With the Heaven-Void Grounds drawing to a close, Lin Moyu couldn't help feeling a little wistful. This place had once birthed domain-world after domain-world; just from those few alone, dozens had stepped into the Chaos Realm. He didn't know how far they'd grown by now, but with Supremes behind them, their achievements shouldn't be low. He wondered how they'd feel if they learned their domain-worlds had vanished for good—but that wasn't his concern.
The nine domain-worlds were now complete; next he only needed the Silverlight Rabbits to cultivate them. As for a tenth domain-world, a rough concept had already formed in his mind; whether it could be realized would only be known by trying. Still, his idea required certain prerequisites that weren't yet met; he'd have to wait until the nine domains reached perfection and were compressed.
If his plan worked, all the better. If not—"Looks like I should find another domain-world as a spare, just in case."
"The Calamity Supreme designed ten ascensions; with at least nine domain-worlds, one might break past a Supreme's limit. If one more domain would help, why didn't he arrange it? Was there a reason?" Given his power back then—he wasn't alone; he had subordinates and fellow Supremes—finding ten domains shouldn't have been a problem. So why not? Why set it at nine? Power would ascend ten times—so why cap the domains at nine? Was there some difficulty? Or is a tenth domain simply not feasible? Lin Moyu didn't know what the Calamity Supreme had been thinking. Whether it could be done—perhaps he'd only know when he reached that step.
For now he'd follow that plan: nurture the nine domains to perfection, then go a step further—compress each domain's power before fusion to make them stronger. That would surely raise the difficulty of merging, but he should be able to handle it. His foundation already surpassed the Calamity Supreme's in those days; at Chaos Realm (Lesser), that Supreme could not have possessed a body and soul like his. "My body and soul should be able to strengthen further—I need a way."
The thought stayed with him, but it wouldn't be easy. To further temper body and soul, he'd need to keep dying; yet now both had reached the peak of Perfection. Only a Supreme could kill him. In the Chaos there seemed nowhere that could instantly kill him anymore. The Ancient Wilds might, but finding such a spot wouldn't be simple. If he truly couldn't find a place, he could go to a Supreme and ask for help—like when he sought Antares before; Antares had killed him countless times, laying his foundation.
He glanced inward at the Silver-Grass Prairie. Yin Da was operating a formation, sending strands of Heaven's First Qi to his clansfolk. The auras of eleven Silverlight Rabbits were steadily rising; it wouldn't be long before they reached Chaos Realm Perfection. Farther off, many rabbits sensed the anomaly and wanted to approach, but an invisible force barred them.
Since coming here, the Silverlight Rabbits seemed under less pressure; in no time at all they'd birthed a new generation, growing in number. Their astonishing fertility finally showed itself before Lin Moyu. At this rate they'd fill the prairie in a few years. But space was plentiful; so long as they could breed, Lin Moyu wouldn't begrudge them more land.
After checking on them, he finally entered his Five-World Domain. He'd been away many years; it had clearly changed. Ever since entering the Chaos, the domain had been influenced by Chaos Qi, which descended through the domain barrier, silently settling upon every living being. That Qi subtly altered them, affecting their foundations and speeding their cultivation. These years, geniuses had sprung up like weeds; it felt normal. The new prodigies aside, even veteran powerhouses had surged under Chaos Qi's touch—long-accumulated strength now soaring in one leap. Some Eternals had even begun to brush the edge of Chaotization: sensing Chaos Qi, they proactively used it to acclimate ahead of time. The whole domain-world was growing stronger; at this pace, within a few millennia it would birth new Chaos Realm beings.
Outside the domain Lin Moyu had set a grand array connecting to true Chaos. Anyone who broke through and left the domain wouldn't enter his storage space, but would pass through the array into the Chaos directly. That way, no one would learn of his storage space.
He descended to Yudao City. It had grown larger and more prosperous, effectively the heart of the Origin Continent. Even those once-external powerhouses now appeared here. But no matter how the city changed, the courtyard where Little Mist and the other three lived remained the same.
The four had reached Lords of the Dao, half a step from Eternal—top-tier on the Origin Continent and within the whole domain. Beyond the four, Yudao City had many elites. Venerable Hao and the others had entered the Dao Realm and advanced far—enough to overawe the city. Perhaps due to Lin Moyu, Yudao produced the most geniuses; they grew quickly and fought fiercely, nearly invincible among peers. Thus Yudao became the continent's cultivation holy land; countless people, for reasons they couldn't quite name, felt it special and flocked there…
Over time Yudao swelled to hundreds of times its former size, housing over a hundred million, like a small world of its own. Though populous, everyone kept the rules; all knew whose turf this was. Whether he was present or not, breaking the rules earned only harsh punishment. The top figures knew how terrifying Lin Moyu was—not only lord of the city, but strongest of the continent, and master of the entire domain. Within it, he was heaven itself. Who would provoke that?
