In life, even if one grew stronger, it did not mean they could act entirely as they pleased.

After attending his mistress's retirement banquet and spending half a month with his parents, Wang Sheng found himself... back at the lakeside villa with his parents.

Some things had to be faced. There was little he could say or do about it. His parents living happily every day without having to worry about material needs was already far better than what he had known in his previous life.

With them on this blue planet, Wang Sheng had even more reason to step up and face whatever lay ahead.

Looking at his villa from a distance, it now had a distinctly old-fashioned charm.

After so many years of changing tastes, what once looked modern now felt dated. Still, it was far from being unsafe. It could last a few more years without issue.

This time, coming out of seclusion brought a subtle shift in Wang Sheng's state of mind. It allowed him to step away from his immersion in the Dao and return to his usual self.

At the very least, he would not lose himself within the Great Dao.

There were still many people and many matters waiting for him outside.

Wang Sheng had planned to return straight to the villa, but on a whim, he decided to take a walk and get some fresh air. With a casual gesture, he summoned a white cloud, sat on it, and rose into the sky from the front of his home.

He watched the clouds drift and fade, taking in the many forms of life with a quiet smile. To avoid restricted airspace, he flew higher than usual, drifting aimlessly through the clouds. He gradually relaxed while lost in thought.

Back at the villa, Ling Sheng leaned out of a window and watched him from afar. After a moment of consideration, she chose not to follow or disturb him.

The part of Wang Sheng's consciousness dedicated to assimilating the Great Dao of Creation continued its intense work.

"I'll have to leave this place again soon."

A trace of reluctance surfaced in his heart, though his longing for Mu Wanxuan quickly overshadowed it.

They had been apart for so many years. While he could endure it within the Time-Cycle Grand Array, he couldn't help but wonder whether her feelings for him had faded. After all, she had been out in the endless space all this time.

They shouldn't have, right?

The thought made him restless. He almost wanted to rush to her side immediately. Still, there was no need to hurry. In three to five more years, he would complete his final preparations.

The situation in the Nether Realm was the real priority.

Feng Jiu must not be allowed to obtain the King of Hell position!

There were things Wang Sheng could not share with others. From the perspective of the Nether Realm, Feng Jiu sought the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation to control it and influence the cycle of rebirth across heaven and earth. That was why the Nether Realm had chosen to relinquish part of its authority over it; it hoped to buy time and preserve itself.

But Wang Sheng knew the truth: if Feng Jiu gained control of the Six-Path Wheel of Reincarnation, it would threaten the safety of the entire world. He could not allow that to happen.

He murmured, "Even after grasping the Great Dao of Creation, I would only count as a second-rate powerful being. Gaining the power to decide everything in a single move will require a long time spent refining and deepening my understanding. There is no rushing this, though. Moreover, I have already taken several steps forward. I am no longer as helpless as before."

The white cloud drifted on. The worries in his heart rose briefly, then were carried away by the wind.

After wandering in the sky for several days, Wang Sheng returned to his place of seclusion.

This time, he gave Ling Sheng careful instructions. For each possible situation, he outlined what actions to take. He also left behind several notes, each containing specific responses to different circumstances.

Afterward, he temporarily stopped his assimilation of the Great Dao of Creation.

When all of his consciousness returned to his Primordial Spirit, he began to activate the Dao. A beam of light appeared in the living room by the lake, illuminating his body seated on the sofa.

Under the watchful gaze of Ling Sheng and Er Gou, Wang Sheng's Dao Body dissolved into streams of light and vanished within the beam. His spirit and body became one again.

It felt as though he had just woken up from a dream. At the very least, everything he had experienced on the surface surfaced in his mind like fragments of one.

He quietly recalled them, savoring each moment, until the sense of illusion slowly faded.

Right after, he sank once more into the Great Dao.

The Great Dao of Creation was among the most profound and mysterious Daos in this universe. To Wang Sheng, it represented hope, creation, and the discovery of possibility within the impossible.

There were other Great Daos that could rival it, like the Great Daos of the Three Pure Ones. Still, as the origin of all things, the Great Dao of Creation was the first disturbance born from nothingness—the very force that shaped the universe into what it was.

Tracing this Dao further back led to chaos, to emptiness, to a state where nothing existed.

Now that he had reached the final stage of assimilating the Great Dao of Creation, images began to appear in his mind. They were visions derived from the Dao itself, revealing the birth and destruction of the universe.

Perhaps it would end in heat death. Perhaps in cold silence. Perhaps the laws of Dao would collapse. Perhaps some unknown force would bring about its destruction.

Regardless, in the end, all things would return to stillness.

The Great Dao of Eternity existed only within the universe itself. It was one of the core Daos that stabilized the Sea of Dao Laws. Beyond the universe, eternity would dissolve into nothing.

Wang Sheng also now understood the nature of the Immortal Emperor, who had attacked him long ago. Strictly speaking, it was not a matter of cultivation level.

In another universe, the Immortal Emperor could have been the very consciousness of the Sea of Dao Laws, or a being who had reached the absolute peak of power.

Looking back, that being would have seen the collapse of its own universe and its inevitable end. Unwilling to accept that fate, it gathered the Great Dao of its world and forced its way into this one. It was even possible that this was not the first time it had done this.

