Chapter 1290: This Octopus Is Not Simple!

Main Volume

This was a unique scent.

Initially, it was the foul stench of decaying refuse, as if the entire Algae Universe was slowly rotting away. It carried the scent of old age and decay, leading everyone to believe that with the completion and refinement of the cosmic map, the entire universe would descend into absolute death.

Decades passed, and one Saint after another attained enlightenment, perfecting the cosmic rules. The stench began to intensify, fermenting more strongly. This putrid smell worsened. From the distinct stench of filth, it gradually transformed into the specific decay of corpses. This aura of death seemed to be undergoing a final fermentation, a subtle transformation, as if aged spirits were finally maturing, releasing a faint fragrance.

A bizarre phenomenon occurred. The putrid smell was intensifying, and while all the Saints initially found it unbearable, sickeningly foul, and impossible to tolerate, they gradually began to perceive the scent as pleasant, fragrant, and sweet. This sensation was profound. It was like fermented tofu: once accustomed to it, one found it mellow and rich.

When all the Saints fully recovered their senses, they discovered that the entire Algae Universe had turned pitch black, imbued with a dense aura of death. The countless waving tentacles of the algae resembled an evil octopus. Clad in a black chitinous cloak, its endless tentacles resembled the scythe-wielding reapers from mythological civilizations, emanating an indescribable, intense malevolence and the purest essence of death's rule.

And they, too, had become living beings within this "Death God Universe." Although this deathly artistic conception was powerful enough to destroy and defile everything, it could not harm them, for they were also the Death God's subjects and descendants.

“This?”

“Incredible…”

“I had prepared myself for sacrifice, thinking I had walked into a cesspool, but I never imagined it would be like entering a beautiful paradise.”

“Like drinking nectar.”

“It emits such a pure fragrance.”

“I'm so thirsty, truly so thirsty.”

The Saints marveled at this unprecedented path, quickly analyzing the data.

“This situation is equivalent to transforming this universe into the cosmic dojo of this Saint, with even the rules permeated by their Grand Dao bloodline!”

“Beings in this universe can only use this special bloodline; other rules do not apply!”

Meanwhile, players from the other faction, who were already evolutionary Saints on average, were also studying the current data.

“The living environment for beings in the universe has become much narrower…”

“This vast, immense universe now has less than a hundred-millionth of its original habitable space!”

They observed their surroundings. One must understand that in a normal grand universe, planets, soil, and stars — virtually everything one sees — constitute habitable environments. Even luminous celestial bodies like suns, unsuitable for life themselves, emit light to illuminate the surrounding living spaces.

But here? Here, everything was dense muscle, bone, DNA, writhing blood vessels, and interwoven meridians! Yes! Planets had stretched and transformed into... cell nuclei, muscle, and bone.

What is life composed of? It is also composed of inanimate matter. Soil, water, and various trace elements form the vibrant, moving muscle, bloodlines, hair, and blood vessels of organisms on a planet. Yet here, the planets, soil, and water had directly become the material composition of life itself!

This was the rule; the rule of this universe.

“This is... simply incredible!!!”

“Is this a miracle of the universe?”

“There is virtually no habitable environment.”

“Previously, the constantly perfected rules of the grand cosmic map were all designed to make the universe more habitable... but the current map is entirely for the evolution of bloodlines, a Grand Dao tree-like map, thus consuming vast resources!”

“Forcing it to evolve signs of life's bloodlines consumes too many resources!”

Countless individuals analyzed, exclaimed in admiration, and began to voice various opinions.

“Perhaps it's not entirely a bad thing!”

“One must remember that the survival resources of our parallel universes were originally in surplus! A single planet, a nebula, vast and boundless, might not even harbor a few scattered civilizations. Now... they are simply being utilized!”

“Perhaps this is the best option. The land area is sufficient, and civilizations developed here might not be weak! The number of civilizations could also be substantial!”

