Chapter 536 Part 2

Chapter 536 Part 2: The Tao Ancestor (2)

The Ancestor did not get angry and continued to smile softly.

"This is the reason why you and I meet today."

"As for the truth about the Great Collapse and the origin of Long Life Lock… this story must start from the beginning of the world."

…………………..

The illusory figure of the Ancestor spoke vividly in the grand hall of the Dao Palace.

"In ancient times, before heaven and earth were separated, when chaos reigned and nothing had taken shape, the sky, earth, sun, and moon were not yet formed, resembling an egg, in a state of chaos and darkness…"

"At the beginning of all realms, there was a primordial divine being who opened up heaven and earth, known as the First God of Creation."

"This First God of Creation is known in different cultures throughout the many worlds, with various names and forms." The Ancestor looked at Qiao Mu at this point:

"Here, we will call him… Pangu."

The name from Daozu made Qiao Mu squint his eyes.

A True Immortal like Immortal Yanshen can influence time, and at the peak, figures like the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor or Daozu can see both the past and the future.

In the great world of Jiu Province, the existence of Qiao family members is an unsolvable mystery, known as the most enigmatic family in Jiu Province.

Everyone knows that there must be a great secret behind the Qiao family members, but no one knows Qiao Mu’s true background.

It is just that in front of Daozu, Qiao Mu felt he could not hide his past, as it had already been seen through at a glance.

"It seems that the world where my hometown is located is also one of the many realms," Qiao Mu said.

Daozu did not beat around the bush, simply nodding in agreement:

"All time and space, and the sum of all realms, are called the many realms. Your hometown is naturally included."

"However, your hometown has long been swept away by the Great Collapse and has been completely destroyed."

"So, you knew all along?" Qiao Mu looked up at the Dao Ancestor, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"That’s a story for another time. For now, let’s talk about the Great Collapse and the Long Life Lock," the Dao Ancestor changed the subject directly.

"As I mentioned earlier, Pangu was the beginning of all worlds, and the realm he created is the Original Divine Realm. When this realm was first opened, it was already inhabited by powerful innate beings."

As the Dao Ancestor spoke, shadowy figures appeared in the vast hall, as if an immense god was awakening from chaos, wielding a giant axe to create the world.

"Innate beings are the manifestation of the laws of nature, and there is no distinction between good and evil. What people see as beneficial is considered a righteous god, while what they see as harmful is seen as an evil spirit."

"The distinction between gods and spirits is just a human-made divide."

"Later, the current Heavenly Emperor defeated the innate beings, and the realm came under the control of the Heavenly Emperor, no longer having any gods or spirits. From that time on, this realm was called… the Immortal Realm."

"Using the Original Divine Realm as the model, the countless worlds developed one after another. Some are parts of the history of the Original Divine Realm, while others are transformed from ancient spirits, or places created by True Immortals, and so on."

"The small worlds are countless, like billions of grains of sand, impossible to count. All of this, summed up through time and space, is the myriad worlds."

"The Great Collapse began in the Immortal Realm, and all worlds will be destroyed, ending at Return Ruins." The Dao Ancestor looked at Qiao Mu and said calmly.

"The great primordial being at the beginning of all realms is Pangu. He represents the creation from nothing to something."

"The great primordial being at the end of all realms is called Entropy. He represents the transition from something to nothing."

"Entropy is the end of all things, an irreversible process that even the strongest creatures cannot stop, including myself."

Qiao Mu listened quietly.

Before entering Return Ruins, he had talked with Nian Chao Sheng, the master of Tide Listening Building, who pointed out two paths: one leading to the Heavenly Emperor and the other to the Dao Ancestor.

But now he had roughly discovered both paths.

Even the mighty Heavenly Emperor perished in the Great Collapse, and the Dao Ancestor could not change the course of events. He is the only being to have survived from the previous Chaos Era to now, proving the truth of "eternal suffering."

The Dao Ancestor continued, "The worlds begin with Pangu and end with Entropy; this is a complete cycle."

"Pangu is the first and the most powerful god, but he cannot live forever. After he created the world, he will die."

"Entropy is the last god, and he will only truly appear when the Great Collapse arrives; he is the Great Collapse itself."

Qiao Mu took out the coin with the image of an ouroboros from his sleeve and let it spin and dance on his fingertip.

What the Taoist Master said about entropy does sound true, but it does not completely match the ouroboros on this Long Life Lock.

