The once beautiful forest, teeming with life, was now a wasteland of destruction, ruined by the hands of a single individual.
A lone figure moved like a ghost, weaving through the battlefield, his sword flashing as divine beasts fell one after another. Each swing was swift and merciless, severing flesh and life alike.
The moment a beast was slain, its body shriveled, its golden blood and essence forcibly drawn from its corpse, surging toward Varos's mouth like a tide obeying its master.
His blackened eyes gleamed with an eerie hunger, his lips parting as he savored the taste of raw divinity.
Slaughtering them was no different from butchering livestock. His rampage was so overwhelming, so terrifying, that even the most prideful divine beasts abandoned their dignity, and homes and fled in terror.
Varos sat amidst the remains of his slaughter, his surroundings littered with the corpses of divine beasts. To his left lay the body of a majestic divine tiger, its once-glorious golden fur now stained with blood. Scattered around him were divine wolves and countless other creatures that had met the same fate.
He exhaled slowly, his gaze indifferent as he observed the fading radiance of the lingering essence. "The essence of these beasts is losing its effect," he thought. "Their energy barely strengthens me anymore."
From within his soul sea, Mortevant's voice echoed, laced with amusement. "Then perhaps it's time to devour an Ascendant," he suggested. "See what happens when you feast on something truly worthy."
A cold glint flashed through Varos's darkened eyes. The hunger within him stirred once more but Varos suppressed it with sheer willpower, exhaling slowly as he refocused his thoughts. "Let's find divine herbs first," he muttered.
He wasn't reckless. Devouring an Ascendant now would undoubtedly draw the attention of the Primordials. They would never sit idly by and watch their descendants become prey. If he wanted to grow stronger without exposing himself too soon, he had to be patient.
Rare divine herbs would be his next target. If he was lucky, he might even come across Origin Stones, though he knew the chances were slim.
Those invaluable treasures were hoarded by the Primordials themselves, for even they found them useful. Still, if fate favored him, he wouldn't let the opportunity slip away.
•••
Lex sat beneath the World Tree, his gaze fixed on Luna as she activated her innate ability—Nihility's Embrace. The crystal ball embedded in his mind pulsed rhythmically, signaling that Infinite Understanding was active.
At the same time, he used Mind of the Cosmos, an origin level technique he had created to amplify his comprehension beyond limits.
With both abilities working in tandem, his perception reached unprecedented heights. As he observed Nihility's Embrace, the veil of mystery surrounding its nature unraveled before his eyes.
He saw it, not mere runes, but living runes, pulsating with power. They weren't ordinary runes but Dao Runes, intricate formations woven with Principle Threads of Origin Laws.
Intrigued, he focused deeper, dissecting the essence of a single Dao Rune. He found that it was made up of multiple strands of origin laws and these origin laws were also composed of countless Universal Laws, Grand Laws, and even smaller Insights; the most basic truths beneath all cosmic order.
His focus sharpened further, tracing the evolution of these Dao Runes. Slowly, they began to coalesce, merging into a small, circular core—a Nihility Core, the true manifestation of Nihility's Embrace.
For a fleeting moment, he attempted to push beyond, to perceive the next level of existence within the technique. However, an unseen force repelled him. His mind strained, but the answer remained just beyond his reach.
"Not powerful enough," Lex muttered, his expression that of defeat. Luna, oblivious to the depths of Lex's analysis, heard his murmur. "Is something wrong?" she asked, a flicker of concern in her eyes.
She was immensely proud of her innate ability, a gift bestowed upon her by her ancestor a Dao Emperor. So she didn't think or believe he would get anything from it, If she knew Lex had just dissected it down to its foundational insights, she would have been astonished.
Masking his disappointment, he offered a reassuring smile. "It's nothing, just a minor hiccup. Your innate ability is truly remarkable, Luna."
"Thanks for the praise master," she replied her tone tinged with excitement.
Lex now understood he needed to grow more stronger, to further understand this ability.
Against a Dao Sovereign, his current strength was laughable. An ant challenging the heavens. No Dao Sovereign would casually descend upon him, but if one ever did? It wouldn't even be a battle.
A single stray thought from them would erase him from existence, wiping away his will, his laws, his very being and that was not even the true scale of their power.
But Xeri, his immediate enemy, she was different. She was a real and present threat. While she remained sealed, her subordinates and clones roamed free in the Void Sea, moving unseen, biding their time. If he wasn't careful, his universe would be swallowed before he even reached the Dao Master realm.
Lex's eyes gleamed with determination. "I need to reach Dao Initiate before they arrive. At that level, I can expel even a Dao Grandmaster from my universe. They won't even have the chance to step through my gates."
His gaze turned toward Luna, who floated beside him, her ethereal small figure pulsing with boundless wisdom.
