Chapter 1 All of This Happened in a Fragment of Time That Does Not Exist, Nor Is Easily Defined

A black spring gushed forth pure white springs. This spring ascended in the void of chaos, flowing and rippling towards the ten directions and myriad realms.

Black is the 'Stillness of Death', white is the 'Breath of Life'.

Stillness is death, but also silence, a profound nothingness without beginning; Breath is life, also a spring, a vastness without end.

The profound spring streamed with waves of light. It anchored itself in the void, and infinite power originated from it, creating many worlds in the endless sea of chaos. These worlds were the 'Water of the Spring', the 'Breath of Life'. They were created by the shifting of the profound spring, and the myriad beings within them were born by the power of the profound spring, formed by the ripples of its overflow.

The spring water continued to gush out, overflowing, spreading its power to the boundless void. But even though it could flow out endlessly, it could not permeate the entire multiverse, not even influence the surrounding ultra-large world clusters. After flowing to a certain extent, the spring water would stagnate.

At that time, the white spring water would congeal, freeze, and transform into the pitch-black Stillness of Death, returning to the dark spring to gestate. Then, it would transform again into white spring water, spreading towards the outside void.

Each time the frozen spring water returned to the spring, and the process of worlds perishing and being孕育ed again, was a 'cycle of life and death'.

It was the cultivation of a [Dao Unification Divine Power · Grand Dao Cycle of Life and Death].

The spring water surged endlessly. It was the Lord of Creation, the original intention above the heavens, a Dao Unification expert, overlooking the beings of the universe, surveying all things in the cosmos.

It was not without love—if there were no love, the spring water could not surge, the breath of life could not blow through the void, causing shifts to roll and calamities to surge. Worlds could not be born from the wrinkles that were blown through.

But its love was equally poured into death—if the ripples did not subside, if the spring water did not become still, just as the overflowing tide would not recede and sweep back, returning to the vast sea, then the power of Dao Unification could not solidify.

Just as a thrown punch needs to be retracted in order to throw a second, even more powerful punch.

For life, there must be death. And within death, new life will inevitably be conceived.

This was the beautiful Heavenly Dao of the profound spring, like the most captivating story, rising and falling, living and dying, still and moving. In the void where layers upon layers of chaotic ripples arose, many worlds were born because of it, and would also perish because of it.

Predestined fate, the essence of the Heavenly Dao.

Worlds that should have lived would die; and worlds that should have died would be full of vitality.

This was the definition of 'fairness' in the profound spring world cluster surrounding the 'Profound Spring Grand World'.

It was not subverting the laws of nature, or interpreting concepts arbitrarily, but rather the definition of the laws of nature, the concept itself, was written by Dao Unification.

Within the scope of the void world cluster covered by the profound spring, everything was developing towards a 'better' range. The divine powers in the various worlds would become better and better, higher and higher, and the beings' understanding of the Grand Dao would become deeper and deeper, more and more detailed.

Each cycle of life and death was an extreme boiling of sparks of wisdom; each birth and death of the Grand Dao was a desperate struggle to surpass past limits… Such beauty, such shock, even after countless aeons, the profound spring would not tire of watching.

The profound spring loved all beings, loved all things. If it did not love, then all things would not exist. All things existed by its power, this was an undeniable truth.

Therefore, as the Creator, as the Architect, as the initial Prime Mover, as the god of creation, as the will of heaven above the firmament.

Could the profound spring treat the many worlds under its command arbitrarily?

Because it felt that things were 'not extreme enough', 'not suppressed enough', 'not at the final moment', just like an author who had to update on the deadline, a writer who would only work hard when the deadline arrived, it had to wait until it felt that 'it was almost ready' before taking action, urging salvation to arrive.

Because it felt that things were 'not at their peak', 'not brilliant enough', 'not at the most dazzling moment', just like a creator who only started writing when they were in the mood, a writer who could only write when they were in a good mood, it had to wait until it felt that 'it was almost time' before withdrawing its protection, allowing the long-delayed end to descend.

Could it interfere with the operation of the many worlds for such reasons?

For the original multiverse, of course it could.

If it were ordinary people, such actions might be called quirks, a bit obsessive-compulsive, or even 'sick'—but for the heavens, this was the will of heaven, this was heavenly principle, this was the established order and iron rule, which no one could violate.

For Dao Unification, this was the truth—it was not unreasonable, but rather they were the truth.

The profound spring felt that this was good, and so it was done.

Beings? It loved them. Whether ants or kunpeng, beggars or celestial emperors, in the face of the Heavenly Dao of the cycle of life and death, all things would repeat the cycle of love. Apart from this Heavenly Dao, there was nothing that could be called eternal, everything was loved equally, like equal dust.

Who could deny this truth?

Only other truths.

"You can create, you can bestow, you can give what you think is good to all beings in the world."

A voice like burning fire rang out, shaking the void and starry sea, causing the spring water to ripple and lightning to arise.

A hand, a giant hand covered in dragon scales, both fearsome and gentle, capable of destroying and creating, stretched out from beyond the distant spacetime.

