Chapter 1007: Three Ultimate Conjectures, Emperor Qi's Doubts

Outside, in the crystal labyrinth, various teams were exploring ruins, ancient tombs, and even undertaking excavations.

Among them, Emperor Qing, Self-Sacrificing Buddha, and others had relatively good luck. After losing some personnel, they cleared out several discovered tombs and, following a series of battles, unearthed a significant amount of element crystals.

Other teams, however, encountered terrible encirclements.

"Kill!"

"Quantum lifeforms, it's unimaginable. If we could capture them and gain some information..."

At this time, some Tier 9 powerhouses initially suffered heavy losses. Afterward, they directly united, setting up a comprehensive trap. More than ten ordinary Tier 9s actually surrounded and completely annihilated one of the small teams.

In the High Tower World, countless powerhouses watched this live broadcast on their television screens.

"They were actually killed."

"They're not fools; they've started targeting quantum martial arts!"

"It seems the remaining teams might need to temporarily form alliances to increase their energy levels. Otherwise, with these continuous encirclements, we'll be close to death."

In front of their televisions, some powerhouses sat in their living rooms, gazing intently at the screens.

The conflict here continued.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yuan and his group had reached the deepest regions. They had explored ancient sites all the way, excavating many ancient tombs and achieving considerable gains. Along the way, they encountered some weak remnant elemental beings, who lived in small settlements here and were highly resistant and resentful of them as invaders.

"How are these remnant civilizations still surviving on these desolate lands, clinging to life? If they are of the same race, have they lost their inherited memories? Why haven't they revived their civilization?" Monk asked.

"Inheritance is embedded in memory, personally imprinted by a Tier 10 existence. How could it be lost?" Yuan Yuan shook his head.

"Then why?"

"Because they cannot acquire new second or third bloodline genes. Unable to integrate bloodlines, a single gene makes them useless."

Yuan Yuan smiled, explaining the bloodline gene limitations of elemental beings. He said, "According to our investigations, this unimaginable ultra-ancient Tier 10 civilization, at its peak, ruled entirely over elemental civilizations! There were similar civilizations, perhaps seven like the one we see now."

"It ruled seven civilizations similar to these ruins?"

Monk's face was filled with shock. "One main Tier 10 civilization and seven subordinate 'weak' Tier 10 civilizations... Could it be that they merged bloodlines in this manner?"

"You are very clever."

Yuan Yuan glanced at her and smiled, "Elemental beings can only integrate bloodlines of their own kind. Their bloodlines are in the form of light, which is very remarkable... Therefore, they naturally had to collect other elemental civilizations of the same kind. Back then, they collected seven elemental civilizations, merging their bloodlines... enough to cultivate to Tier 10."

"That must have been a very powerful and terrifying civilization," Monk said with some awe. It was a paradise for elemental life! Seven types of elemental lifeforms gathered together, all of the same kin, it must have been a joyous place.

Yuan Yuan continued, "According to archaeological records, the seven affiliated civilizations were interconnected and interdependent, one could even say they were a single race. Their bloodlines were intertwined, 'you in me, I in you'... And the Tier 10 civilization, that great Tier 10 elemental existence, personally imprinted memory inheritance for its seven subordinate civilizations, protecting their lineage. It was, one might say, the 'Lord's' grace. However, now the civilization has perished, and only the ruins of this one affiliated civilization remain... Of course, the main civilization's ruins still exist. All the ancient information we've obtained so far came from there."

Monk organized his thoughts. The Azure Blue Divine Realm indeed had a long history and possessed much intelligence. This was a subordinate civilization; the main civilization, a Tier 10 ultra-ancient ruin, must be unimaginably terrifying if this place was already so dangerous.

"By the way, do Tier 10 existences also fall?" Viola couldn't help but ask.

Yuan Yuan, who had previously seemed all-knowing, suddenly hesitated and gave a wry smile. "I don't know either. Your question, I'm afraid, even the three Celestial Masters, who are 'weak' Tier 10s, don't fully understand... But our archaeological findings over countless millennia indirectly prove that they do indeed fall. As nomadic civilizations, we have discovered quite a number of ancient Tier 10 ruins."

Even such existences could perish? Viola's face showed a hint of shock. What was ultimate? The end of the Grand Dao, with nowhere left to go, standing at the culmination of the Dao, looking down on all beings – that was ultimate. But the ultimate beings, standing at the peak of life in the world, could actually fall! This was an ancient mystery; they were too insignificant in the long course of history and had almost no ultimate understanding of cosmic cognitive life.

