Chapter Twenty-Two: The Primordial Awakening

Within the realm of the gods, deep in the heart of a vast and majestic mountain range, a mist-shrouded valley lay hidden. Layer upon layer of intricate formations wove together, crisscrossing in every direction.

Clad in a blue robe, Qiankun walked leisurely through the myriad formations, brows furrowed, murmuring under his breath, “Formations… Space… The ultimate in formations is to create a space. Yet, after studying so many formations, I still feel there is something missing. What could it be?”

“Hm?” Suddenly sensing something, Qiankun looked up into the distance. “Is that… Qin Yu? Has he finally devised the Qiankun Formation? Qiankun Formation… Qiankun… So that’s it! The way of space, so this is the complete path of space in the divine realm!”

His eyes sparkled, and Qiankun could not help but break into a delighted smile. “Ha ha… I understand now, I truly understand! Space, formations—it’s all so clear! Of countless great paths, they converge into the same ‘Way.’ The pinnacle of formation mastery lies in comprehending the laws of space and the ability to create an independent space.”

As he spoke, Qiankun’s hands moved effortlessly, sending out beams of light that shot through his fingers, streaking like meteors to the four corners of the valley.

Buzz… Space rippled, and in the next moment, the world around him was turned upside down; the valley vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless land and a hazy void—a wholly independent space.

“I have unraveled the path of space in the divine realm, and finally reached the peak of formation, able to create a space of my own. Yet, compared to Qin Yu, I am still a step behind!” Qiankun shook his head with a smile, only to frown in puzzlement. With a thought, the formation space dissipated, revealing the clear skies of the divine realm above. “Having mastered the laws of space here, I ought to have ascended to god-king status, and yet, not a single anomaly appears in the divine realm!”

“I am an anomaly, not a native of Lin Meng’s universe, so it seems the laws of the divine realm refuse to acknowledge me! But perhaps that’s for the best; I never intended to be known by all.” Qiankun shook his head, then teleported to sit cross-legged atop a smooth stone, closing his eyes to sense carefully. “Indeed, in Lin Meng’s universe, comprehending the way of space makes the way of time clearer.”

Ordinarily, the way of space and the way of time should be on the same level, but in Lin Meng’s universe, the way of time is clearly harder to grasp. In all the divine realm’s god-kings, there are only three venerables, and it seems none of them comprehended the way of time independently.

Qiankun did not expect himself to master the way of time yet, but any insight into it would be a significant gain.

Several centuries passed in the blink of an eye. Qiankun, who had gained some understanding of the way of time, suddenly opened his eyes, brows knitting. “Hm? The origin has matured? Then let us begin! It is time to break through to the Qiankun Realm.”

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Feeling the ancient aura within the paste-like space in his dantian, Qiankun’s heart gradually calmed. In a trance, he felt as though the entire starlit space had become an embryo; the starlit space was himself, and he was the embryo, while the paste-like space was a mother’s womb. Though strange and absurd, Qiankun found himself enjoying the breath of the paste-like space, his consciousness drifting toward sleep.

In this state, scenes flashed through his mind—nebulae, meteors, stellar cores, planets, stars… The evolution of the universe unfolded, the speed of these visions outpacing his usual deliberate deductions by tens of millions of times.

It was as if an invisible hand guided him, pushing Qiankun to comprehend faster and faster, his consciousness racing through deductions.

At last, a bolt of lightning seemed to flash through his mind, snapping him awake. His eyes shone brightly; he understood, he had found the most perfect path of evolution. At the same moment, the starlit space reached its limit of transformation, and the origin point had expanded to its utmost.

“The origin, the most primordial point—this is the most perfect avenue of transformation!” Qiankun’s resolve was absolute. Suddenly, he vanished, appearing within the starlit space, hands spread, eyes closed, fully immersed in a mysterious, unique state.

“Break through!” Qiankun, still with eyes shut, pointed toward the origin.

Instantly, like a peanut splitting open, the origin cracked in two. Its upper half transformed into a stream of azure energy, while the lower half became a turbulent gray flow. These two streams surged forth, flooding the starlit space. Within it, the azure and gray flows tangled fiercely, as if locked in battle.

“Creation of Heaven and Earth!” Qiankun placed one hand to the sky, the other to the earth, his voice low and commanding. Immediately, the entwined azure and gray flows seemed to be guided—the azure rising, the gray sinking.

Qiankun’s body grew, ever larger. The higher he raised the azure flow, over time it condensed into a pure azure sky, while the gray flow formed a vast, tangible earth. At this moment, scenes of Pangu splitting heaven and earth flashed through Qiankun’s mind.

Suddenly, Qiankun’s body returned to normal size. He gazed upward—the azure sky was as pure as porcelain, while beneath his feet, the boundless earth continued to spread.

“So this is the creation of heaven and earth? That sensation just now… was truly wondrous, as if I touched the profound essence of the Way itself,” Qiankun murmured, closing his eyes again, recalling the feeling, his heart still shaken.

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Moments later, sensing something, Qiankun’s body vanished, reappearing high in the air.

At this spot in the newly-created Qiankun world, a mysterious yellow gas was budding forth. The growth was not swift, but soon enough, it had formed a cluster half the size of a man.

As the master of this world, Qiankun naturally received knowledge of the mysterious yellow gas. This marvel was born at the creation of heaven and earth; once fused with a weapon, its hardness and defense would reach an ultimate level.

“Mysterious yellow gas! This is a treasure. Laozi’s Tower of Merit and Mystery was forged from the blend of creation merit and this very gas.” Qiankun’s eyes gleamed as he considered, “If sixty percent of the mysterious yellow gas from a universe’s birth can form an indestructible body, then by absorbing some myself, I should easily reach the quasi-saint level.”

With this thought, Qiankun willed the mysterious yellow gas to flow into him. Immediately, his physical form began to change, its aura strengthening.

After a brief moment, Qiankun ceased absorbing the gas, feeling the power within his body and letting a satisfied smile curl his lips. “Just as I expected! With this body, even a venerable would find it hard to harm me.”

“Qiankun world, evolve slowly! When evolution is complete, I will open a universe. As it grows and matures, I will naturally comprehend the way of time with ease.” Gazing at the vast Qiankun world, still absorbing the breath of the paste-like space, Qiankun was in high spirits, secretly anticipating the future.

By his estimation, once the universe was fully formed, as its master, his strength would rival the undying saints of the primordial era. Moreover, the master of a universe was freer than those bound by the Way of Heaven. Within their domain, they were invincible sovereigns. As long as the universe endured, they would be immortal and indestructible.

Having completed his breakthrough to the Qiankun Realm, Qiankun finally left the mountain valley where he had lingered for so long, resuming his wanderings through the divine realm.