The heavens and earth were incomplete.

This domain could not accommodate the emergence of Uncarved Simplicity Realm cultivators, and even Immortal Ascension cultivators would face considerable restrictions.

Chen Yan had long been aware of all this.

Gazing at the mountain of corpses towering dozens of feet before him, an inexplicable sense of absurdity rose unbidden in his heart.

These remains from countless ages past had become the sole proof that Tianji Continent had ever existed.

They were also the source of the sage authority wielded by the current Sage of Imperial Void.

Bai Chen's gaze remained fixed on Chen Yan, then he gave a slight nod and spoke:

"It seems you have already returned that sixty-thousand-year span of cause and effect to the Great Dao of this domain, eight thousand years ago."

Even though he was now merely a lingering obsession within the threads of cause and effect, he still held the final sage authority of this world, and was still the obsession of a Sage.

Bai Chen could perceive from Chen Yan that in the final moments of Tianji Continent seven million years ago, that span of over sixty thousand years of his own cause and effect, which he had witnessed, had already vanished.

"Yes."

Chen Yan replied with a calm tone, not at all surprised that Bai Chen was thoroughly aware of all this.

During the seven million years since Tianji Continent had fallen and Chenping Continent had been born, this predecessor Sage of the domain, who had taken over the mess left behind by the Ultimate Sage of Heaven's Extremity, had constantly watched over every stirring of wind and grass in this domain.

Whether through the perspective of Yan Yunhe, or through the perspective of Ruan Tingzhu, or through any other person's perspective.

Bai Chen had always been watching everything on Chenping Continent.

From the first drop of rain that fell upon this world, to the emergence of the first life, the first human, the first cultivator...

All of it had been witnessed by him.

And over a hundred thousand years ago, this Sage of Imperial Void had intervened for the first time, guiding Jiang Zi'an, who would become the first Immortal Ascension cultivator of Chenping Continent in later generations, the first Ascended Steward of Heavenly Summit Mountain, True Person Tian Su, on his path of cultivation.

Enabling him to break through to the Immortal Ascension Realm and establish Heavenly Summit Mountain.

The second intervention had been utilizing his remaining sage authority to descend into the mortal world, transforming into Yan Yunhe, leading the Kongshan Sect toward a peak that the cultivators of the former Kongshan Sect had never dared to imagine.

And now, this was Bai Chen's third attempt to intervene.

All of this was entirely within Bai Chen's grand design.

"I heard that you renamed Heavenly Summit Mountain to Du Cang Mountain."

Bai Chen continued:

"And your own dao title is Realman Du Cang... you wish to deliver all living beings of the world?"

"Yes."

Chen Yan gave another extremely brief reply.

"I see that you can barely protect yourself now, so why make such grand claims... when that day comes, Chenping Continent will surely be reduced to ashes. If you manage to escape this calamity by sheer luck, still carrying this dao title, aren't you afraid of being laughed at? After all, you haven't accomplished anything."

Upon hearing this, the Sage of Imperial Void smiled and shook his head.

"Cultivation must follow the heart. If this is what I truly believe in my heart, why would others laugh at me?"

Chen Yan said calmly:

"Saving oneself is also saving all living beings. These were words I saw on a plaque in the Kongshan Sect when I was young, and I have kept them in my heart ever since."

"Oh?"

As if muttering to himself, the Sage of Imperial Void chewed over these six characters for a moment, raised an eyebrow slightly, and revealed an expression of interest:

"Which plaque in the Kongshan Sect bears these words?"

"Qingchan Peak, Cangwu Study."

Chen Yan answered.

To this day, Chen Yan still remembered the scene from the night he first broke out of the initial cycle of reincarnation, when he had followed Chu Xiyao to Qingchan Peak and met with Elder Fu Qian within Cangwu Study.

"Never heard of this place. Since it's a plaque on Qingchan Peak, does it have something to do with that little fellow Kong Yang?"

Bai Chen continued asking.

"It has no connection to True Person Caiyun whatsoever. These six characters were merely the inscription on the plaque of a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator's residence on Qingchan Peak."

Chen Yan said.

"This person is rather interesting... How is his talent?"

Bai Chen said.

"He is now over six hundred years old, with no hope for the upper three realms. It's expected that in another two or three hundred years, he will pass away of old age."

"That is somewhat regrettable."

The Sage of Imperial Void shook his head.

"This junior doesn't quite see it that way, because those six characters he carved on the plaque seem to be something he himself never took to heart."

Chen Yan said, then paused briefly:

"He is merely a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator who stops at nothing to achieve his goals."

"So, what about you?"

The Sage of Imperial Void continued asking:

"Have you taken these six characters to heart?"

"What does Senior think?"

Chen Yan countered.

"I think you haven't. You've merely treated the two characters 'Du Cang' as a slogan to unite the cultivation world of Chenping Continent."

Thereupon, standing beneath the mountain of corpses, Chen Yan said nothing, merely shaking his head gently.

Bai Chen was right.

Chen Yan certainly hadn't taken the two characters "Du Cang" completely to heart, nor was he devotedly determined to save all living beings of the world.

This was indeed merely his method of uniting Chenping Continent.

From beginning to end, Chen Yan had always considered himself an ordinary person, not a hero who could truly save all living beings.

But if he could save all living beings along the way, without hindering his own goals, he would naturally not refuse.

However, Chen Yan would never admit to any of this.

As long as he kept his true thoughts hidden deep in his heart, never revealing them.

Then he would be a true hero.

"Li Haowen told me that he encountered Sage here, and that Sage seemed to wish to see me, so what exactly..."

With the pleasantries and pointless topics concluded, Chen Yan asked toward Bai Chen atop the mountain of corpses.

"Speaking of that little fellow, he is quite interesting as well."

Bai Chen said:

"For some unknown reason, the cause and effect entangled in that little fellow's future is actually connected to that sixty-thousand-year span of cause and effect, as well as the fall of Heavenly Summit Mountain. Though the thread of causality is extremely fine, it is an indispensable link. It is precisely for this reason that I spared his life... or rather, did not permit him to die. How is this so?"

"When the future comes, the answer will naturally be revealed."

Chen Yan answered.

Hearing this, Bai Chen did not respond immediately. He merely sat upright atop the mountain of corpses, looking down from above with a meaningful gaze fixed upon Chen Yan's face, as if observing the expression on the face of this handsome young man dressed in a plain white daoist robe.

"But for you, that should already be something that happened in the past, isn't that so?"

After silence spread through the cave for a few breaths, Bai Chen spoke thus.

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