At the center of the Endless Sea of Universes floated a supermassive universe formed from the fusion of more than ten thousand universes.
It was the supreme holy land of the flourishing Immortal Ascension age.
It had been created by a person who had cut down the destinies of ten thousand Daos and entered the Realm of Ruin.
It was called the Spirit Firmament Holy Land.
"Spirit Firmament..."
A trace of nostalgia appeared on Caelum’s face.
He stepped into the Spirit Firmament Holy Land.
Immortal Ascension flourished in this universe far beyond all other universes, and its World Essence was incomparable.
Everywhere he passed, cultivators came and went.
Countless experts had arrived from every corner of the Endless Sea of Universes, all drawn by its reputation, all hoping to enter the holy land and cultivate the Spirit Firmament Immortal Dao.
From time to time, Realm of Ruin experts could be seen displaying Divine Power and fighting fiercely inside the Spirit Firmament Holy Land.
Within the holy land was a place known as Firmament Peak.
This was where the master of the Spirit Firmament Holy Land often sat with fellow Daoists to discuss the Dao.
And the master of the Spirit Firmament Holy Land was named Wyrmvine.
Firmament Peak.
A man stood proudly above the clouds.
His features were sharp and firm, his eyes seemed to hold starlight, and faint strands of the Path of Ruin circled around him. The pressure he gave off seemed as if the heavens might collapse.
He was Wyrmvine.
Master of the Spirit Firmament Holy Land.
Having cut down the destinies of ten thousand Daos and entered Ruin, his strength needed no explanation. Added to that was his innate Divine Power, a method powerful enough to startle heaven and make ghosts weep.
Among those of the same Realm, almost no one could match him.
Even those who had also cut down ten thousand destinies to enter the Realm of Ruin were rarely his opponents.
A fellow Daoist beside him asked, "Fellow Daoist Wyrmvine, what are you thinking about?"
Wyrmvine was silent for a moment.
"I am wondering who the first expert in the Endless Sea of Universes to ascend to the Realm of Ruin truly was. Why has there never been any news of him?"
"That person is indeed mysterious."
The Daoist beside him also fell into thought.
By all reason, if he had been the first person in the Endless Sea of Universes to ascend to the Realm of Ruin, then he should have become a ruler of one side of the sea. He should not have vanished without a trace.
Wyrmvine could not make sense of it no matter how he thought.
He guessed, "Perhaps he did not vanish. Perhaps he died long ago. After opening the Path of Ruin, he unfortunately fell?"
The Daoist beside him paused, then shook his head slightly.
"That seems unlikely. As the first Realm of Ruin expert, who could have threatened his life?"
At those words, Wyrmvine’s expression grew solemn.
"Exactly. As the first Realm of Ruin in the sea of universes, he had no reason to fall."
And yet, all kinds of signs pointed to that person already having perished.
That was the source of the unease that had lingered in Wyrmvine’s mind all this time.
Whenever he thought deeper on it, a chill rose through him.
A strand of astonishing Sword Intent appeared in Wyrmvine’s palm.
The moment that Sword Intent emerged, an earth shaking will swept outward, proud enough to look down on the world.
Faintly, it seemed to reveal a towering back, one that had dared to raise a grand sacrifice, cut down heaven and earth, and sever destiny.
Green light coiled in his palm.
Wyrmvine remained silent for a long time.
When he was young, he had once ventured through a forbidden land of the universe.
There, he had obtained this green Sword Intent.
It was because of that opportunity that he had achieved what he had today.
If his guess was correct, this should have been the lingering Sword Intent of the one who opened the Path of Ruin.
But once he comprehended this Sword Intent deeply, he could sense the despair within it.
A despair born from staking everything on one last strike.
Despair?
Why despair?
Who had he been fighting with everything he had?
This was the true root of Wyrmvine’s unease.
This sea of universes was certainly not as simple as it seemed. There might be some unknown great horror hidden within it.
Wyrmvine suddenly came back to himself.
Only then did he realize that there was no one around him anymore.
He stood alone above the clouds.
A hazy figure was walking toward him.
