Chaos

Existence! "Existence." Yaoguang murmured the word aloud. At this very moment, he found it difficult to describe what was passing through his mind. He could only present and express his thoughts in a way he could cognize and comprehend. And that presentation, that expression, ultimately distilled into those two words. *Existence.* "I exist." Yaoguang quietly immersed his mind in a state of perception that transcended the Ancient Immortal Realm, searching for his own existence. The most primal concept of this existence... "Cognition." Yaoguang's hazy mind gradually grew clear. Cognition. Only with cognition could one ponder. And the manner of pondering... "Is me," Yaoguang said. The manner of pondering was himself. Yaoguang. From appearing in the Yaoguang Realm, to the Cangwu Realm, to Beihai Star, and finally to the Immortal Realm—all of it was a process of thought. A single turn of his thoughts had brought forth the experiences and lifetime that was Yaoguang. The moment he realized this, he felt as though something was about to break through the soil. Something was about to sprout and take shape. "Because of cognition, there is thought; because of thought... there is existence," Yaoguang reflected. He pondered. In the course of this pondering, something once deemed "fantastical" and "illusory" suddenly became tangible, perceptible, and knowable. This thing was what he had surmised to be distinct from the Glazed Treasure Tree left behind by the Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Ancestor—his innate trait, Higher-Dimensional Cognition. How did one individual come to understand another? First... By cognizing that individual's mode of existence. Then by pondering—pondering the concept and significance of that individual's existence. And ultimately... By transforming oneself into an existence identical to that individual. This notion faintly surfaced in Yaoguang's mind. And he felt that this was reality, the ultimate truth. Yet within his heart lingered an indescribable sense of bizarreness. It defied comprehension. It was beyond understanding. Just as humanity could never truly imagine what four-dimensional space looked like. Even if four-dimensional space were placed directly before their eyes, they would have no idea what it truly was. Yaoguang realized that his life was a process of "pondering," and he had even come to discern the true concept behind Higher-Dimensional Cognition—that it was, quite literally, a manner of "higher-dimensional cognition." Yet this realization only deepened his bewilderment. "What is this supposed to be?" Yaoguang murmured, "I think, therefore I am?" He looked down, and through his "existence," he truly "saw" the Ancient Immortal Realm before him. This time, it was no longer a matter of using the mysterious energy within the Glazed Treasure Tree to advance the [Artifact Crafting] branch, searching for things related to "artifact crafting" in the Ancient Immortal Realm and the Hunyuan Realm like querying keywords. Instead, he was truly utilizing the Grand Dao of the Void to manifest his own concept of "existence," allowing him to view the entire Ancient Immortal Realm from the vantage of a third party. Yes. A third party! When his progress in the Grand Dao of the Void shattered the Dao Ancestor level and stepped into an entirely new realm, he had journeyed from nothingness into being, completing the conceptual transition from "void" to "existence." He could not describe it using concepts within his conventional understanding. If he had to put it into words... "I am like a phantom that has drifted outside the universe since time immemorial. I cast down a wisp of my soul in the form of 'Yaoguang' into the Ancient Immortal Realm. After journeying through the Yaoguang Realm, the Cangwu Realm, Beihai Star, and the Immortal Realm, I finally acquired the ability to transition from a mere soul to having a physical form, allowing me to view the Ancient Immortal Realm from the perspective of an external observer," Yaoguang mused inwardly. Naturally, it could also be described through a hypothesis he had pieced together based on his current knowledge. "In my past life, I died... but for reasons unknown, I did not truly perish. Instead, through a mechanism I cannot comprehend, I touched upon a 'higher-dimensional world' and acquired Higher-Dimensional Cognition. Yet, possessing such 'cognition,' I could not descend into this world. Three-dimensional and four-dimensional worlds are not parallel; just like soul and matter, they cannot touch each other... until..." Yaoguang sensed the Glazed Treasure Tree deep within his spiritual world. Until one day, a great war erupted between the Hunyuan Realm and the Ancient Immortal Realm. The Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Ancestor merged into one, and a force of that magnitude seemed capable of touching the higher-dimensional domain to some degree. In the end... "I arrived," Yaoguang said. Inheriting the power of the Time Dao Ancestor and the Void Dao Ancestor—the Glazed Treasure Tree—he appeared in the Land of Dao Oblivion in a manner akin to rebirth in another vessel. Under the identity of "Yaoguang," he had lived in the Yaoguang Realm. Yet this guess was still just a guess. There were still things left unexplained. For instance, the campaign waged by the Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Ancestor against the Hunyuan Realm had clearly taken place 3.3 million years ago. Even if he had truly "reincarnated by borrowing a body," it should have occurred 3.3 million years ago. Why would it have waited until now to happen? Furthermore... His memories of his past life and his lingering impression of that world had experienced almost no interruption. It felt as though he had merely taken a nap, only to wake up as Su Yaoguang of Tiannan Province. Surely that single sleep could not have spanned millions or even tens of millions of years? Thus, even though he understood the essence of "Higher-Dimensional Cognition" and could anchor his true "existence" outside the Ancient Immortal Realm and the Hunyuan Realm as a third entity, he still could not unravel what had truly transpired. After a long while, Yaoguang shook his head. "In the end, I simply know too little. Right now, I can only say that under the influence of 'Higher-Dimensional Cognition,' I was just born out of the chaotic void, obtaining the essence of 'existence.' If compared to a human life, I have only just been 'birthed.'" He gave a faint smile and quickly reeled in his essence of "existence," swiftly returning