This hand broke through layers of obstacles, tore apart the seals of the Grand Dao. It followed the veins of the profound spring's ripples, cleaving through the waves of the living spring, dissolving the frozen stillness, reaching directly to the core of the profound spring.

This giant hand covered the sky, about to press down directly on the spring, stopping the spring water that surged in the myriad heavens, stopping the eternal涌泉.

This voice carried a suppressed anger: "You should give beings the right to 'refuse'."

[What is consent?]

And faced with this directly pressing giant hand, the spring water immediately surged endlessly. It burst out with unprecedented power, and the divine power of black and white intertwined, turning into a gray torrent of heavenly pillars, resisting the hand that was enough to suppress the heavens: [What is refusal?]

The voice of the profound spring carried incomprehension, astonishment, anger, regret, and the most pure unwillingness: [Zhu Zhou, are you here to define it? Are you here to control it? Are you here to adjudicate all of this?]

[You are just Dao Unification, 'following the natural course', far from being a torrent—and even a torrent is just 'a matter of course', not to mention the transcendence above the torrent, not 'as I wish'!]

The heavenly pillar born from the profound spring was incomparably tall, majestic and magnificent. Even if the sky-covering giant hand pressed down, it was resisted.

And within this pillar of spring water gushing stars, many worlds were flashing, mountains and rivers, clouds and stars. Beings were busily walking about. Looking down, how small were heaven and earth, the cycle of life and death was but a thought of the Supreme One, the lonely stillness of death and the noisy surging of life were originally no different. That was precisely the original intention of the profound spring, the Dao of life and death, stillness and quiescence.

A gale rose, surging forward along the heavenly pillar, intending to push the giant hand away, launching a counterattack.

"Are you a moron?"

But in the next moment, the giant hand pressed down without any hesitation. The original seemingly indestructible spring pillar immediately crashed downward with a rumbling sound. Many worlds were pressed down in the rumbling thunder, turning into water droplets splashing in the virtual sea, a vast rain, freely scattered in the vast chaotic void.

That voice had no solemnity, no politeness, only the purest anger vibrating, turning into divine thunder surging from the ages, shaking the nine heavens: "You're actually asking me?!"

"Beings are right here, if you don't ask them, why are you asking me!"

A pair of eyes condensed in the void, cyan-purple dragon pupils gazing at the surging spring in the void. The fiercely burning flames and the gray-black sun came together, bringing monstrous waves.

The owner of the voice clenched his palm into a fist, and then, the brilliance of Zhu Zhou arose.

[Ananda. That virtuous man will obtain great glory here]

[His mind will awaken, his inner repression will be excessive. Suddenly, in that place, he will develop infinite sorrow. Even to the point of seeing mosquitoes and gnats as if they were infants, his heart will be filled with pity, and he will unconsciously shed tears]

—That was a wish, the light of a wish.

What was a wish? A wish was something that was actively brought up, a wish was something that some people actively craved and expected, a wish was something that would not be rejected by the owner of the wish.

A wish was the foundation of the sacred.

Some people did not need to be saved, some people did not need to be reformed.

Some purely evil people had their own aesthetics. They would rather die than change their actions, they would never be willing to be saved, they would never be willing to admit their mistakes and lower their heads.

Some stubborn madmen had their own goals. They would rather fail than act according to their own methods. Even if there was a better and faster method, they would never lower their heads, never change, never change the process of achieving their goals for the sake of so-called progress.

So they did not need to be saved, they did not need to be reformed. They would steadfastly walk in the boundless possibilities of the vast chaos, heading towards their own end with their own will.

They would not have wishes, but the light of Zhu Zhou still shone on them, because it was precisely because of their refusal that sincere wishes had meaning.

At this moment, the brilliance squeezed by the giant hand began to condense in the illusion. In the brilliance of Zhu Zhou's light, a light-forged divine blade was taking shape, its name was Nirvana, also Nirvana. When all wishes were fulfilled, this blade would fall silent, turning into a void stubborn stone, no longer bearing brilliance and sharpness, completely dissipating meaning.

But the wishes of the world were endless, without beginning or end, therefore it was eternally sharp, eternally solid, eternally shining.

Faced with this blade, even the imperishable profound spring, the eternal Lord of the Dao, must fear.

Because, this was a Dao-Slaying Blade!

The profound spring heard it, heard the sound of 'refusal' coming from the ripples formed by its spring water.

—If this is the truth of the world, this is the will of the Creator, then I would rather never exist, never be born. Even if the world is destroyed, I will definitely not let it have its way!

And there were thousands upon thousands of such voices, countless.

—Your beauty, my heart does not like.

—Your Dao, I intend to disobey.

—Your love, I am annoyed and resist.

—Your light, I do not want to bathe in.

Heaven is above, you are the constant of the mortal world. If you are eternally unmoving, beings will follow their natural course.

But if Heaven has its own biases, why can't beings reject that unfair fate?

Just like a simplest joke, a more normal truth.