Walking the streets, watching the crowds, he felt a touch of nostalgia. He had built this city. But what he missed was the Small World—the one the Azure Robe had taken away to parts unknown. He still didn't know how it fared. He had a sense that his friends and teacher there were still alive. The Azure Robe hadn't taken them to harm them, but for another purpose. And his wives—he didn't know how they were now. Vaguely he'd grasped the Azure Robe's intent—it was for their good. What he was doing was too perilous; if the Dao noticed, his wives and friends would surely die. Taking them away early spared them entanglement. But debts still needed settling.
"Soon. It's almost over."
He sighed inwardly and came to the little courtyard. It hadn't changed—the city's core, unaltered for ten thousand years. A few young people stood at the gate, waiting for something. Looking at them, a strange thought popped up: surely it won't be that melodramatic…?
They were handsome and dashing, with solid cultivation—dragons and phoenixes among men. Even in this age of prodigies, they were standouts. They stood quietly outside, not speaking, as if awaiting something. They weren't breaking city rules, so no one interfered.
He walked over, drawing their attention. They said nothing, but he saw a hint of hostility in their eyes. "Ah, so it really is that melodramatic," he chuckled inwardly.
At the door, he raised a hand to knock—and caught the sneers in their eyes. The knock rang clear; a roar came at once from inside: "Scram! Don't disturb your Grandpa Niu's nap, or I'll eat the lot of you!" Little Ox's voice, impatient as ever.
Lin Moyu laughed. "Little Ox, open up—it's me!"
At once their expressions changed. They all knew who lived inside; someone dared call him "Little Ox"? Was this a death wish? Crash! The gate flung open. Little Ox appeared, eyes glowing red—overwhelmed. The young men's hearts dropped; a chill swept them. This was bad. If anyone could break Yudao's rules, it was this bull—Lin Moyu's bull. No one dared cross him.
Little Ox stared, then suddenly tears spurted from his eyes; with a thud he dropped to his knees, howling, "Master, you're finally back!" He bawled, snot streaming from both nostrils. Everyone was dumbfounded.
Before he'd cried two seconds, a figure burst out—bang! Little Ox was blasted skyward, vanishing into the heavens. Little Mist barreled past, wailing, and leapt onto Lin Moyu, arms and legs clinging. "Wuu—Master, you finally came back!" Even as a Lord of the Dao, her temperament hadn't changed.
He patted her back. "There, there. I'm back. No need to cry."
Xiao Five, Xiao Yue, and Xiao Mei came out too, smiling radiantly. "Teacher!" "Father!" Their smiles were like a hundred blossoms, stunning the onlookers; Lords of the Dao were not sights one casually beheld.
Lin Moyu glanced at the youths. "What are these little fellows doing here?"
Little Mist muttered by his ear, "They're our suitors. They camp here every day—so annoying." They came from the Great World, with ties to Venerable Hao and others, so she'd spared them; besides, they'd kept within bounds.
"Interested in any of them?" he asked. They shook their heads at once.
He chuckled, swept his gaze—and the youths vanished together, sent to a far corner of the Origin Continent. Whether they made it back would depend on their own fate.
"Even if you don't want to kill them, crippling them is fine—no one will blame you," he said. "If anyone annoys you, just hit first. If anything comes of it, I'll back you."
Xiao Mei smiled. "We're just too lazy to bother."
"How long can you stay this time, Teacher?" Xiao Yue asked.
"Not long. Too much to handle outside."
"Is there anything we can help with?"
He smiled and shook his head. They looked disappointed; despite becoming Lords of the Dao, they still seemed forever unable to help.
He sat at the familiar table. "You truly want to help?"
The four nodded in unison. "We do."
"Alright then—I've got something for you. You've stayed here long enough; go see the outside."
"Where exactly do you mean by outside?" Xiao Yue asked.
"Outside the domain-world."
Xiao Mei was surprised. "Outside? Isn't that the Chaos? At our level we shouldn't be able to enter."
He shook his head. "Not the Chaos—another place. Only you four can go; no one else." Within the Five-World Domain, even those who broke into the Chaos could only enter true Chaos via his array. The place he meant was his storage space—his private territory; he allowed no one in.
"Have some tea first," he said. "We'll talk over what's happened these years. Soon you'll be busy—perhaps for several millennia."
Xiao Mei laughed. "Busy is good. We've been too idle—and we don't like going out much," she said, glancing at Little Mist, the one who did.
Little Mist wailed, "Every time I went out, a few hotheads would show up—so annoying! I really wanted to one-punch them all."
"If they bother you, why not tell them?" he asked—meaning Venerable Hao and the rest.
"They're focused on cultivation now and have passed affairs to juniors," Xiao Mei said. "We couldn't be bothered. So long as those people don't cross the line, we let it slide—and in Yudao they can't do much anyway."
They chattered about the years past: their experiences were simple—visits to the Origin Ancestral Land and other worlds—before returning. Yudao was home. After half a day of talk, the four suddenly looked outside: without anyone noticing, the space beyond the courtyard was already packed with people.