," Li Kui's dazzling, diamond-like eyes reflected the brilliant, colorful stars, growing deeper and more beautiful.

Realizing that this cosmic silence might be the aftermath of a great war—perhaps the war of the Primordial Battlefield—that shattered the universe and scattered its fragments into countless new worlds, Li Kui's spirit could not calm.

Instantly, though she knew this question might be forbidden, a dangerous secret, her insatiable curiosity drove her to ask—even if it meant death, she had to know the truth.

She turned to Shangchuan Zun and asked:

"Was it the war of the Primordial Battlefield that shattered the Primordial Realm, reducing it to the dead, silent universe we see today, leaving only Earth alive?"

Upon hearing this, Shangchuan Zun spoke softly:

"The current desolation of the universe is indeed the result of the Primordial Realm's shattering, but whether it was connected to the Primordial Battlefield—I don't know. My elders never told me."

"Li Kui, don't try to uncover or seek this secret. The more forbidden a secret is, the greater the danger it hides. Never attempt to pursue such secrets without immense power."

Li Kui and Mo Lingling fell silent.

They understood exactly what Shangchuan Zun meant—he was concerned for them.

Because as the saying goes, "An innocent man is doomed by possessing something valuable." Without great power, knowing such a shocking secret invites death—because you cannot protect it. If a powerful being seeks the truth, you become the key, the target.

Perhaps it was curiosity, or perhaps the desire to draw near to the secret even if you cannot know it, or maybe just the need to hold onto hope—that someday you will grow strong enough to uncover it, to become worthy of this truth.

Thus, Li Kui spoke up:

"What level of power is required to even be allowed to know this secret?"

As soon as she spoke, Mo Lingling immediately perked up her ears, blocking out all external noise, listening intently to Shangchuan Zun's reply.

"Ancient gods," Shangchuan Zun said plainly. "The final three steps of the Nine Steps of Divinity. Without reaching that level of ancient godhood, you have no right to know."

Then Shangchuan Zun explained the Nine Levels of Mortal Existence and the Nine Steps of Divinity, using the Six-Eyed Demon and the Ritual Master as examples.

The two stood frozen, utterly motionless.

"Immortal Realm is only at the Eighth Level of Mortal Existence?! The Ritual Master is only at the Second Step of Divinity? So that means… my father and the others are at the First Step of Divinity."

Learning the true power hierarchy of this world—no, of the Primordial Realm—Mo Lingling, stunned, finally understood.

……