Chapter 1152: Saint Thief

Xu Zhi sat high up, silent for a moment. He chose not to respond. Silently, he picked up a cup, brewed tea with water, and slowly stirred it, creating a whirlpool.

"I have no way to interfere with anything. The assimilation of the Grand Dao is irresistible even to me. I am merely a crippled tenth-order being, barely holding a 'standing ticket,' and I haven't even mastered the Grand Dao. How can I find a solution for you?"

The ultimate tenth-order beings were the most powerful of their kind to begin with. Even the miniature beings living in the simulated universe, which Xu Zhi had deduced, could not reach the true world outside. These ultimate tenth-order beings attained enlightenment within this simulated universe. In the external universe, they would not become part of the greater universe's rules; they would merely be mortals, perhaps even repelled and killed.

Yet, in terms of realm, Xu Zhi's level was a mere drop in the ocean compared to theirs.

"Everything is your own deduction; everything must rely on yourself...."

Xu Zhi showed no intention of revealing himself. Sipping his tea, his expression was somewhat complex. "At the same time, I will not interfere with this era. I have no ability to interfere with this era."

Xu Zhi had a strong sense of self-awareness, knowing his own weakness. He had no ability to change anything, or to prevent the death of an ultimate tenth-order being. He also knew that any interference from him could introduce unpredictable variables into the deduction process.

"Everything can only depend on you. Even though I use you to deduce this entire era, how could I not hope that you find a new path?"

"The path to survival you find is also my path to survival."

Xu Zhi's deduction of the sandbox world was, from the very beginning, a search for the path to the future.

On the vast grassland, Yi Mang received no response.

"Am I not worthy, or is it something else?" Yi Mang gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile. The stronger he became, and the more he perfected the rules, the more terrified he was to discover that the Grand Dao of that ancient being resembled his own Grand Dao universe after he had completed it. There was a subtle, innate sense of completeness about that being. It was as if that being had foreseen everything he was about to do. Even the physical form of that being struck him with unimaginable incredulity.

The wind still swept across the great grassland. Yi Mang vanished from his spot, departing directly to his palace outside the universe. His expression grew increasingly weary. "Beyond the tenth order, is there a realm?"

When he deduced this realm, he instinctively felt: the tenth order was the ultimate, the end of this path, with nowhere further to go—it was the ultimate! There was no path forward. He had tried to deduce the next realm, but he felt a deep sense of powerlessness, an unprecedented one, as if he were trying to deduce a realm that simply did not exist.

"Beyond the tenth order, is there a realm?"

"Can one escape the assimilation of the Grand Dao?"

He muttered to himself again, like a madman's ravings.

After another period of time, Yi Mang grew even older. He was afflicted by a strange Grand Dao illness, exhibiting various Dao spots. His body became aged and decayed, exuding the immense, withered aura of death associated with the Five Declines of Heaven and Man.

However, he had stopped receiving his disciples long ago. The Grand Dao disciples from the nine major factions had each established their own saintly sects, standing firm in the universe. Although they were also aging, their degree of decline was astonishingly less than one-tenth that of him, the first Grand Dao Saint. This was because Yi Mang was not only the first to attain enlightenment, but he had also attained the core Grand Dao of creation itself! He had attained the material laws and structure of the entire universe, organizing all matter in an orderly fashion, which allowed the heavens to clarify and the earth to become turbid, completely splitting everything from chaos!

As a four-dimensional being capable of traversing his own past and future, less than half a year had passed in reality, yet nearly three thousand Grand Dao Saints had attained enlightenment throughout the universe. The core rules of the universe were gradually established, all important parameters became constant, and matter became orderly, leading to complete prosperity.

Meanwhile, Yi Mang grew increasingly frail. He sat in the highest palace in the universe, beloved by all the saints, quietly observing the increasingly prosperous changes in the universe day after day. "Those children who once sculpted the sand on the beach have now enthusiastically taken on the task of sculpting the entire universe, finding great joy in it."

Yi Mang's expression suddenly became devoid of joy or sorrow, turning very cold, and the old, deathly aura around him intensified. "Although I haven't found a path to the future, I have found a way to extend my lifespan." He closed his eyes, revealing an unprecedented struggle, then his expression suddenly turned cold and domineering.

Another day passed. Yi Mang, after a long absence, summoned his former disciples to an audience. The saints of the Primeval Great Desolation Universe were all incredibly excited. They were finally going to see their most revered great ancestor, the ancient, magnificent being they had wholeheartedly followed! They wondered if their ancestor, after such a long retreat, had, as before, found a new path to breakthrough. And would then inform them. What would this new path be like?

One by one, the great enlightened saints arrived in the Primal Chaos Palace, looking up at the long-unseen greatest being between heaven and earth. But they were utterly stunned. Sitting on the divine throne was an incredibly aged old man, covered in age spots, surrounded by a dark, strange illness, and emanating heavy deathly aura.

"Master?" They tentatively called out.

The next second, Yi Mang suddenly opened his cold eyes.

Boom—

The entire Primal Chaos Palace was instantly destroyed, everything reduced to its most basic particles. Or rather, everything was reverted to its primordial particles, back to the era of Primal Chaos, by this great being who controlled the strongest rules of the universe, the fundamental composition of all matter. He had made the universe's first division, cleaving the primordial chaos, and creating heaven and earth. Naturally, he could also return the universe to its original state.

"I sought life from heaven, but heaven remained silent. Now I shall borrow life from you, the bloodlines of the Grand Thieves, to enhance my power, resist the universe, and live out my next life!" Surrounded by hazy particles, he resembled the sole ancient god of heaven and earth. In an instant, his explosive power killed his three strongest disciples, seizing their Grand Dao bloodlines and integrating them into himself.

Three Grand Dao bloodlines. His body gradually regained its youth. He strode forward with a powerful gait, his gaze fixed on all his disciples and their own disciples who had arrived upon hearing the commotion—nearly three thousand enlightened saints of the Primal Chaos Universe.

This was an unprecedented scene. It was filled with murderous intent.

This universe had never known life or cultivation. With Yi Mang's appearance, life and cultivation came into being. This universe had never known aging or slaughter. With Yi Mang's appearance, aging and slaughter came into being. Yi Mang was the first being in this entire universe to experience these things, and he was also the trailblazer of the whole world.