They continued to analyze. The cosmic environment was too vast, civilizations too sparse, and resources truly infinite—far too wasteful. What if civilizations were ubiquitous within a universe? Every planet, every galaxy with civilizations? The universe is a dark forest!

The larger the scope of one's dominion, the easier it is to become a target. More powerful civilizations preferred to hide in subspace, residing in high-dimensional spacetime. All civilizations pursued an elite path; a population of trillions of their own kind was already sufficient. And with that number... how much territory could they occupy? Thus, the universe was largely empty.

“But here,” an elderly Saint chuckled, “the empty space is occupied by these muscles and bones. Beings can only live on the muscles and bones, like bacteria inside an organism... much like living on a planet....”

All the Saints looked on with anticipation; this was an ineffable trend. The rules of this universe were too mysterious and unique. This filled them with anticipation.

“This is truly the golden age of the Myriad Worlds!”

The Great Octopus, with its hands clasped behind its back, declared, “The Myriad Worlds, each distinct! Only then can there be endless splendor, infinite mysteries, and novelty! The current nine multiverses are all largely the same! Too mediocre, too stagnant and old-fashioned—they need to be overturned!”

“Sir, your talent is immense.”

The surrounding Saints couldn't help but feel admiration.

“One Hundred Twenty-Nine Thousand Six Hundred universes constitute a single era. This vast number of universes is virtually infinite; it is impossible for human power to explore the profound mysteries of each one!”

The Great Octopus strode majestically, secretly thinking of them as country bumpkins. He proudly stated, as if condescendingly, that his mere few words of guidance were already a blessing, “This Grand Dao map, these cosmic rules, are also like the evolution of life...”

Brilliant! It was an utterly brilliant cosmic transformation plan!

The Saints listened, letting out soft sighs. The Octopus appeared foolish and simple-minded, like the offspring of inbred eighth-tier deities with congenital intellectual disabilities. Yet, in reality... it possessed great wisdom disguised as folly! Its theories and knowledge were simply too profound!

“This is... the rule of death?”

Zhi Ji also recovered her senses, somewhat surprised by the unique nature of this universe. Other Saints were unaware, but she knew of the anomaly. The rule of death was exceptionally unique and rare. Its destructive power was arguably the strongest, almost unparalleled, yet its side effects were the greatest. Throughout the vast history of the cosmos, there had been a few terrifying mutated individuals with death bloodlines. However, their brilliance was undoubtedly fleeting, and they perished, because the death race... was infertile!

Races that mastered this bloodline rule found their internal life rules extinguished, rendering them unable to reproduce. Therefore, beings who mastered the "rule of death" were generally not inheritors of ancestral bloodlines but rather mutated individuals who could not propagate their kind into a race; they would perish after their single lifetime, leaving no legacy. Zhi Ji had also once slain such beings. She had plundered their bloodline gene banks, attempting to integrate them as backups.

However, to her horror, she discovered that this bloodline's destructive power was too terrifying: it would corrupt other Grand Dao bloodlines, annihilate their vitality, contaminate them, and assimilate them into the grand universe. Its destructive power was too immense! It even destroyed her other bloodlines; it was incompatible! So, if one could only use a single bloodline, what use was such heaven-defying power? Her other five bloodlines could still contend with it, even defeat it! Though the strongest, this ultimate death-slaughter bloodline was impractical.

Nevertheless, it was indeed heaven-defying, a true taboo. In ancient times, some decadent Death Saints, relying solely on this one bloodline, dominated an entire era. Even Zhi Ji had to avoid its edge, letting such opponents simply die of old age over time. It wasn't that she couldn't fight or couldn't win; it was that she chose not to fight! Because the opponent could defile her bloodline, even if she killed them, her heaven-defying Grand Dao bloodline would suffer significant loss!

“This Octopus, possessing such an extremely rare bloodline, is likely one of the protagonists destined to navigate the tribulations between heaven and earth? Mastering the rule of death... I cannot foresee its future....” Zhi Ji mused privately. “I can only sense that it is extraordinary.”