"Until there was a Chaos Era…" The Taoist Master’s gaze became deep:

"As the end of all worlds, entropy swallowed Pangu, the beginning of all worlds."

"From that time, a new cycle began."

"He is both the beginning and the end."

"All the heavens and realms started with the great serpent and will also end with the great serpent. From nothing comes something, and then returns to nothing; everything is connected to him."

"Thus, He jumped out of the original cycle, about to enter a new one. He is both destruction and rebirth. And immortality is the external manifestation of His essence."

Qiao Mu sat up a bit, as he had roughly figured out the nature of entropy before, but at this moment, he still underestimated it.

The Dao Ancestor smiled again as he spoke about this.

"But even so, the cycle of entropy has not yet reached complete perfection."

"There are two reasons for this."

"The first is because of me," the Dao Ancestor explained further.

"I am a being born from the countless worlds, but I have stepped out of this cycle and did not die in the Great Collapse, so the cycle of entropy is not perfect."

The Dao Ancestor has proven to be unbreakable; even the Great Collapse cannot harm him.

As he said, he truly cannot stop the process of the Great Collapse, but entropy has not been able to truly kill him.

This is the true meaning of the Dao Ancestor being eternal and immortal.

The Dao Ancestor is not an ordinary being; he was the strongest in the last Chaos Era, a single person as powerful as countless beings.

As long as the Dao Ancestor, who exists beyond the Three Realms and the Five Elements, is alive, the cycle of entropy cannot be considered perfect.

"Secondly, it is because of Pangu," the Dao Ancestor continued:

"As the beginning of all worlds, Pangu is the first and the strongest divine being. His status is the same as entropy, and even though he was consumed by entropy, he was not completely ‘digested’."

The so-called digestion is just a metaphor. Just like a giant serpent swallowing all worlds, it doesn’t mean there is actually a giant snake eating everything.

"So, for endless ages, entropy has been trying to complete itself," the Dao Ancestor went on:

"When he completes himself and the cycle is full, he will naturally become the ‘serpent with no beginning and no end’."

"The cycle of life and death, the cycle of time and space, everything is included within it, with no beginning and no end."

"At that time, from the beginning of time to the Great Collapse, from the fairy realm to the mortal world, all living beings in the heavens and worlds could not escape His cycle. At that moment, He was almost like the very essence of the heavens and worlds, the only true god."

The Dao Ancestor simply drew a circle in front of him, and instantly, a shadow of a serpent with its tail in its mouth appeared in the empty space before him.

It looked exactly like the Ring Snake Coin in Qiao Mu’s hand.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Mu’s heart understood as well.

"Entropy originally represents the ‘end of all worlds’ and is a type of divine magic."

"And the serpent that bites its own tail is the entropy that becomes a timeless snake after a perfect cycle is achieved."

At this thought, he suddenly felt his hair stand on end, and his mind instinctively sank into the Long Life Lock inside his heart.

The Long Life Lock is actually a decorative charm similar to a safety lock, symbolizing the sealing of the wearer’s life. It is usually engraved with auspicious patterns like longevity peaches or unicorns, or inscribed with blessings like ‘live a hundred years.’

However, the pattern on Qiao Mu’s Long Life Lock is that of a serpent with its tail in its mouth, with the words "immortal and undying" inscribed on it.

So… why is the pattern on the lock not the "Great Serpent of the End of All Realms," which devours the heavens and worlds, but instead the "Ouroboros," which does not yet exist in this world?

There is no doubt that the eternal Ouroboros form is the goal of entropy. So what does this have to do with Qiao Mu, and why does it appear on the Long Life Lock?

The Dao Ancestor watched Qiao Mu’s reaction and smiled quietly.

"Qiao Mu, do you think, or have you ever thought…" The Dao Ancestor’s smile slowly grew.

"That you, who possess the power of immortality, are actually not a mortal at all, but the End of All Realms, entropy itself?"

"When you clear your understanding and realize your true nature, can you then use your own will to stop this Great Collapse?"

Qiao Mu’s gaze turned cold, and he said in a chilling voice:

"Since the Dao Ancestor knows everything, and understands my background very well, why speak in circles? Just say what you mean."

"Then I will speak plainly: you are indeed a mortal. Or rather, in the beginning, you were just a mortal."

As the words of the Dao Ancestor echoed, the shadow of the serpent in the empty palace began to move from its still pattern.