"Luna, can Dao Kings enter larger universes?"
Luna closed her eyes momentarily before answering. "Larger universes can only accommodate the clones of Dao Initiates. If a true Dao Initiate attempted to enter, they'd be rejected by the universe itself. However…" Her voice darkened slightly. "Only Chaotic Universes can sustain Dao King clones."
Lex's eyes narrowed. "Chaotic Universes? A new word" he thought.
A trace of reverence flickered in Luna's voice. "Chaotic Universes… are the most prized planes of existence in the Void Sea."
She paused, then elaborated, "To be classified as a Chaotic Universe, a universe must endure unimaginable destruction and rebirth, over and over again. Entire civilizations must rise and fall. Countless Dao must be shattered and reforged. Only after surviving this endless cycle of destruction can a universe attain the title of 'Chaotic.' But even then… their existence is fleeting."
Lex listened silently, his mind absorbing every word.
"The moment a Chaotic Universe is born, it faces three fates," Luna continued.
"Either it is devoured by Chaotic Entities, most of whom are at the Dao Emperor realm… or it is claimed by the great empires of the Void Sea, who will wage relentless war over it… or—if it is lucky—it becomes a sanctuary for powerful cultivators, birthing unparalleled geniuses."
She paused before delivering the final truth.
"Chaotic Universes have a strict power limit of Dao masters. Only a few dozen Dao masters can exist within one at a time. However, these universes tend to birth many Dao Initiates, far more than normal universes. Once these Dao initiates step into the Void Sea, they bring back treasures, insights, and legacies to strengthen their universe. This process repeats, ensuring their universe produces more and more Dao Initiates and maybe one day one of these Dao Initiates reaches Dao sovereign."
Lex processed the information, his eyes flashing with realization.
"A self-sustaining cycle of monstrous geniuses… no wonder Chaotic Universes are so rare. If I control one or I become one I can control a cradle of supreme powerhouses."
Luna nodded. "Even for Dao emperors, Chaotic Universes are valuable beyond measure. Some have even fallen in battle just to claim them, as for Dao sovereigns they don't interfere with the matters of the Voidsea"
"What about the universes below the chaotic ones?" Lex asked, his voice calm, yet curiosity flickered in his eyes.
Luna's voice remained calm as she explained, "Super-large universes are rare, though not to the same extent as Chaotic Universes. But they are the dividing line between the true powerhouses of the Voidsea. The more super-large universes a faction controls, the higher its standing. Those without one? They are nothing more than dust in the grand order of the Voidsea."
Lex frowned. "Why would the great powers of the Voidsea fight for universes? Isn't the Voidsea itself a land of endless resources?"
From Crolis's memories, he had learned that the Voidsea was an unfathomable expanse, brimming with chaotic energy and boundless treasures. But Luna's words suggested otherwise.
Luna chuckled. "Yes, the Voidsea is limitless in resources—but only for those powerful enough to claim them."
She paused, then continued, her tone heavier. "You must understand, Master—the Voidsea is endless. It is so vast that even the Dao Sovereigns have not found its edges. Some believe it is still expanding, much like a living universe. And in such an uncharted abyss, searching for resources is a venture riddled with danger. Powerful entities seek stability and certainty, and universes provide exactly that."
Lex nodded. That made sense. In the Voidsea, one had to risk life and limb for every fragment of power. But a controlled universe? It was a fortress, a sanctuary, a farm.
He was beginning to understand.
"Alright, let's not get sidetracked," Lex said. "You were saying, below super-large universes are large universes?"
"Yes," Luna confirmed. "Large universes are the lowest-tier universes that outside entities can fully control. Those below them are medium universes, which exist in uncountable numbers, and they are the most frequently preyed upon. But the lowest of them all?"
Her voice grew cold. "Are small universes."
Lex's heart sank.
Luna continued, "Small universes are like grains of sand in an infinite desert. There are so many of them that some beings destroy them for sport. Others… devour them as snacks."
Lex's breath hitched. "A snack… me?"
His back was drenched in cold sweat. He had always known that the Voidsea was ruthless, but to hear it so plainly…was something else.
He had set his sights on Dao Sovereigns, believing they were the true peak. But if Dao Kings treated small universes as nothing more than a light meal, and Dao Kings themselves were nothing more than ants to Dao Sovereigns, then where did that leave him?
What was he to them?
Luna noticed his silence and tried to console him. "Don't worry, Master. You're still so young that even the Dao Masters wouldn't bother with you."
Lex let out a hollow laugh. "Indeed. They will leave me alone, But only until I am fat enough for the slaughter." He kept that last thought to himself, not wanting to waste Luna's concern.
Hiding. That was his best option. He had to vanish, grow in the shadows, and re-emerge only when he was strong enough. When he became a super-large universe. Only then would heno longer be prey.