—If someone confesses, must you accept?

—If someone loves you, must the loved one accept?

"That's the truth."

Every world, every call, every refusal, created light, merging into the divine blade as brilliant as a raging fire: "I am that truth."

Since knowing that his power was enough to influence all beings, every time Su Zhou took action that was enough to change the world, he would ask.

Seeking wishes.

From the Beast God Realm to Qingqiu, from the Reincarnation World to Dusk, the light of Zhu Zhou followed wishes. The flames of hope burned with the hope of beings—those who did not want to be saved, then wait. Endless time, the light of Zhu Zhou would one day illuminate the heavens and the earth.

At this moment, it was the same.

"The Blade of Nirvana, slays the body, also slays the Dao!"

Drawing on the will of 'refusal' from the beings in the many worlds derived from the profound spring, the divine blade was slashed down, and the eternally continuous veins of the Grand Dao were severed. The profound spring could sense that the profound spring Dao of life and death, which should have been its immortal and indestructible foundation, was temporarily separated from itself. It could not connect to its own transmissions, its own immortality, its own fountain of power in those worlds.

What was called 'good' was that if it was good, then others would also follow and do the same. Just like correctness, if it was really correct, no one would refuse, even if they shook their heads, they would not deny its brilliance.

That was something that was unrelated to rejection. The Dao of the profound spring might not be wrong, but the Lord of the profound spring was wrong.

In the roaring of endless anger, the Lord of the profound spring was struck by this blade. Immediately, all of its power began to self-collapse, disassociate, disintegrate into more basic, pure Dao intents without right or wrong. In order to resist this collapse, the deep spring endlessly gushed out pure white breath of life, but this was meaningless. Its will was scorched by the unquenchable flames, gradually disintegrating into fragments that filled the sky.

With one slash, in the boundless void chaos, the black and white profound spring began to weaken and distort.

[No—]

At this moment, one could still hear the unwilling cry of the profound spring: [I may be wrong, but I am not guilty! All things are born from me, and I also love beings. I am willing to repent—]

"Why are you wasting words with me, go tell them!"

However, the second blade fell, immediately splitting the profound spring open. The surging spring water began to weaken, split, and turn into trickling streams.

The despairing profound spring searched all the realms. Its power was absolutely impossible to contend against that Zhu Zhou, not to mention that outside of that Zhu Zhou, there was also a silent Hong Shi.

That silent Hong Shi gazed at the void. He was thinking at this moment, thinking about whether his salvation had given all beings the right to refuse... He was smiling bitterly, facing the profound spring's eyes full of sorrowful pleading, he also shook his head slightly.

[I am also a sinner, and so is that Zhu Zhou,] Hong Shi said, softly and quietly: [We were born from nothingness, we originally rejected the most primordial love... Who can be without sin? Who can be pure?]

[Profound Spring, death is not the end, but the beginning... If your sins are to be washed away, you must go to that 'life and death' and be reborn once]

The third blade fell, and a mournful thunder rumbled through the heavens.

The rejected will of the profound spring gradually shattered. Dao Unification experts were immortal and indestructible. Even without their Grand Dao, without their inheritance, without their will and legends being passed down, they themselves were also immortal entities, without the support of the Grand Dao, they could still not perish among all things.

But when the fourth blade fell, even an immortal and indestructible entity would fall into the stillness of silence—it was not destroyed, merely silenced.

And eternal silence was eternal sleep, which was also death. This was precisely one of the many different names of death.

Just at this moment, the fifth blade had already been raised. This blade would extinguish everything, not even leaving silence behind, but would completely return to nothingness. It would destroy the myriad realms of the void, completely and chain-destroying the entire profound spring world cluster, thereby causing the Lord of the profound spring to completely dissipate, leaving only a void imprint.

Even if the world was not destroyed, a gentle flick of the blade could spend a long time stripping the Grand Dao from the universes and realms, thereby destroying the foundation of Dao Unification bit by bit.

But this blade did not fall.

It rose, but only to return to its scabbard.

"Although its sins are sufficient to be sentenced to death, they are not enough to be extinguished."

Su Zhou sheathed his blade. He gazed at the many worlds before him, and the youth said indifferently: "The Dao of the cycle of life and death did not leave beings the right to refuse, but it is not all worlds that are refusing."

Before him, there were several worlds, shining with black and white light. They were worlds that followed the Dao of the profound spring, never refusing, wholeheartedly yearning.

This was the possibility of the beginning of a future 'miracle'.

If, in the distant future, these beings who agreed with the Dao of the profound spring truly gave birth to a new 'Dao Unification of the cycle of life and death', then the profound spring might be able to return under the call of this 'fellow Daoist'.

But that was a matter for the future.

At this moment, the will of the profound spring had fallen silent, its Grand Dao was fragmented, cut down by four blades, falling into eternal sleep.

This was death.

A black and white rotating light of the Grand Dao floated before Su Zhou, and the aura of 'rejection' lingered around it, making it dim and haggard.

Su Zhou reached out and picked it up.