His heart tightened, and he secretly raised his guard.
The person before him could use such a method on him without sound or warning. His strength was certainly extraordinary.
"May I ask Your Excellency’s name?"
Caelum did not answer.
Instead, he smiled.
"This world is truly strange. Live long enough, and you really can encounter anything."
"What does Your Excellency mean?"
Wyrmvine did not understand.
Suddenly, the scenery around them changed.
The two appeared beside a lotus pond.
Wyrmvine’s pupils contracted.
He was a mighty Realm of Ruin who carried the destinies of ten thousand Daos, yet before this person, he had no power to resist at all.
The other party could take him wherever he wanted.
Wyrmvine did not even know how to break free.
The gap in strength was so vast it was almost terrifying.
Caelum took out a fishing rod and sat beside the lotus pond, casting the line out.
"I only came for a look. There is no need to be so tense."
Hearing that, Wyrmvine could only sit down cross legged and fish with him.
There was no need to fight to know the result.
He was absolutely not this person’s opponent.
Not a shred of victory was possible.
Only after a while did Caelum explain why he had come.
He spoke casually.
"Long ago, I accepted a disciple. Like you, he was also named Wyrmvine, and he had an innate Divine Power that could startle heaven and make ghosts weep."
Wyrmvine froze.
"What?"
It was because of this coincidence that Caelum had come to meet the Wyrmvine before him.
If Caelum had not understood karma, he would certainly have mistaken this man for Wyrmvine from the Immortal Ascension world.
They were simply too similar.
Wyrmvine’s expression shifted. Thinking of a certain possibility, he asked in astonishment, "Senior, do you mean that I may be your disciple’s reincarnation?"
"No."
Caelum shook his head.
"It is only a coincidence. In endless worlds, anything is possible. You are merely similar to him. You are not his reincarnation."
Before worlds of immeasurable number and endless time, every possibility was bound to occur.
Fortunately, this Wyrmvine was not bad.
Otherwise, Caelum would definitely have erased him.
It would save him from ruining Caelum’s impression of Wyrmvine.
Hearing this, Wyrmvine quietly let out a breath.
He did not wish to be anyone’s reincarnation, nor did he want to be tied to someone from a previous life through karma.
He was himself.
Nothing else.
And so, Caelum and Wyrmvine fished while chatting.
A faint guess gradually formed in Wyrmvine’s mind.
After hesitating, he still spoke.
"Senior, do you know who the first person in the Endless Sea of Universes to step into the Realm of Ruin was?"
Caelum said lightly, "To the Endless Sea of Universes, that was a very long time ago. If I remember correctly, that kid should have been called Azur."
That kid.
Hearing Caelum refer to him like that, Wyrmvine could not imagine just how ancient Caelum’s existence was, let alone how powerful he truly was.
Only one thing was certain.
His Realm must stand above the Realm of Ruin.
As he spoke, Caelum sent a stream of light into Wyrmvine’s brow.
In a trance, Wyrmvine seemed to return to countless years ago and saw that green Sword Intent, dazzling enough to amaze the Endless Sea of Universes.
But then there was a supreme existence, as if eternal from the beginning of time.
A mere sweep of the energy around him erased Azur completely.
The first Realm of Ruin in the sea of universes had fallen just like that.
Seeing this, Wyrmvine’s breath caught.
Before that supreme power, he felt only endless despair.
It was hard to believe that such terrifying power existed in the sea of universes.
"Senior..."
When he came back to himself, Wyrmvine still wanted to ask more clearly.
But when he looked again, he was already back on Firmament Peak.
His fellow Daoists were beside him, discussing the Dao.
Caelum was nowhere to be seen.
Everything just now seemed like a fleeting dream.
The shock in Wyrmvine’s heart did not fade for a long time.
If his guess was right, then the supreme existence that had erased Azur should have been that senior himself.
In the sea of universes, Caelum walked away with his hands behind his back.
There was nostalgia for those years in the Immortal Ascension world, and also a quiet sense of comfort.
His mood was rather pleasant.
This Wyrmvine was not his disciple, but there was no harm in telling him the truth.
Consider it a warning.