Chapter 21: Venturing Beyond Chaos, Sudden Enlightenment! Flying to Set Foot!

Now!

Between heaven and earth, wondrous signs abound!

Heavenly flowers wondrously fall, earth surges with golden lotuses!

Auspicious colors that blanket heaven and earth rise up, and rosy light bursts forth.

Moreover, boundless laws and orders intertwine, profound and yet more profound.

Although Hongjun merely transmitted the voice of the Great Dao, echoing through the world, he still emanated a heaven‑shaking saintly might, shaking the nine heavens and ten earths, making all beings' scalps burst and their body hair stand on end.

In short, the entire primordial world seemed to have its stars shift and scenes change dramatically because of Hongjun's single word.

One can imagine how immensely powerful and peerless a saint's cultivation is, looking down upon all ages.

"The third Dao lecture has already begun so quickly?!"

Chen Ku muttered to himself, looking toward the direction beyond Chaos, his eyes filled with longing.

In his travels, he felt no sense of time passing.

But now thinking about it, the three of them have been traveling for thousands of years.

As for the first saint of heaven and earth, he naturally felt curious and wanted to investigate.

Meanwhile, Jieyin and Zhunti, upon hearing this, were overjoyed.

"Haha, the third Dao lecture has finally begun."

"This is a great opportunity for us; we must not miss it."

Zhunti laughed as he spoke, his expression even more eager than Chen Ku's.

Jieyin also nodded.

"Not bad; listening to the Dao at the Purple Cloud Palace is paramount."

"Other matters can be set aside for now, to be dealt with later."

Obviously, the two of them had attended the previous two Dao lectures, and thus knew how extraordinary the Dao Ancestor Hongjun was, and how great his effect.

Moreover, they had originally obtained the Red Cloud Old Ancestor's Dao‑understanding mat by playing the victim, so they naturally could not give it up lightly.

Upon hearing Jieyin and Zhunti's words, Chen Ku also fell into thought and said softly:

"I did not attend the first two Dao lectures."

"I also do not know whether I am qualified to enter the Purple Cloud Palace for this third lecture."

Upon hearing this, Jieyin waved his hand without hesitation.

"Haha, disciple, there's no need to worry!"

"You have already attained the cultivation of a Great Luo Golden Immortal; going to listen to the Dao is more than enough."

"Don't speak further; let's follow the two masters and set off for the Purple Cloud Palace."

"As for how to handle the Qilin Seal, we can decide after the Dao lecture; it's not too late."

The Saint lectures on the Dao!

For any cultivator, this is an opportunity that must not be missed, never to come again, a supreme fortuity surpassing all.

Therefore, how could Jieyin bear to let his disciple miss it?!

Let alone that Chen Ku's cultivation is more than enough; even if it weren't, Jieyin and Zhunti would not mind bearing the names "thick‑skinned" and "shameless" to bring Chen Ku to the Purple Cloud Palace.

Anyway, the two of them had long been accustomed to such things.

Although Zhunti remained silent, he also nodded from the side, indicating his agreement with Jieyin's words.

Although he is nominally Chen Ku's grand‑master‑uncle, in practice he is no different from the master.

Both Jieyin and Zhunti wish to spare no effort in cultivating Chen Ku into a true powerhouse.

Such intention is beyond doubt.

These words put Chen Ku's mind at ease.

Naturally, there was no objection to Jieyin's proposal.

The primordial Qilin has long perished in endless ages.

In other words, the Qilin clan, having lost this Qilin Seal, has long been unable to retrieve it.

Not to mention that Chen Ku has not yet made a decision; even if he decided to return it, there is no rush.

Chen Ku nodded, said no more, and immediately put away the Qilin Seal.

Thereafter, the three immediately set out, crossing the boundless high heavens, heading beyond Chaos.

At this moment, around the three, countless figures were already chasing after stars and the moon, turning into streams of light, their speed not slow.