"After all, we are beings of two different dimensions. We don't even fully comprehend the true form, combat power, or scope of Tier 10," Yuan Yuan said with a trace of helplessness. It was like a Tier 8 divine being trying to speculate about a Tier 9 Dao Achiever; without reaching that level, pure imagination wouldn't suffice.

"Of course, we also have experts specifically researching this field, named Milier. He's an ancient ruin specialist focusing on this area. You should know that a civilization also needs non-combat, prodigious research talent. Even our three Celestial Masters highly value him, providing resources and personnel as needed. About 170,000 years ago, he proposed 'Milier's Three Ultimate Conjectures.' His first conjecture is: Ultimate beings standing at the end of the Grand Dao will naturally die of old age."

Yuan Yuan smiled, his face filled with longing. "Any existence has a lifespan limit, and Tier 10 is no exception... However, as ultimate beings at the end of the Grand Dao, they can modify their genes at any time, unlike us whose genes are fixed... As long as they find 'immortality' genes to replace and restructure, they can live on... But these are rare genes. Even a Tier 10 might wander their entire life and still not find such genes, eventually dying of old age."

Monk lowered his head, lost in thought. "Hmm... I suppose that probability exists, but it's extremely small. To die of natural old age... that would truly be bad luck, wandering for countless years and failing to find a single race with immortal bloodline."

Yuan Yuan himself echoed the sentiment, his voice cold and rational. "I also think this possibility is very low. If they can't find immortal bloodlines, they can also enter slumber or use other methods to prolong their lives."

"In fact, the second conjecture is being killed. This is a very conventional idea; after all, we haven't reached that level of scope... Is Tier 10 also like our Tier 9? Do fallen Tier 9s and aspiring Tier 9s desperately kill each other to vie for greater opportunities? We don't know."

"What about the third conjecture?" Monk asked, curious. The first two conjectures were rather ordinary, something a normal person could propose. It seemed the true reason for its fame was the third one.

"Well, the third conjecture is a bit outlandish," Yuan Yuan smiled. "According to Milier's conjecture, that research fanatic, based on his archaeological discoveries in some ancient Tier 10 ruins, claimed that those fundamental mysterious ultimate existences might gradually be assimilated and eroded by the will of the entire great universe... In their later years, they suffered mysterious misfortunes, gradually succumbed, plagued by strange illnesses, and became part of the universe's rules. Our archaeologist, Milier, indeed found in some ruins, while documenting history, signs of these terrifying existences becoming mad, falling ill, and even being infected with inexplicable anomalies all over their bodies."

Sick? Mad? Monk and Viola got goosebumps. It was as if they were listening to strange tales and historical oddities, finding it very fascinating. This was indeed quite peculiar. How could existences of that caliber fall ill?

"Perhaps it was an attack by enemies or something similar; that's what we all thought," Yuan Yuan said. "However, Milier proposed this terrifying conjecture... They didn't encounter other enemies; the enemy they encountered was the Great Universe itself. It sounds a bit hard to grasp, but right now, using your faith system, it can be perfectly analogized: Just like gods of faith, they are gradually assimilated by the vast, composite cosmic will, becoming part of its rules. After all, the rules they created are incorporated into the great universe. He also proposed an even more terrifying conjecture: The universe has no highest temperature, but why does it have a lowest temperature? Why is absolute zero precisely -273.15 degrees Celsius? Why is the melting point of iron 1535 degrees Celsius? Why is the speed of light limited? And why is it a fixed number? Perhaps these rules are the laws that some ancient Tier 10 ultimate existences once integrated and created, which were then assimilated by the great universe, becoming a part of our lives."

A PART OF LIFE!

As these words fell, both of them broke out in goosebumps! Did this mean that the ultimate beings of the Tier 10 Grand Dao were already everywhere? Omnipresent? Omnipresent ultimate beings? In every corner of their lives? Were the laws they used a part of their laws? Were the rules they followed their remnants?

"This conjecture is terrifying, truly disheartening," Monk said, utterly shocked.

"Heh heh heh, isn't it interesting? Every realm has enemies. For Tier 8s and Tier 9s, the enemies we encounter are other fellow practitioners on the Grand Dao; we must advance by stepping over their bones... As we progress along the Dao, the enemies we encounter continually escalate. And as we go further and further, the fellow practitioners around us become fewer and fewer. When a Tier 10 ultimate stands at the end of the Grand Dao, and we look back, we realize we are already alone. On the path, there are no longer any parallel seekers of the Dao. So, when we finally see the ultimate end, who then is the enemy we encounter?"

