Chapter 1308: We Will Eventually Pass Away

Cosmic life stages are divided into three types.

The first is the Primordial Gods and Demons stage. During this period, the universe was in a state of primordial chaos; most rules were disordered. Through serendipitous encounters, ordinary earth, sand, and stone gained consciousness and became the first batch of cosmic life forms, though they were incredibly weak. In later ages, this was described as "primordial essence impregnation," which allowed common soil and metals to gain sentience. Their bloodlines were the most ordinary; in future eras, even the powerful would not deign to use such low-level beings as attendants or servants.

The second stage is the Post-Heavenly Beings stage. As the Primordial Gods and Demons completed the cosmic rules, the universe's environment became suitable for life. Perfect flesh-and-blood beings were conceived and born; these were the Post-Heavenly Beings.

The third stage, surprisingly, is the Primordial Chaos Beings stage. With the complete perfection of cosmic rules, the outer reaches of Chaos Heaven became entirely habitable. The Sea of Chaos became clear and orderly, beginning to nurture life.

"Hahahaha." Watching the colossal beings disappear, Zhi Weng painfully closed his eyes and looked down at the coastline. "The essence of the universe is indeed a complete history of evolution. The nature of the grand cosmos is evolving, and life forms are also evolving with the environment."

He looked up at the misty sky of Chaos Heaven. "In this vast era, as the universe develops, the transcendent systems are also undergoing transformation. This is the cruel, bloody history! I should have realized this long ago. With the completion of the rules, Post-Heavenly Beings emerged. So, with further completion of the rules, why wouldn't another type of being appear? We humans are not the ultimate overlords of the universe. We are merely pathetic creatures used by the universe for transition and to complete its growth rules."

His voice grew hoarse, becoming increasingly calm, without a ripple, as if all his dreams had died. "It makes sense, doesn't it? Why do we always arrogantly believe we are the ultimate protagonists of the cosmos?"

In the end, Zhi Weng returned, choosing to quietly go back to the Realm of Longevity. "Nothing is eternal." He suddenly whimpered, his voice laced with a sob. It was as if he had returned to the young man who first entered the Dao. This old hero, weathered by age and having strategized for eons, covered his face with his sleeve, yet could not stop tears from falling as he stepped further and further away from the coastline. Having embarked on this lonely path, he had never shed a tear. Yet now, he wasn't crying for himself, but for all living beings, for the end of an era, for his past rivals and old friends.

"Kuxiu, Nu Yi, Master Yimang, we have reached the Age of Dharma Decline. We haven't seen the future we desired; we've only witnessed the end of our era, the demise of us ancient beings. We longed to traverse billions of years to reach the end of the Age of Dharma Decline, only to see a desolate so-called 'Grand Dao dream.' What, then, was its purpose?"

It was too bitter. It was too painful. This was the bloody universe.

Just as he said, proud bloodline beings called all sentient bloodline creatures "humans," but perhaps they should have realized it long ago: from the extinction of the Primordial Gods and Demons to the development of Post-Heavenly humans, from the very beginning, humans could not be the eternal cosmic overlords of an era. Their prosperity could only be temporary; eventually, a day would come when they would fall from their pedestal.

Humans of old fed on lower beings simply because they were considered inferior. And why would it not be equally natural for the unnameable "gods" and "lords" of the new era to stand on the lands of the nine great continents, digging into the soil with their hands to extract and consume small insects from tiny mud balls? They were merely small insects filling their bellies under the soil of the great continents. Within the universe, it would be absolutely impossible for creatures of such immense size to appear. But beyond Chaos Heaven, it was different. New, colossal beings, measured in light-years, dwelled on the surface of Chaos Heaven. These were the most perfect "gods."

"We will eventually be eliminated and consumed by higher beings. This has been the ultimate fate of all humanity from the very beginning; it is the inevitable grand trend. This is humanity's ultimate destiny."

Zhi Weng suddenly returned to the Longevity Dao Palace, completely secluding himself and no longer concerning himself with worldly affairs. At this moment, he saw the future, knowing that everything was unstoppable and that he was powerless to change it. He could not seize another's body or reincarnate into a being of the next era. Everything was based on bloodline life forms within the same transcendent power system. It was like comparing a cloud to a monkey; they were fundamentally not the same species or system. Even their rule structures were different, and their souls could not be transferred or matched. How could one seize anything? This was an even greater upheaval than the transition from Primordial Gods and Demons to Post-Heavenly Beings.

"We are truly pathetic," Zhi Weng said.

Cosmic year 48.2 billion. The ancient saints of the Longevity Dao Palace, the pillars of their era, completely withdrew from the world. Ordinary saints and new-era saints were utterly powerless to resist. Though filled with passion and defiant against the times, shedding blood along the cosmic coast, they still could not withstand the grand trend and continuously retreated their defensive lines. Vast numbers of marine life forms continued to evolve, crawling onto the shore. The coast became adorned with many vibrant and beautiful sights: shells, beaches, swimming fish, and sea grass. However, these creations were truly immense; the saints who had ascended from the universe seemed like tiny bacteria, unable to even approach a single texture line on a shell.

And the news spread thoroughly: "We are merely a transition in the universe's growth, like bacteria, fungi, or microorganisms in the soil."

"How is this possible?" Their Dao hearts completely collapsed. They began to flee rapidly towards the inland, away from this land. But life originating from the ocean and moving onto land was an almost inevitable phenomenon. Amphibians, plants, and animals gradually expanded from the ocean to the inland. The nine great cosmic continents became covered in greenery, creating a new world. The saints, clinging to life, faced their doomsday. We will eventually become old gods, unable to board the ship of the new era.

Mid-Cosmic Year 48.2 billion. Beyond Chaos Heaven, hardly any saints remained. The nine great cosmic continents were ruled by new beings. These new beings began cultivating the law systems of the ancient beings and started their path to becoming saints. Their path to sainthood was not for other reasons. They knew that once the cosmic rules were perfected and matured, the Grand Dao would inevitably be sealed, and all old systems would cease to exist. Yet, they still chose to cultivate, not to gain power, but to accelerate the complete perfection of the universe, to bring about the Age of Dharma Decline for the ancient beings, and to usher in their own burgeoning era prematurely. They could no longer wait.

"In the nine multiverses, the Great Age of Saints has also fully erupted." Nu Yi closed her eyes, saying bitterly, "Unlike the Great Age of Saints currently outside, the Great Age of Saints here is a carnival for the new beings. They are delivering the ultimate end to the ancient beings of old!"

All the observing saints watched in shock. This astonishment was unprecedented; they all witnessed the irreversible grand trend. The future universe was indeed the prophesied Age of Dharma Decline. But they had never imagined it would unfold in such a despairing manner.