Those were precisely the countless mighty powerhouses heading to the Purple Cloud Palace to listen to the Saint's lecture on the Dao.

Upon just entering beyond Chaos, Chen Ku's expression turned grim.

Before his eyes lay only a scene of chaos and disorder.

Various indomitable laws and orders appeared in a shattered state, flowing and drifting without trace, elusive.

Scenes of earth, water, fire, and wind replayed, like the terrifying state before heaven and earth were opened.

Moreover, Chen Ku's pupils contracted as he saw, billions of li away, vast expanses of calamitous light surging, as if able to swallow everything.

Even colossal, peerless stars, once drawn in, would instantly turn to dust and vanish completely.

And all of this occurs soundlessly, making people feel uneasy, fear and dread intertwined.

Beyond Chaos, dangers are myriad; indeed, its reputation is not unfounded!

However, as the saying goes, opportunity and risk go hand in hand.

Although Chaos is dreadful, legend says it also contains countless opportunities.

In the past, Pangu fought the three thousand demon gods precisely here beyond Chaos.

Indeed, countless lost Chaos spirit treasures and the like are precisely located in some corner beyond Chaos.

Of course, such a thought could only be just a thought.

Given Chen Ku's current cultivation, seeking opportunities outside the Chaos is no different from courting death.

Chen Ku thought so in his heart.

But just then, merit mystic light suddenly appeared above his head.

Chen Ku looked up and saw his master unleash the Twelve-Rank Merit Golden Lotus, protecting him unharmed; amidst the Chaos, various disordered qi could not harm him in the slightest.

At the same time, Jieyin's voice rang out.

"Disciple, being outside the Chaos, you must never be careless!"

"The endless elements here are enough to crush countless strong beings, a great terror."

"Especially that Chaos storm; if drawn in, even Quasi-Sage powerhouses could perish."

Needless to say, Jieyin dotes on Chen Ku, his personally transmitted disciple, fearing any harm to him.

As he spoke, Jieyin's gaze also turned to the distant calamity light that covered the sky.

That was exactly the Chaos storm he spoke of.

From Jieyin's solemn and grave expression, it was clear that the Chaos storm was also something Quasi-Sage powerhouses greatly feared.

Upon this, a warm current surged in Chen Ku's heart; he smiled and nodded, committing it to memory.

Regarding Jieyin's warning, he was not careless.

As they journeyed, Chen Ku gained a deeper understanding of Jieyin's words.

Looking around, he saw countless corpses scattered outside the Chaos, buried in the universe.

Although they had long lost any aura, the bones still faintly glowed, with a trace of daoic aura flickering.

Evidently, those bones in life must have belonged to immensely powerful cultivators, at least Taiyi Golden Immortals, or even Great Luo Golden Immortals.

Precisely because their strength was insufficient, or they were unprepared, they were strangled to death by the Chaos, suffering the annihilation of both body and spirit.

"In the Primordial Heaven and Earth, the weak are prey to the strong; strength reigns supreme—this is the principle."

Chen Ku secretly sighed.

Of course, it's not that he felt deep sorrow for them.

After all, the Primordial teems with countless beings, each following its fate.

To grieve for strangers is utterly unnecessary.

Unbeknownst to them, the three had already ventured millions of li into the Chaos.

Yet the surroundings remained ancient stillness and chaos.

Moreover, the deeper they went into the outside of Chaos, the more numerous the deadly hazards became, impossible to guard against.

Chen Ku was just about to withdraw his gaze and focus on crossing the outside of Chaos.

However, at that very moment, his heaven-defying comprehension began to operate on its own.

Before his eyes, various profound and obscure truths, the ineffable principles of the Dao, immediately appeared.

Instantly, Chen Ku felt a surge of joy.

This... could it be an omen of comprehending another great divine ability?!

Indeed!

【You have traveled outside the Chaos, enlightenment dawned, and you have comprehended the Great Divine Ability of Flying Body Borrowing Trace!】