Chapter 212: Era Myth

"To behold the mysteries of heaven and earth, to manifest the three vehicles of teaching, and to master all subtle methods."

These words from the ancient Primal Chaos Saint, though spoken softly, resonated like thunder in Di Qi's heart.

Just as Di Qi was processing the Saint's words, the towering Primal Chaos Saint calmly added, "Di Qi, you are exceptionally gifted; do you still not grasp their meaning? This is somewhat disappointing."

"Please enlighten me, Master!"

Di Qi stepped back a few paces, gazing up at the enormous ancient Primal Chaos Saint, and bowed respectfully, listening intently.

Xu Zhi spoke softly, "The Land of Return is true, the myriad worlds are false. But what is truth? What is falsehood? The Land of Return is like a chessboard, and the myriad worlds are its pieces. The chessboard is ancient and unadorned, bearing 129,600 chess pieces. They appear to radiate brilliance, constantly engaging in attacks and shining across the entire universe. But what does that matter?"

What if they have known glory?

Di Qi trembled all over. Being incredibly intelligent, he instantly understood.

"So that's it."

Di Qi exclaimed, "The 129,600 chess pieces on the board are like those heroic Heavenly Emperors. They roared, bled, bathed in blood, reached their peak, became victors, yet ultimately fell. That is the cruelest form of falsehood!"

Although Di Qi was covered in wounds and his body was soaked in blood, his mind was profoundly shaken, and he couldn't control himself.

"But the chessboard is true! It has existed since the creation of heaven and earth, enduring forever, like a supreme, unseen presence hidden in the shadows, revealing no brilliance. It silently watches as each piece shines and reaches its peak, and as worlds fall upon its surface. As the eternal and unchanging sole existence, it embodies the fundamental, subtle, and profound rules of the world, truly unfathomable."

Xu Zhi smiled and nodded.

"So that's it; the Land of Return is indeed true!"

Di Qi's eyes burned with intense fervor.

This perfectly aligned with his philosophy. Hadn't he lived in the same way in the Primeval World?

Those Heavenly Emperors from past eras, who had known glory yet eventually fell, were ultimately false. Only he, hidden in the shadows, manipulating the tides of the world and standing firm through eternity, represented the brutal truth!

He desired to encompass everything, with ambitions that extended far beyond merely becoming a Saint!

If this were truly the case, then his journey to the Land of Return chessboard was indeed his greatest opportunity!

The more Di Qi thought about it, the brighter his eyes became. Suddenly, he bowed respectfully, finally convinced. "You truly are an ancient Primal Chaos Saint. Di Qi has gained immense insight from your words in just a few moments. The path before me is now clear of all mist. I don't even need much energy; my Dao heart has already sensed it. The ancestral shaman energy I possess is enough to propel me directly into the Primal Chaos Realm!"

Covered in blood, Di Qi felt his thoughts achieve perfect clarity. A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from him, as if a profound chord within him had been struck. He abruptly turned his head to look at Dao Changsheng, who was still unconscious and propping up the sky behind him, and smiled faintly:

"Dao Heavenly Emperor, I have already taken a step ahead. I will wait for you in the Primal Chaos Realm!"

His voice resonated throughout the silent world, echoing across the desolate land.

Xu Zhi's mouth twitched violently. *???*

"My heavens! You're a monster, aren't you? Not only do you get stronger the more you fight, breaking through frantically in battle, but now I just casually tricked you into going into outer space, and you've had another enlightenment of your Dao heart?"

Xu Zhi felt a pang of unease internally, but he smiled and said, "The chessboard is the ground, and the pieces are the heavens. This path is arduous, and there's no need to kneel to Saints. Only worship heaven and earth, taking them as your masters. Are you willing to join this lineage?"

"Di Qi is willing," Di Qi replied, bowing his head respectfully.

Xu Zhi's gaze was calm as he looked down at the tiny figure on the ground. He said in a faint voice, "But this path is solitary. The Land of Return is a realm of death, vast and boundless, where worlds may not be encountered for countless years."

Di Qi straightened his posture. "Di Qi is willing."

In the days to come, he would traverse the void, seeking the Dao of all things within the Land of Return, taking it as his journey—a viable path.

And loneliness?

He had long grown accustomed to loneliness; otherwise, he wouldn't have remained in the shadows, quietly observing various Heavenly Emperors lead their eras.

Furthermore, he practiced the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art, possessing nine grotto-heavens and one Dantian within his body.

Although several of these spaces had shattered, the fragments remained within his body and could be re-melted. Moreover, he had refined them using the inner worlds of eleven Ancestral Witch Heavenly Emperors, even incorporating the Great Overarching Heaven into them.

In terms of inner worlds alone, his was significantly larger than Dao Changsheng's current one!

He could breed a vast number of beings within them, allowing them to thrive and perish, becoming an eternal power source within his body, much like Dao Changsheng. This would be sufficient to support his journey through the desolate Land of Return.

