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In the wake of the shattered River of Time, the void was silent once more. Not the silence of peace — but the breathless pause between destruction and rebirth.
Then, the void began to shimmer.
From the fragments of broken reality, shapes began to form — pale, translucent, and vast beyond measure. They were neither gods nor spirits, but the Incarnations of Law themselves — the hidden principles that had once guided all of Heaven and Earth.
They gathered before Yuan Zu, drawn by the irresistible gravity of the one who now carried the echo of Creation within him. At a mere thought from Yuan Zu, they took form — luminous specters of infinite presence, kneeling before their new axis.
Among them stood two that seemed weaker than the rest — the Law of Death and the Law of Reincarnation. Their forms flickered like dying embers in a storm, their essence dim and frail, as if they were being erased by existence itself.
And then, from among the specters, one stepped forward — the Law of Life, glowing in white light that pierced the endless dark.
"Lord Yuan Zu," it said.
The voice was soft, ancient, carrying the weight of every heartbeat that had ever been. For the first time, someone had spoken to him. For the first time, the nameless being of infinity had been addressed.
Yuan Zu blinked, his golden eyes flickering with curiosity.
"Yuan Zu…" he repeated the sound slowly, as if tasting a new flavor of existence. He frowned slightly, then smiled faintly — a childlike echo within a godlike gaze. "Yuan Zu… this name sounds good. From today onward, I shall be known as Yuan Zu."
The void trembled in response, as though the cosmos itself had engraved that name into its very essence.
The Law of Life bowed deeply. Its voice rippled like the surface of a calm ocean, though its tone carried a subtle urgency.
"Lord Yuan Zu, the Laws of Death and Reincarnation are both dying. There is no power to preserve them."
The Law of Death was dying — how ironic. The very embodiment of endings, now facing its own. Once it decided when life should cease, now it could not save itself. Its pale form flickered weakly in the void, fading like the last breath of a dying star.
Yuan Zu's eyes narrowed. Within him, the river's memories churned — the countless cycles of birth and return, now forever collapsing.
"But," the Law of Life continued, "four new Laws are being born this instant."
Light and shadow swirled together in the endless void, forming four pillars that pulsed with raw, unstable power. The Law of Life raised its hand and gestured to them one by one.
"The Law of Infinite Mass. The Law of Infinite Energy. The Law of Final Death. And the Law of the Inverse World."
As each name was spoken, reality itself shuddered. Stars that did not yet exist trembled in anticipation. Yuan Zu felt the cosmos beneath him groan like a living creature in transformation.
"When these Laws stabilize," the Law of Life said solemnly, "the cosmos will expand endlessly. Its mass and energy will surge beyond measure, but so will its chaos. Order will no longer be absolute. The heavens and the earth will become unstable and wild."
Yuan Zu frowned, his gaze darkening like the void before thunder. Yet he said nothing.
The Law of Life hesitated, then spoke again, its voice now trembling slightly.
"Lord Yuan Zu… the Law of Final Death will make every living being cease to exist after their death. Even I, the Law of Life, will fade when my time comes. And even you, Lord Yuan Zu, are not exempt."
For the first time, the newborn god's expression shifted — not with anger, but with something deeper. A stillness that could not be measured.
He gazed upon the fragile Laws and whispered,
"Even creation fears its own end."
The Law of Life continued, though its form wavered under the weight of what it must reveal.
"The Law of Final Death is beyond control — above all things. It acknowledges no master. As for the last one…"
Its voice trailed off. The surrounding specters dimmed, as if the universe itself refused to hear what would come next.
"…The Law of the Inverse World—"
The void screamed.
And all records after that moment… were lost.
No scripture, no memory, no consciousness in all of creation would ever recall what the Law of the Inverse World truly was. It became the one secret that even the cosmos itself could not contain.
-----
BACK IN THE PRESENT.
The battlefield trembled.
The soil cracked open as if awakening from centuries of sleep. The Crimson Squad captain stood in the center of the chaos, her crimson armor gleaming with heat. Her seven subordinates formed a precise pattern around her, hands pressed into the ground as they channeled qi into the earth.
