Outside the wooden hut.
The two ultimate beings of the Calamity Race emerged in person, showing Lin Yuan a level of deference they had never shown before.
Ordinarily, at least one of them would remain inside the hut. But with Lin Yuan’s arrival, both had appeared.
“This hut is what you rely on to survive each cosmic Great Destruction, isn’t it?” Lin Yuan smiled as he spoke, carefully examining the hut.
It looked simple, unremarkable, yet every part of its structure contained boundless power, faint wisps of chaotic energy drifting within.
“Indeed. This wooden hut represents our final safeguard. In the past, our ancestors forged such huts to ensure our race’s continuity; they merged them with a universe, leaving a branch of our people there,” said the ultimate being on the left. He did not conceal anything.
In their view, Lin Yuan was a reincarnated Great Saint at the pinnacle of existence. Stepping into the 12th rank would naturally awaken some of his memories. Even if they kept silent, he would have guessed the truth.
“Quite prudent,” Lin Yuan said, nodding.
In the Chaos Void, where is the safest place to hide? A Chaos Continent? Some secret dimension? The estate of a Chaos Great Saint? No. None of these.
Even a Chaos Great Saint’s sanctuary, no matter how mighty, cannot endure forever; sooner or later, it might collapse. It could self-destruct, be shattered by external force, or get occupied by a rival Great Saint of the same level.
But a universe?
The Chaos Void spawns innumerable universes, each tied to the source power of the Chaos Void. A universe can be attacked from outside. A blow from a Great Saint could force it into an early Great Destruction.
But the so-called “Great Destruction” is only one step in a universe’s grand cycle. After destruction, a new era begins, meaning the universe itself remains.
Even a peerless Great Saint can’t erase a universe at its root. Doing so would be the same as fighting the Chaos Void itself. Even a 13th-rank Time Lifeform would pay a dreadful price, losing the chance to become a Perfect Time Lifeform forever.
Moreover, outside entities are barred from entering a universe, so the power ceiling inside is not high. Compared to the Chaos Void, it’s extremely safe.
Long ago, His Majesty the Mysterious Sovereign established 33,333 Mysterious Emperor Secret Realms, scattering them across countless universes without any set pattern, ensuring his legacy was nearly impossible to eradicate.
Sure, a single universe’s Mysterious Emperor Secret Realm might be destroyed, but for all 33,333 realms to suffer mishaps? A theoretical possibility, but its likelihood was unimaginably small.
Even the Mysterious Sovereign himself couldn’t pinpoint all those locations. If a peerless Great Saint of equal rank wanted to annihilate his legacy, would they be able to search every universe one by one? The Chaos Void holds infinite universes, akin to an ocean versus a single drop. Even a peerless Great Saint can’t explore every corner.
Hence, the Calamity Race’s perpetual refuge in these universes caps their power at the peak of Path-Clearing, but at least they needn’t fear extinction. According to what these ultimate beings were saying, the Calamity Race in this universe was merely one branch placed there by a powerful Chaos faction, purely to avert the end of their lineage.
“Which faction did your ancestor belong to?” Lin Yuan asked, slightly curious.
Placing hidden failsafes inside a universe would require at least a Chaos Great Saint-level power—like how the Mysterious Sovereign had seeded his Mysterious Emperor Secret Realms.
“We don’t know,” the Calamity Race ultimate on the right said with a shake of his head.
“A seal exists in the depths of our bloodline, blocking all memories about our ancestors. Only if we leave the universe and stand in the Chaos Void does that seal dissolve.”
“I see,” Lin Yuan nodded.
From what the Mysterious Sovereign’s lineage and the Devil Jade Tower’s master had revealed, this was the typical arrangement among Great Saint-level factions.
“If our race produces a new 12th-rank being during this cosmic epoch, then once the Great Destruction arrives, we can take some of our people and leave for the Chaos Void. Those who remain in the universe would be entrusted to the newly born 12th-rank,” explained the ultimate on the left.
Their ancestors had made similar preparations in many universes.
“Milky Way Star Lord, if you wish, we can take some humans with us to survive into the next cosmic epoch. Of course, that would lead to the universe’s consciousness rejecting them in the new epoch,” said the one on the right.
If Lin Yuan truly was the reincarnation of some Great Saint, then even without the Calamity Race’s help, he could save human civilization from epoch to epoch. Thus, the Calamity Race ultimate offered anyway, to curry favor with Lin Yuan.
“We’ll see when the time comes,” Lin Yuan answered casually.
It was still far too early to worry about the next cosmic epoch. Besides, Lin Yuan already had the means to endure that epoch’s devastation: the Mysterious Emperor Secret Realms. Those Realms and a universe share the same lifespan, and they’re even more exquisitely concealed than the Calamity Race’s wooden hut.
Regardless of whether it’s the wooden hut or the Mysterious Emperor Secret Realms, any living creature who manages to persist into the next epoch becomes targeted by the universe’s consciousness.
“Understood. If the Milky Way Star Lord ever needs anything, just let us know,” the two ultimate beings said, exchanging a quick glance.
At the outskirts of the universe.
Dozens of 12th-rank beings gathered.
