Li Chen showcases his powerful Space-Time Divine Ability, demonstrating its superiority over Guangming’s Reincarnation World. Afterward, a mysterious young man appears and is revealed to be the Heavenly Dao. The Heavenly Dao speaks with Li Chen about the past calamity that befell the Seven Realms and hints that another disaster is imminent.
"The following war?" Li Chen directed a questioning gaze towards the Heavenly Dao.
"Precisely," a pause followed, and the Heavenly Dao broke into a smile once more. "Perhaps, I ought to phrase it as the war that comes after the next."
Though the Heavenly Dao offered no further explanation, Li Chen intuitively understood. With the Supreme Asura Realm still standing, the cataclysmic war that once sundered the Seven Realms had yet to transpire.
"Could it be the World-Destroying Beast?" Li Chen could not refrain from posing the question.
The most formidable entity he had encountered thus far was indeed the World-Destroying Beast. The Soul Splitting entities that had emanated from it had already plunged the Four Realms into disarray. Faced with the Beast itself, it was highly improbable that anyone in the Four Realms could mount a successful defense.
"Yes and no," the Heavenly Dao responded, shaking its head. "According to my projections, the World-Destroying Beast constitutes merely a fraction of the impending threat. We may very well be confronting even mightier adversaries."
Upon hearing this, a palpable chill permeated Li Chen's heart.
The World-Destroying Beast possessed the capability to consume the entirety of the Starry Universe, ultimately evolving into the Creation Beast.
Yet, such an existence was apparently only a component of a larger danger?
What could this even more potent enemy possibly be?
"You lack the comprehension to grasp it now, nor is it necessary for you to know. When the opportune moment arrives, you shall witness it firsthand," the Heavenly Dao stated, its gaze drifting towards the heavens before a smile touched its lips. "Perhaps, you will not have to wait long."
Li Chen, undeniably, remained in a state of bewilderment, his eyes fixed on the Heavenly Dao with evident confusion.
The Starry Universe was the sole realm of existence he comprehended, and the World-Destroying Beast, the pinnacle of power he was aware of.
But... could an entity truly exist that surpassed the terrifying might of the World-Destroying Beast?
"You bear the Great Realms' Fortune. It appears 'I' must have undertaken a truly desperate gamble," the Heavenly Dao remarked with a chuckle. It then located a patch of fallen leaves, casually took a seat, and gestured for Li Chen to join. "Sit."
Li Chen respectfully moved to sit beside the Heavenly Dao.
At his current juncture, he had attained immense power, so much so that even cultivators at the Soul Realm found him a formidable opponent.
However, in stark contrast to the being before him, it was akin to comparing a feeble firefly to the radiant moon.
Indeed, this analogy was not an overstatement; it was, in fact, a rather conservative comparison.
"In truth, our Seven Realms' civilization is not the inaugural civilization of this Era," the Heavenly Dao casually dropped a bombshell statement.
"This Era? First-generation civilization?"
"Precisely," the Heavenly Dao confirmed with a nod. "The emergence of each World-Destroying Beast and the demise of each Creation Beast signifies the conclusion of one Era and the commencement of another. Our Seven Realms are, in actuality, not the first-generation civilization of this particular Era."
"Before the Seven Realms civilization, existed even more ancient civilizations?" Li Chen inquired, unable to suppress his curiosity.
"That is correct," the Heavenly Dao affirmed. "This deduction was arduously reached after I inherited the Supreme position, appropriating the Heavenly Dao's Power from all Seven Realms during a period when no other masters of Heavenly Dao existed within the Six Realms, and subsequently uncovering certain vital clues."
"Theoretically, upon the conclusion of an Era, all life, all civilization, even the faintest traces of existence should utterly vanish without a remnant," the Heavenly Dao declared with a somber tone. "However, exceptions invariably arise!"
"And should one seek to locate such an exception, only a singular location can provide it. Coincidentally, after an exhaustive search spanning hundreds of millions of years across the Starry Universe, I have finally discovered that very place!"
With that, the Heavenly Dao's gaze intensified. "Based on my analyses, our current Era exhibits a certain divergence from prior Eras! Or perhaps... a substantial divergence!"
"Different?" Li Chen's curiosity was fully ignited. "In what aspect?"
"Our Era... is excessively prolonged!" the Heavenly Dao's expression grew peculiar. "According to my calculations, this Era might span several times the combined duration of all preceding Eras!"
Li Chen posed the question, "Is the duration of an Era fixed?"
"It is not fixed, yet the variation is minimal. At the very least, based on the remnants I have discovered, previous Eras did not deviate significantly in length. However, our Era presents an anomaly: the World-Destroying Beast ought to have materialized eons ago and commenced its consumption of the Starry Universe. Yet, a recent sensing indicates the World-Destroying Beast has only just been born."
As it spoke, the Heavenly Dao's eyes narrowed slightly. "Initially, this might have been beneficial for the inhabitants of our Era, but for me, it gives rise to a novel hypothesis!"
"The World-Destroying Beast indeed emerged in previous times, but... it was vanquished!"
Li Chen felt a tremor run through his being. "Is the World-Destroying Beast not considered unkillable?"
"Correct. For us within this Starry Universe, the World-Destroying Beast is, in essence, unkillable. Regardless of our accumulated strength, the most we can achieve is its containment through sealing; outright destruction is impossible. This is because it constitutes an intrinsic part of the Starry Universe itself. To eliminate it would necessitate the obliteration of the entire Starry Universe," the Heavenly Dao confirmed with a nod.
"But..."
The Heavenly Dao ceased its pronouncements, projecting an air of apprehension as it softly inclined its head.
Perceiving this subtle gesture, Li Chen refrained from pressing the inquiry, shifting the conversation instead. "Then, which civilization existed before our Seven Realms civilization?"
"Based on the fragments and Relics I've unearthed, it appears to have been a civilization entirely distinct from our Seven Realms cultivator civilization... a Mechanical Civilization." The Heavenly Dao's gaze held a contemplative quality.
"This Mechanical Civilization wielded considerable power, likely on par with our current cultivator civilization. I even discovered certain Relics that allude to conflicts with the World-Destroying Beast," the Heavenly Dao elaborated, its voice measured.
A tremor ran through Li Chen's being.
He finally grasped the reason behind the Heavenly Dao's suspicion that the World-Destroying Beast had been slain.
The Heavenly Dao perceived the World-Destroying Beast as newly emerged. However, if previous civilizations from the same Era had already encountered the World-Destroying Beast, then what became of the ancient Beast that battled past civilizations?
As the Heavenly Dao recounted these ancient enigmas and conjectures, Li Chen felt an unshakeable chill pervading his senses.
It was as though an unseen hand, operating from the shadows, orchestrated all events within the Starry Universe.
And this unseen hand possessed an unfathomable might, shrouded in mystery.
Even the Heavenly Dao, arguably the paramount entity within the Seven Realms, could only speculate, unable to ascertain any concrete truths.
While harboring its hypotheses, the Heavenly Dao was gripped by a profound fear, concealing certain thoughts deep within, hesitant to voice them.
"So, what manner of foe is it?" Li Chen's heart resonated with unspoken questions.