Lines of fire flared beneath them—thin, crimson slivers twisting like molten veins. It wasn't spiritual energy. It was purer, sharper. A fragment of a thread of law. They were weaving the Law of Fire itself. The tremors spread across the forest, stretching outward beyond sight—ten kilometers, then twenty, then fifty, until the entire ten-squared-kilometer range shook violently.
The air cracked like glass. Captain Cai halted mid-command, eyes wide. "Everyone stop! Something's wrong!" The Fire Alliance captain, still locked in combat earlier, also paused. "Are they… insane? That's a fragment of a thread of law!" The shaking intensified—trees split, rocks levitated, the ground warping like boiling water.
Han Chen dropped to one knee, steadying his rifle. His heart pounded noiselessly, his gaze darting upward toward the shaking canopy. "This isn't just qi… it's coming from below. There is law energy in the ground. "The chaos swallowed everything.
Soldiers staggered, unable to maintain footing. Then, with a thunderous groan—Boom. The earth split apart in a perfect circle. Walls of stone and red light began to rise from the ground, coiling upward. "What the…" Lin's voice broke mid-sentence as he stared. "A… formation?"
Everyone stopped—Fire Alliance, 19th Regiment, even the injured from Lin's squad. Only the Crimson Squad held steady. Their captain stood tall within the rising dust, her eyes glowing faintly red, lips curling into a grin that twisted into laughter. "Hahahahaha! It was true… it was indeed true!"
Her voice echoed with manic delight as the walls rose higher and higher, sealing the sky itself within their circular path. Han Chen's eyes widened. "What the fuck is going on?" he muttered.
Cai's hand trembled as she raised her communicator. "Everyone—fall back to the center! I repeat, regroup—now!" But there was nowhere left to go. The rising walls connected above, closing like the mouth of a titan.
In seconds, the entire battlefield was enclosed within a massive dome of glowing red light and pulsating veins of spiritual law. A deep hum filled the air, low at first, then thunderous. From beneath the ground, more threads began to emerge—each of different hues and rhythm.
Threads of Law. First came the fragment of the Law of Vision.
Even though the world went dark, their sight was restored instantly. There was no light, yet everyone could see. It felt unnatural—like their eyes were connected to existence itself rather than to light or shape.
Next came the fragment of the Law of Restriction.
Its crimson light pulsed once——and every cultivator gasped as their spiritual veins went cold. "My qi… it's gone!" someone shouted.
Lin tried summoning his energy, but nothing answered. Cai's expression hardened—her aura was gone too. Han Chen could only mutter, shocked, "We're… mortal."
Then came the fragment of the Law of Traps. It shimmered faintly and vanished.
Nothing happened. Or at least, not yet.
Then the fragment of the Law of Survival. Again, it pulsed. Still nothing visible, yet everyone instinctively felt watched—as though the air itself waited for something to begin.
The Crimson Squad captain tilted her head slightly, voice low and amused. "Ah… so it's like that." Finally, from the trembling earth burst the last fragment of the Law of Games.
A golden shimmer ran through the dome, spreading out to touch every living being. Lin tried to speak, but the sound caught in his throat. Cai's hand slipped from her weapon. Han Chen's eyes widened as dizziness overwhelmed him. "What… is this…" he whispered.
Then, all at once, consciousness left them. The world fell silent.
-----
FLASHBACK -[10 YEARS AGO]
The grand chamber of the Fire Alliance towered high above the capital citadel, carved from red gold and obsidian flame stone. Rivers of molten energy pulsed beneath the floor, carrying the alliance's spiritual power through intricate channels that fed the throne platform at its heart.
Upon that throne sat Aldrof Hizler, the Supreme Leader of the Fire Alliance. His presence alone bent the air within the hall. He was a five-star Nascent Soul cultivator—his aura dense yet controlled, surrounding him like a silent blaze that consumed nothing, but warned against approach.
Below him were eight thrones of lesser height, four aligned to his right and four to his left. Upon each sat one of the eight Nascent Soul Elders of the alliance—figures of immense power and age, each commanding entire legions under their banners.
The chamber radiated solemnity as Hizler exhaled, his voice calm but heavy with weariness."I've failed to break through to six-star Nascent Soul," he said. "This failed attempt has cost me thirty years of my lifespan."
The eight elders bowed their heads respectfully. "Leader," the third elder said softly, "even the heavens test the worthy. You will succeed next time."