“Humanity’s Xuanyuan the Strongest one says if we want to make peace, we must hand over 90% of our 12th-rank weaponry, artifacts, and treasures, then live in a region designated by human civilization...”
The Zhou Race ultimate wore an ugly expression, sharing humanity’s demands.
“Surrender 90% of our 12th-rank weapons and treasures? Human civilization is going way too far.”
“Does the Milky Way Star Lord think he has us completely under his thumb? Certainly, we can’t match a Path-Clearing peak being like him, but if we hide in our ancestral weapons, can he really do anything to us?”
“Exactly. Even if he’s at the Path-Clearing peak, what’s he going to do if we hole up inside those treasures?”
A wave of indignation spread among the 12th-rank beings. Hiding in their ancestral weapons to eke out survival was a last resort, but if possible, they’d rather live under the open sky. That arrangement would be far better for their peoples.
Yes, the dimensional space in an ancestral weapon can be huge, but compared to a vast universe capable of nurturing countless lives, it’s hardly on the same level.
If a species remains indefinitely sealed within the space of a single weapon, its offspring’s potential will plummet, making a breakthrough to the 12th rank nearly impossible.
But handing over 90% of their 12th-rank artifacts? That was simply outrageous.
Some 12th-rank beings, innately self-serving, wouldn’t agree to that no matter what. Not everyone cares about their species or descendants. Many only care about themselves.
Surrendering 90% of their most powerful items drastically weakens their own prospects for surviving the Great Destruction. And if they happen to make it to the Chaos Void by sheer luck, how would they defend against its dangers without those weapons?
“I refuse.”
“Same here.”
One after another, the 12th-rank experts spoke up, preferring to see their own races destroyed rather than hand over the core of their personal strength.
Thus, any who had considered peace lost their interest. They valued their descendants, yes, but not so dearly that they’d give up nearly everything for them.
“In that case, we’ll pit ourselves against human civilization—against the Milky Way Star Lord—and see how it goes,” said the Zhou Race ultimate.
“From here on, let’s unite all the major species, gather our might, and resist him.”
“Agreed.”
“Let’s do it.”
“Bring all the 12th-rank weapons, rally the ancestral treasures. Show the Milky Way Star Lord that he can’t bully us however he likes.”
They weren’t hoping to defeat Lin Yuan. They just wanted to survive his attacks. If they could barely hold him off, that would grant them bargaining power in negotiations with human civilization.
In the territory of human civilization. Within the grand palace of the Third Core Stronghold.
The ten Strongest ones of humanity were conversing casually.
“Essentially, time and space share a single origin,” Lin Yuan said calmly.
Though he was “exchanging insights” with the nine other Strongest ones, in truth he was instructing them. Lin Yuan’s comprehension of the laws was too profound; even some Dominance-level powerhouses might not match him.
“Time and space...” Xia Qin and the others fell into deep thought. They had been stuck in the sixth layer of spacetime for eons. Hearing guidance from someone at the seventh layer of spacetime, or perhaps even beyond, profoundly stirred them.
“Hmm?”
All of a sudden, Xuanyuan changed his expression slightly and looked toward Lin Yuan.
“Milky Way Star Lord, the alien races have replied.”
“What did they say?”
“Those 12th-rank foreigners—did they agree?”
The other eight immediately grew interested. Humanity now dominated the playing field. Naturally, they were in high spirits. From the dawn of the Star Sea Calendar onward, humankind had battled these peak species. When had they ever felt so triumphant?
“They refused,” Xuanyuan said, shaking his head. He didn’t seem surprised.
Truthfully, if he were in their place, he wouldn’t just hand over 90% of his 12th-rank weapons, artifacts, and treasures either.
“They refused?”
“Then we’ll beat them until they agree.”
“Milky Way Star Lord, say the word and we’ll mobilize.”
They all turned to Lin Yuan.
“I’ll handle it,” Lin Yuan answered with a small smile. Rising from his seat, he took a single step.
The universe roared, countless laws converging into a heaven-spanning road that pierced everything in its path, stretching across multiple star domains toward a far-off sector of the cosmic boundary.
This road, made entirely of convergent laws, shone too brilliantly. Starting in the east, it swept grandly across half the universe before stopping at the distant starry region where dozens of 12th-rank experts had assembled.
“What is that? I sense countless laws—an entire road formed by them?”
“Who could do this? Even a 12th-rank ultimate can’t gather so many rules together!”
“It must be the Milky Way Star Lord. That road originates on the side of human civilization’s territory. He’s making his move.”
From every corner of the universe, powerful beings watched in shock. They quickly realized the source of the phenomenon. Who else but the Milky Way Star Lord could accomplish such a thing?
“The other end of that road is at the universe’s edge, where the peak species have withdrawn?”
An unstoppable road of laws, laid bare for all to see—an expression of absolute might and dominance.
All the onlookers faintly glimpsed a towering figure flicker into existence on the road before vanishing, reappearing at the far end near that remote stretch of starry space.
“It’s the Milky Way Star Lord.”
Whether a being was of the first rank or the second, everyone in the universe felt his immeasurable presence. Blood and vitality surged like an ocean, sweeping across half the cosmos, scanning the starry skies, compelling a million races to bow.
...
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