Everyone felt a shiver down their spines, as if the terrifying enemy at the "end of the Dao" was slowly revealing its true face.

"According to Milier's conjecture, standing alone at the end of the Grand Dao, the enemy one sees is the entire universe itself. One must constantly resist its erosion and fight against it, contending with destiny... Their lifespan depends on the duration of their resistance to the universe. When they have endured for hundreds of thousands, millions, or even longer, and can no longer bear it, that is the end of their lifespan, and they will be assimilated..." Yuan Yuan smiled, "That is the length of their lifespan, the limit of their aging and death..."

"I find this conjecture very interesting, don't you? They attained the Dao, created the Dao, and then were gradually and forcibly assimilated by the Grand Dao. Is that not impossible? Because we cultivators, from the very beginning, have been fighting against heaven and earth, going against nature, contending with destiny. Now, having fought to the very end, the enemy we face is the entire cosmic nature... This, too, is only natural!"

Yuan Yuan's words were profound, and the two were completely captivated. It was too fascinating! This future realm, this ultimate conjecture, felt dreamlike and bizarre to them! The Azure Blue Divine Realm, their entire civilization, was indeed too ancient, great, and magnificent to not inspire awe. Their conjectures, understanding, and exploration of nature were enough to keep them engrossed for thousands of years without tiring. This was a vast epic of civilization and mythology!

"Life is a race that struggles against nature. Civilization is a collective that continuously explores the universe. We have always been exploring realms, always surpassing..."

"The Azure Blue civilization has always been nomadic. On this path, as the purest seekers of the Dao, we are writing our own historical anthems and the chapters of our civilization. At this moment, we are chasing Tier 10, and we are about to verify our conjectures..." A azure light flickered in Yuan Yuan's eyes—it was anticipation, the most beautiful dream. This was a thriving, singularly devoted to seeking the Dao, truly pure and powerful 'weak' Tier 10 civilization. They indeed possessed the qualification to touch upon the ultimate dream, the ultimate truth of the universe!

Just as the two wanted to say something more, Yuan Yuan suddenly stopped speaking, halting his group's exploration of the ruins. Around them, faint, fragmented sounds suddenly emerged, dense and giving off an eerie sensation. A thin layer of mist abruptly rose into the sky. A great sense of crisis washed over them.

Yuan Yuan's hawk-like gaze instantly fixed on the shadows. "Indeed, you wicked degenerates, you still couldn't resist. You have lost your original intention as seekers of the Dao. Even if it means seizing the path to the ultimate, must you still tread upon it? Are you here to hunt down the Fourth Celestial Master of our Azure Blue Divine Realm?!"

On the other side.

Emperor Qi and Caroline were still venturing deeper. The surroundings were very quiet, with only the elemental tides remaining. Caroline naturally knew the predicament of the powerhouses she had brought, but she was utterly unconcerned. She had brought them, never intending for most of them to return alive.

"Another elemental tomb. I hope the guardian deity within isn't too powerful," Caroline stopped. To be honest, seeing these elemental civilization ruins made her feel somewhat strange. Because in the previous battle in the mini-universe, Emperor Zun had shown the bloodline genes of an elemental body, and according to his description, they were enemies of the ultra-ancient gods, part of the "Lunar God Ji" civilization system. In other words, the enemies of the ultra-ancient civilization were elemental civilizations! Now, encountering the ancient ruins of this elemental civilization, she naturally wanted to take the opportunity to understand more, to gain insights, so that if she truly encountered such enemies in the future, she wouldn't be completely ignorant.

"Elemental civilizations are still very interesting and incredibly powerful, completely different from corporeal lifeforms..." Caroline smiled.

"You've noticed?" Emperor Qi asked.

"You've noticed too, haven't you? Every being in this civilization is equivalent to possessing an enhanced version of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique; their energy is infinitely supplied..." Caroline smiled, still studying the civilization within the tomb. "Their biggest characteristic is that they absorb energy without hindrance!"

However, Emperor Qi suddenly sensed something in the ethereal realm, revealing a hint of shock: "I have a feeling... as if a faint bloodline connection... just like the connection of the primeval ancient gods back then..." This connection came from his weakest flame gene bloodline, which had previously been considered the most useless. Although very faint, the connection indeed existed...

"But how could there be... in the depths of these ancient elemental civilization ruins..."

Emperor Qi's gaze deepened as he looked into the depths of the ruins, his heart pounding. "The connection is too weak; only a Dao Achiever can feel this extremely faint, mysterious bloodline connection..." In these depths, were there members of his own clan? The primeval ancient god clan? Or perhaps, ancient kin of the Dao Lord...