How could such a being even be defined? Its level of existence was entirely different.

Still, Wang Sheng understood one thing. To integrate into this universe, the Immortal Emperor had to have paid an immense price.

Back then, during the Primal Era, the external devil had fought Nuwa. After she had injured him, he schemed in secret and launched a sneak attack on the sacred spirit.

The external devil then secretly took control of the Three Realms and became their ruler as the Immortal Emperor of the Heavenly Court. The Three Pure Ones then discovered him and reduced him to nothing.

Even if the external devil had not died, he had to have suffered severe injuries.

If Wang Sheng's understanding was correct, Haotian also possessed certain powers that could only be used once.

All of this would be crucial to winning the coming battle.

The most important point was simple: seize the initiative.

A bold plan was already taking shape in Wang Sheng's mind.

At present, the Immortal Emperor had already laid out the script. If Wang Sheng followed it, he would be constrained at every turn.

Xu Zhongliang was right. Only by seeing the larger picture could he truly contend with his opponent.

Now, Wang Sheng's perspective extended across the entire Immortal Saint Realm, the endless space, and even beyond the universe.

He had to win this battle and restore the natural course of this universe. Even if everything would eventually fall into stillness, there was a clear difference between reaching the end of one's lifespan and being cut short midway.

For this, he needed not only the Great Dao of Creation but also more top-level experts. He also required the ability to mobilize forces within the Immortal Saint Realm.

More ideas formed.

Since the thought was not yet mature, he set it aside for now to develop further.

Immersed in the Great Dao of Creation, Wang Sheng's physical body was also undergoing rapid transformation.

It now resembled a small world. Lightning flickered everywhere, and boundless vitality surged within. Bolts of lightning struck it all over, refining it.

From this point on, Wang Sheng could no longer be described simply in terms of physical cultivation or Primordial Spirit cultivation.

Having become the Great Dao of Creation's wielder, he had gone past the stage of comparing which aspect was stronger.

Three more years passed without him noticing.

Wang Sheng opened his eyes and saw golden clouds before him.

As he breathed in, primal qi surged into him like a flood, filling every part of him as he breathed out a sigh of relief. He then slowly sat up. With a thought, the mysterious space around him became clear.

It shrank rapidly, bringing a woman and a sword before him: Lishang and Spiritless.

Lishang sat quietly with her serpent tail coiled beneath her. Fine scales shimmered with a faint golden glow. She was clad in armor, her long hair falling to her waist. Her presence was striking.

For a moment, Wang Sheng felt that her features had changed slightly; they now exuded a trace of Nuwa's grace.

It was likely the effect of her bloodline.

When he sensed her aura, he could not help but feel surprised.

She reached the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm just like that?

To top it all off, her realm was still rising slightly. Her bloodline was truly extraordinary.

Now that she was a Taiyi Golden Immortal, she might even be able to contend with an ordinary Grand Dao Golden Immortal if she used her innate abilities.

She was a capable guardian, at the very least.

Wang Sheng gazed at Spiritless, smiling faintly and wryly at it. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

This sword... why does it feel even more innate than a natural spiritual treasure?

Surpassing Wang Sheng's expectations, Spiritless had somehow imprinted a trace of the Great Dao of Creation within itself.

A gentle glow surrounded the blade, and a strange presence flowed from it, as if it were alive and breathing.

The most astonishing part was the sword spirit within it.

Looking at the small, almost tangible figure within the hilt, Wang Sheng could not help but smile wryly again.

Having grasped part of the Great Dao of Creation, absorbed half of the Chaos Spiritual Dawnlight, and been closely connected to him in both mind and bloodline, Spiritless and its sword spirit had grown immensely.

Even on its own, it could be considered equal to Lishang.

Long ago, Wang Sheng had heard Yaoyun speak of Ziwei's sword, whose spirit could fight a Taiyi Golden Immortal alone. At the time, he had found it hard to believe.

Now, under the influence of the Great Dao of Creation and supported by the Chaos Spiritual Dawnlight, Spiritless had reached a similar level.

Cultivation truly followed the saying that when one ascended, even those around them rose as well.

Wang Sheng coughed lightly. Lishang slowly opened her phoenix eyes, a hint of authority showing within.

Meanwhile, Spiritless hummed softly. Strands of light drifted from its smooth blade like dandelion seeds. It gradually dispersed and reformed into Yaoyun.

Yaoyun looked at Wang Sheng in silence. He nodded to her with a smile, and she returned it.

Beside them, Lishang transformed her lower body into a pair of long legs and fell to one knee. "Greetings, Sacred Spirit!"

Wang Sheng said gently, "Rise. There is no need for such formality. Let us remain close companions."

"Mm."

Without hesitation, Lishang stood to the side, watching him with quiet satisfaction in her eyes.

He instructed, "We need to head to the Nether Realm immediately, but let's retrieve the six stone tablets first. I will explain the details on the way."

Yaoyun and Lishang both nodded. Yaoyun returned to her sword form and flew into Wang Sheng's Qiankun Ring.

Lishang wasted no time. She took out her armor and dressed swiftly, then picked up a sheathed sword. She tied her long hair into a simple ponytail and stood before Wang Sheng with a sharp and heroic bearing.

Wang Sheng was rendered speechless.

She really did not bother to avoid him at all.