to the Ancient Immortal Realm, to the Immortal Realm, to Creation Immortal City, and into his body within Immortal King Yuxiao's cultivation abode in Creation Group. At that moment, he also discovered that a new branch had sprouted upon the Glazed Treasure Tree. What surprised him most was that this branch was sturdier than anything before. It had already surpassed the main trunk of the Glazed Treasure Tree, supplanting it to become the tree's new primary pillar. Enlightenment dawned in Yaoguang's heart. Having reached this stage, his form of "existence" was no longer confined to the Glazed Treasure Tree, nor was it confined to the Time Dao Ancestor or the Void Dao Ancestor. It was not even confined to the Ancient Immortal Realm or the Hunyuan Realm. He was like a newly born life-form. It was merely that his mode of thought had not yet adjusted from its previous state, and he was still comprehending things through the medium of the "Glazed Treasure Tree." If he wished... He could alter this branch—now thicker than the main trunk—into any form at any time. A pool of water, a mirror, a screen, artificial intelligence, or even a fleeting, spontaneous thought. Yet Yaoguang did not alter it. He focused his mind on this new branch. For the first time, however, the branch did not tell him what this realm was called. It was an entirely new domain. An entirely new beginning. Yaoguang pondered for a moment and murmured, "What lies beyond existence?" He recalled that sensation. No matter, no energy, no time, no void. Nothing at all; nothing existed. A chaotic void. Therefore... "I was born from the chaotic void. In that case, this state..." With a thought from Yaoguang, the bare branch of the ancient tree underwent a change. [Chaos · Newborn] "Let's leave it at that. I was never good at naming things anyway," Yaoguang said, then turned his gaze toward the other branches of the Glazed Treasure Tree. More specifically, toward the [Artifact Crafting] branch. "Should I use the essence of 'existence' combined with artifact crafting techniques to forge myself a body? A Chaotic Body? Or to make it sound grander, a Chaotic Sacred Physique?" He weighed the idea slightly, mobilizing his Dao shares. A moment later, however, he seemed to realize something. With a shift of his thoughts, Yaoguang's true body in the starry sky of the lower realm brought out the Grand Dao Pagoda. "If my perception is correct..." Channeling his "existence" born from the chaotic void, he activated the supreme sacred artifact that was the Grand Dao Pagoda. Instantly, all the Grand Daos within this supreme sacred artifact shifted and converted rapidly without the slightest friction; within this essence of "existence," the three thousand Grand Daos seemed to meld into a single, cohesive whole. "It is the Grand Dao of the Void!" Clarity struck Yaoguang's mind. His essence of "existence" had been realized through the Grand Dao of the Void. At this moment, he effectively possessed the Void Dao Ancestor's capacity to accommodate two thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine Grand Daos. As the power he drew from the Grand Dao Pagoda grew stronger, it soon triggered the pulling force of the Immortal Realm. However... As could be seen from the demise of the Time Dao Ancestor and Void Dao Sovereign in the starry skies of the lower realm, the Immortal Realm's pulling force could not bind a Dao Ancestor. Even so, Yaoguang had no intention of resisting the pulling force. Having "perceived" the Ancient Immortal Realm and the Hunyuan Realm more than once through "Higher-Dimensional Cognition," he wanted to test whether he could use the existential essence of his [Chaos · Newborn] state to travel outside the Ancient Immortal Realm and truly look upon the complete picture of the worlds, including the Hunyuan Realm. Carrying this thought, Yaoguang took a step into the void. Walking along the path of his "cognition," step by step, he traversed the void, employing the power of the Grand Dao of the Void to head "outward" through the starry cosmos. This path... Was neither overly complex nor entirely simple. Yet Yaoguang had already familiarized himself with the route multiple times by elevating his vantage point. Though this was his first time physically walking it, the journey proved remarkably smooth and familiar. As he walked on, the influence of the three thousand Grand Daos gradually weakened. When it first began to fade, Yaoguang felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. Yet with the essence of "existence" sustaining him, he was equivalent to the Grand Dao of the Void itself, meaning his speed in traversing the void remained undiminished. As Yaoguang pressed forward, the concept of the Grand Dao of Time among the three thousand Grand Daos became blurred. After an indeterminate span of time, Yaoguang felt himself completely enveloped by chaotic void, unable to sense the three thousand Grand Daos in the slightest. "I'm already out?" Yaoguang murmured. He carefully sensed his surroundings... It was exactly as he had perceived through "Higher-Dimensional Cognition." There was nothing; nothing existed. A boundless chaos and void. Such an environment... Was truly too dull. "The ultimate purpose of my cultivation is to enjoy life. If I end up living in a place like this, wouldn't all that cultivation have been for nothing?" Yaoguang muttered inwardly. He attempted to expand his essence of "existence." He could indeed do so. Because the surroundings were entirely chaotic void, much like a vacuum free of resistance, the speed of expansion was exceptionally fast. Yet... Possessing only the "Grand Dao of the Void," the essence he expanded outward consisted solely of space. Layer upon layer of overlapping, expanding space. Inside, there was still nothing. Not even a single planet. "Forget it, forget it. Better to head back. I'll stick to the original plan: cultivate to Immortal King, study the powers of the Grand Daos of the Soul, Mind, Illusion, and Samsara, as well as the powers of Fate and Karma from the Gate of Fate and Gate of Cause and Effect. Then, I'll create an immortal art even more powerful than A Thousand Years in a Great Dream, shrouding both the Hunyuan Realm and Ancient Immortal Realm so the two worlds can coexist in peace." Yaoguang turned around and embarked on his return journey. Once all of that was accomplished, he could lie back and take it easy in either the Hunyuan Realm or the Ancient Immortal Realm, truly living the peaceful life he desired and enjoying the endless ages of eternity ahead.