Their words were polite, but beneath them lay unease. Losing decades of life force was no minor matter for someone standing near the peak of Nascent Soul. Even for a figure like Hizler, the difference between failure and ascension was narrower than a blade's edge.
Before another could speak, the iron doors at the end of the hall burst open. A middle-aged man in crimson robes ran in, panting. His cultivation—a mid-tier Core Formation realm—was leagues below the beings in this hall, yet the urgency in his face outweighed any breach of decorum.
He rushed forward, dropped to his knees, and pressed his forehead to the burning floor tile, ignoring the heat that scorched his skin. "Hail Lord Hizler! Long live the Fire Alliance! Long live the Fire Elders!"
"Speak," Hizler commanded, resting his chin on one fist. "What brings you here in such haste?"
"Forgive my intrusion, Leader," the man said, his voice trembling. "But this news was too important to delay. A discovery was made near our primary spirit vein." The hall fell quiet. Only the slow hum of molten qi echoed below the marble."One of our Foundation Establishment disciples," the messenger continued, "was carving a personal cultivation cave in the mountains near the south vein. While doing so, he uncovered an ancient cave—sealed and untouched. Judging by its structure, it dates back to the pre-Technological Era, when cultivators refined raw spirit energy by hand."
Hizler raised an eyebrow, uninterested. "An old cave? Such relics are common. Within our borders alone, dozens exist."
"Yes, Leader," the man said quickly, "but this cave… contained a map. The disciple called for inspection. It depicts the location of a gigantic dome—of unknown age, crafted by a Deity Formation cultivator."
That drew some attention."Oh...," Hizler said with faint amusement. "A dome, you say? Not an inheritance or treasure tomb?" He leaned back lazily but signaled the man to continue.
The Core Formation elder bowed again, voice trembling. "Not only was there a map… there was a name written upon its inner tablet." Hizler's eyes narrowed slightly. "A name?"
The messenger clasped his fists, a gesture of reverence for the dead. "It bore the marking of Lord Heavenly Law — Wang Zhen." The chamber froze. Even Hizler, seasoned by centuries, stood from his throne.
His spiritual pressure rippled gently across the hall, causing the flames around them to bow as if living. "Are you certain?" his voice dropped, each word deliberate."Yes, my Lord," the messenger whispered. "The inscription was perfectly preserved. The aura of law fragments lingered faintly within the stone… it could only belong to Lord Wang Zhen himself."
At that name, every elder rose in unison, cupping their fists toward the void in solemn respect. The hall filled with a deep, collective silence. Lord Heavenly Law — Wang Zhen. A figure known across the entire Zhou Continent. The last recorded Deity Formation cultivator whose mastery of laws had transcended mortal comprehension.
He lived sixteen thousand years ago, a legend from past. Among cultivators, it was common knowledge that a Nascent Soul could condense only one fragment of a single thread of law in their lifespan—if they were exceptionally gifted.
A Soul Formation cultivator could condense five.
A Soul Transformation could manage eighteen.
A Deity Formation—twenty-eight.
And Deity Transformation reached forty.
Only those who broke through to the impossible realm of Ascendance could command fragments beyond fifty.
But Wang Zhen had done the unthinkable. Fifty-seven fragments. From forty different threads of law. He wielded the elements, the cycles, even the void itself. In the art of law, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Ascendent Lords though he himself had never ascended. His attainment gave birth to his divine title—Lord Heavenly Law, the only Deity Formation cultivator in history granted the right to bear the word Heavenly.
It was said that during his final years, he attempted something forbidden: a perfect fusion of incompatible threads, a feat that could effect entire cultivation world. When his experiment triggered the collapse of three continents, his name vanished from mortal records.
Hizler's voice cut through the heavy air, subdued but sharp. "If this map proves authentic, the dome may very well be his last experiment…" The second elder frowned. "Leader, should we investigate? If it truly was Lord Wang Zhen's work, the risk could—"
"Risk brings gain," Hizler interrupted coldly. "We've been clawing for power to rival the central alliances and Poland for decades. If even a fragment of Wang Zhen's understanding remains, it could raise our entire sect to the level of the heavens themselves."
The first elder inclined his head. "Then the dome must be secured swiftly and secretly." Hizler nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.
-----TO BE CONTINUED-----