Chapter 546: Severing the Three Corpses, Ancestor of the Great Dao

"Thinking of merging with the Dao? Wishful thinking!"

Ye Chen's icy voice exploded deep within Zhou Chen's Soul.

A palm containing the Dao of 'Fate' tore through time and space, slamming down ruthlessly toward Zhou Chen, who was in the process of merging with the Dao.

However, at the very moment the palm was about to strike, a cold sneer curled at the corner of Zhou Chen's mouth.

"Did you think I didn't know you would come?"

Zhou Chen's figure slowly faded from where he stood until he vanished completely.

Ye Chen's palm struck empty air.

The real Zhou Chen had already used his mastery over the Dao of Time and Space at the moment the three great Inscriptions fused to escape a step ahead into the ceaselessly flowing river of time.

Merging with the Dao within the river of time!

What a mad and daring move!

"Damn it!"

Ye Chen let out a furious roar and also dived into the river of time, frantically chasing after Zhou Chen's aura.

Within the river of time, there was no up or down, no past or present.

Countless fragments of time and space converged, collided, and were annihilated here.

Zhou Chen sat cross-legged at the center of the river, allowing the turbulent flows of time and space—strong enough to tear an Immortal Emperor apart—to wash over his body.

His consciousness had completely sunk into his Dantian Small World.

In his Small World, the three supreme dao principles of Time, Space, and Severance had thoroughly fused into one, transforming into a brand new, indescribable Chaos Mark.

This mark represented the most primordial rules of this Universe.

As long as he branded his Divine Soul upon it, he could merge his body with the Dao and become a new Dao Ancestor.

However, Zhou Chen hesitated to act.

Because he sensed an unprecedented crisis.

Once he branded his Divine Soul upon it, he would no longer be Zhou Chen.

He would become the Heavenly Dao, the rules themselves.

He would lose all emotions and all memories, becoming a high-and-mighty Puppet that viewed all things as straw dogs.

Just like Ye Chen.

"This is not the Dao I want!"

Zhou Chen's will roared.

What he wanted was transcendence, not replacement!

Just as he was about to be assimilated by that vast power of Dao-merging and his consciousness was about to completely sink.

In his mind, the fourth volume of the Innate Primordial Qi Origin Scripture—that incredibly profound character for 'Dao' that he had always kept sealed—suddenly burst with brilliant light.

Hum—

Zhou Chen's consciousness was instantly pulled into a mysterious state of enlightenment.

He seemed to see the creation of the Universe and the evolution of the Great Dao.

He saw the three thousand Great Daos, each leading to an end, but every end was that cold, emotionless Heavenly Dao itself.

"The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao."

"The path I want to walk is that 'Eternal Dao'!"

An unknown number of years passed, perhaps a moment, perhaps an eternity.

Zhou Chen suddenly opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear, without a trace of confusion.

"I understand."

He whispered softly.

In the next moment, he held his fingers like a sword and lightly slashed toward his forehead.

"Sever the Heavenly Corpse!"

A cyan phantom stepped out from within his body.

That phantom held a qingping sword and had a face identical to Zhou Chen's, yet it carried a transcendent Sword Intent that stood above heaven and earth.

Zhou Chen raised his hand and pointed, and the chaos bell flew out.

The cyan phantom turned into a streak of light and entered the chaos bell.

"Sever the Earthly Corpse!"

Zhou Chen slashed once more.

A black phantom stepped out from within his body.

The phantom stood upon a Ninth-grade Lotus Platform, its face also identical to Zhou Chen's, but it carried a sense of creation that held and nurtured all things.

Zhou Chen pointed again, and the chaos lotus platform flew out.

The black phantom turned into a streak of light and entered the chaos lotus platform.

"Sever the Mortal Corpse!"

Zhou Chen struck his chest with the final sword strike.

A white phantom stepped out from within his body.

This phantom looked exactly like Zhou Chen but carried the seven emotions and six desires, retaining all his memories and feelings as 'Zhou Chen'.

With a thought from Zhou Chen, the World Tree—which had absorbed countless Dao Artifact Origins and had long since evolved—flew out of his body, transforming into an Ancient Chaos Tree rooted in Chaos with branches and leaves that shielded the heavens.

He placed this white phantom, his own True Self-Corpse, onto this Ancient Chaos Tree.

All three corpses were severed!

Boom!!!

At this moment, the aura on Zhou Chen's body completely broke free from the shackles of the Heavenly Dao.

He was no longer a part of the Heavenly Dao, but an existence standing above it.

The Great Dao Ancestor was a supreme existence that transcended heaven and earth, free and unfettered!

Not that 'Heavenly Dao Ancestor' trapped within the cage of the Heavenly Dao.

"So, this is the true Dao Ancestor Realm."

"The Heavens are dead, the Great Dao shall be established; from this day forth, I am the Great Dao Ancestor!"

Zhou Chen felt the terrifying power within him—where his word was law, a single thought could create a Universe, and a single thought could restart an era—and his heart was filled with clarity.

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the river of time to look at the figure frantically chasing him.

"Ye Chen, the game is over."

—

Spirit Realm.

The world-destroying giant hand slowly pressed down, its pressure—enough to make even an Immortal Emperor despair—shrouding the entire world.

Han Li's body had begun to burn; he was prepared to use the last of his life to buy a glimmer of hope for Zhou Chen.

Just an instant before he was about to turn and push Zhou Chen into the time vortex.

Time stood still.

That world-covering world-destroying giant hand stopped abruptly in mid-air, unable to press down even a fraction further.

A slender and fair finger appeared beneath the giant hand at some point, supporting it with effortless ease.

For the first time, Ye Chen's eternally icy face showed a violent fluctuation.

His pupils shrank as he stared fixedly at the owner of that finger.

Zhou Chen's figure had appeared beside Han Li at some unknown moment.

The aura on his body was restrained to the extreme, making him look like an ordinary Mortal.

But just by standing there, he made the Great Daos of the entire world submit to him and wail for him.

"You… Impossible!"

For the first time, Ye Chen's voice carried shock and disbelief.

"How could you… Breakthrough so quickly?"

Zhou Chen ignored him, instead turning to look at the equally stunned Han Li beside him.

He reached out and lightly tapped Han Li's forehead.

A vast and majestic memory instantly flooded into Han Li's mind.

It was the entire experience of Zhou Chen returning to the past, meeting him, befriending him, fighting alongside him, and finally successfully merging with the Dao with his help.

Han Li's body stopped burning.

He blankly processed the memories in his mind, and finally, a heartfelt and incredibly brilliant smile appeared on his face.

He gave Zhou Chen a heavy nod.

Everything was understood without words.

Having done this, Zhou Chen finally turned his gaze back to Ye Chen high in the sky.

"Nothing is impossible."

He spoke indifferently, his voice calm and rippleless.

"Now, it's my turn."

"Arrogant!"

Ye Chen instantly snapped back to his senses, endless rage surfacing on his face.