Moreover, his wife, Ruyun, was already within his body.

Traversing the Land of Return with a small grotto-heaven world...

He pondered for a moment. With this thought, he bowed, "Ancient Saint, Di Qi sincerely wishes to go to the Land of Return."

Xu Zhi revealed a slight smile. "You may."

At this moment, the Phoenix nearby couldn't help but ask crisply, "May I also enter the Land of Return to seek truth?"

Xu Zhi was speechless.

I'm tricking *him* into going, not *you*...

That's outer space!

"Every being has its own destiny. Your opportunity is not here; there's no need to force it."

Xu Zhi rejected the Phoenix's request, then added to Di Qi, "Those who seek the Dao will attain it; only those who seek truth will find it. Only then can you traverse the great catastrophes of collapsing epochs, escape the chessboard, manipulate the pieces, become the player, and transform into a majestic eagle soaring through the myriad worlds, with each epoch as a single year, making your moves across all realms!"

Di Qi and Dao Jun trembled violently, as if they had just heard the most terrifying secret in all the myriad worlds! They felt as though they were engulfed by a thousand waves, unable to describe their emotions, their minds reeling from the impact.

To leap off the chessboard, to control the pieces...

This referred to leaping out of the Land of Return and controlling the individual worlds upon it...

So, what about the epochal catastrophe?

In one epoch, all 129,600 great worlds would face a catastrophe? How terrifying would that be? Even Saints might not be able to escape, surely? How many supreme beings truly existed between heaven and earth who could survive until the next epoch?

Their minds were greatly shaken, and they were struck with terror. Just as they were about to ask for details...

Xu Zhi said no more. He took out a small, cube-like cultivation space, not large, only at the level for a Level 3 Warlock, but sufficient to hold a small ant. "Come in," he said, "I'll send you to the Land of Return."

"Thank you, Saint." Di Qi nodded, now completely respectful and utterly convinced, his gaze incredibly resolute.

The Land of Return was his true path. Leaping off the chessboard, becoming the player, existing eternally as a mastermind, calmly observing the rise and fall of Heavenly Emperors — these words deeply resonated with his innermost desires.

He floated gently and entered the space.

Xu Zhi nodded at this sight. With Di Qi gone, his next task was to exile him to outer space. The matter of the sky collapsing was also resolved. Considering this journey's objectives fulfilled, he turned to the Phoenix and said softly, "This world has now stabilized."

With that, he picked up his bucket and axe and strode away.

The Phoenix watched the vast, receding figure in silence, a hint of reluctance in her gaze. After a moment, she extended her arm, tearing open space, and returned to her lush immortal realm to continue her reclusive life. "There are 129,600 great worlds; this constitutes one *yuan*, one epoch! An epoch... may face a great catastrophe..."

The thought sent a chill down her spine!

Only at this moment did she clearly understand the immense gap in her power. Only Level 8 Saints could leave individual worlds and travel through the myriad realms, and even that was just the beginning.

"So I've only just begun, but I'm also on the verge of a breakthrough. Once I can leave this world, I will follow in your footsteps..."

Carrying the bucket and axe, Xu Zhi strode up the tunnel. "Yes, that's right. There is an epochal catastrophe, and it has already arrived. Only your two worlds remain; I just hadn't told you yet..."

He paused, then took out a piece of gum, tore open the wrapper, and put it in his mouth.

"By the way... the Phoenix couldn't actually have figured it out, could she? Could she really escape the sandbox range shielded by the Zerg sub-brain?"

"Look how good Almin is, how well-behaved. All day, she's researching how to expand the Underworld, following a development and construction path. But you constantly want to go outside..."

The Zerg sub-brain's self-species shield was like a hidden door in the genetic sequence, limiting them from the very essence of life. In principle, it was impossible to leave, but if she truly developed a method for space traversal, then things would become uncertain.

The Phoenix was the founder of this spatial system and had delved the deepest into its research. It was plausible that she could indeed develop such an application.

If she truly achieved spatial travel, she might actually end up outside the orchard. If she did, seeing the urban jungle of steel and countless cars, she would probably be utterly bewildered!

"Forget it, I won't think about her for now."

Xu Zhi walked out of the basement and put the axe and bucket back into the storage room.

Then, he tidied up, put on an oxygen tank and a jacket, and applied sunscreen. After all, his skin had peeled last time he returned, and his ethereal spirit body couldn't block ultraviolet rays. A Warlock's body was as fragile as an ordinary person's... This made him start considering cultivating a body-refinement path.

"Ethereal Spirit Body."

As he extended his hand, a surge of Warlock energy vibrated.

Soon, Xu Zhi began to slowly ascend like a human rocket, ready to send Di Qi skyward. The first "deep-space spacecraft" was about to embark for outer space.