To Nick Ning, the Prime Essence World had long since changed beyond recognition. Few familiar friends remained, and even fewer old enemies. He couldn’t be bothered with the power struggles in the Grand Court of Prime Essence; after staying for a while in the Aurora Sect, he left the Prime Essence World.
His Dao was still incomplete; he needed to perfect his Unruled Grand Way in the vast cosmos. The Five Elements Universe’s laws were already complete, and though there were minor flaws, they were constantly self-correcting—there was nothing Nick Ning needed to do.
Nick Ning’s divine sense swept across the void and landed on Celestial Beyond, originally just to see if any old friends were there. Unexpectedly, he saw the Destiny Sovereign. Her Dao aura was smooth and refined, clearly much stronger than before.
Nick Ning was overjoyed. He didn’t know how the Destiny Sovereign had escaped the Genesis Universe, but he decided to meet her first.
When the Genesis Gate opened for the second time, countless cultivators from the Five Elements Universe were slaughtered in the Genesis Universe. For those who had journeyed there with boundless hope and longing, it was a disaster—one of a wholly different magnitude. Back then, when countless Five Elements Universe cultivators from Blue Star fell under siege, only two words echoed in Nick Ning’s mind: massacre. Faced with such slaughter, he was powerless, barely able to protect himself.
That the Destiny Sovereign survived filled Nick Ning with immense joy.
With Nick Ning’s current cultivation, reaching Celestial Beyond was as simple as tearing through the void—he could arrive in an instant. Yet just as he was about to rip open space, he suddenly felt his heart stir, as if a long-abandoned, most sensitive string within him had been plucked.
Nick Ning halted. His divine sense pierced through the Five Elements Universe, passing countless barriers, and landed upon a nondescript planet.
He saw a woman in a pale yellow dress, gripping a long sword, gazing blankly at a gray river. The river was peculiar, seemingly filled with the aura of reincarnation.
But none of this mattered to Nick Ning. The moment he saw the woman, he felt as if struck by a sudden bolt of lightning—he was rooted to the spot. He was certain it was Jane Yan; there could be no mistake.
Even if Jane Yan had returned through reincarnation, Nick Ning was certain he could not be mistaken. That familiar presence, that familiar aura, made his eyes instantly redden.
Jane Yan had never lived a peaceful day by his side, yet she followed him from the cultivation world to the immortal realm, and then to the divine realm of Prime Essence...
In the end, because he sought to seize the Gate of Destiny, he failed to protect Jane Yan, allowing her to fall at the hands of the Immeasura Palace Lord. He couldn’t even kill the Immeasura Palace Lord to avenge her—this became his eternal regret.
Now, seeing Jane Yan again, the softest part of Nick Ning’s heart felt as if struck by a mighty hammer—he was dazed, unable to move, as if rooted to the spot. He couldn’t even take a step, yet somehow found himself standing before Jane Yan.
Heaven have mercy—he had finally seen Jane Yan again.
Several breaths passed before Nick Ning calmed down. He took a deep breath and was about to tear open the realm to appear beside Jane Yan when a sudden voice interrupted him: "What’s your name?"
Nick Ning was startled. He had been so absorbed by Jane Yan that he hadn’t noticed the situation in the surrounding void. Yet even so, it should have been impossible for anyone to approach him unnoticed—at least, not within the Five Elements Universe.
As the voice faded, a figure appeared before him.
Standing before him was a plain-looking, simply dressed middle-aged man. To Nick Ning’s astonishment, this man was in the Creation Realm—a true master of Creation. From his smooth Dao aura, Nick Ning could tell this man had realized the supreme Grand Way.
"And who are you?" Nick Ning frowned, sizing up the middle-aged man. He quickly realized this person was terrifying; his Dao aura flowed perfectly, without the slightest stagnation. Nick Ning had met Lyle Yew before, but before perfecting his own Grand Way, he was nowhere near this man’s level.
The middle-aged man standing before him was certainly no weaker than Lyle Yew—if anything, he was even stronger. When had such a powerhouse appeared in the Five Elements Universe?
"Who I am isn’t important. What matters is that you once used one of my Reminiscent Bodhi Seeds." The middle-aged man spoke gently, as if chatting with a neighbor.
Reminiscent Bodhi Seed? Nick Ning was startled. He had acquired it deep within the Abyss of Eternity by trading with a lingering soul. Was that seed truly his?
"Back then, I produced seven Reminiscent Bodhi Seeds, and one of them ended up with you. Where there is cause, there must be effect. My name is Dominic Du. Come with me—you are of great use to me, and I believe you’ll be glad for this opportunity in the future…" Dominic Du finished speaking and reached out to seize Nick Ning.
Nick Ning didn’t move at all; he simply raised his hand and grabbed at himself, pulling out a faint, elusive Dao principle.
Dominic Du’s hand abruptly froze. He stared at Nick Ning in shock.
Even he, if he had used another’s Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, could never extract its reincarnation Dao principle—the principle would have fused completely with body and soul through reincarnation. Yet this young man had done the impossible. What level was he on?
Dao aura burning in his hand, Nick Ning erased the reincarnation Dao principle left by the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. He looked calmly at Dominic Du, "I’ve met someone named Morgan Du—what’s your relationship to him?"
Before he understood his new Dao, he could only comply. Now, to Nick Ning, Dominic Du wasn’t even an obstacle.
Dominic Du hurriedly clasped his fists, "I’ve overstepped. Morgan Du was once my disciple. Farewell."
As Dominic Du spoke, he turned to leave. Nick Ning stretched out his hand, and the Genesis Divine Spear unleashed countless spear shadows, locking down the entire universe in an instant. Even with Dominic Du’s strength, he felt a chill—space and time were no longer under his control. The laws of heaven and earth had changed; he was now an outsider in this void, like a fish in shallow water, helpless as a giant hand closed in.
Madness flashed in Dominic Du’s eyes. The appearance of Di Jiu had already left him depressed, and now there was someone even stronger than Di Jiu—where were these monsters coming from?
At this moment, Dominic Du no longer dared to seize Nick Ning. The Reminiscent Bodhi Tree unfurled behind him, and the Creation Wheel sent wave after wave of Genesis Dao aura crashing out. If he couldn’t break through Nick Ning’s countless spear shadows, he might not escape with his life today.
"Break!" Dominic Du’s Dao aura surged, and with a furious roar, the Creation Wheel’s radiance exploded.
Crack! Nick Ning’s countless spear shadows shattered, and Dominic Du finally saw a clear path—he could leave at any moment now.
Dominic Du was astonished. By rights, Nick Ning’s terrifying spear shadows shouldn’t have been so easily broken. Had he not used his full strength, or was Nick Ning only strong in appearance but weak in reality?
In just a split second, Dominic Du realized that wasn’t the case. Nick Ning gripped the Genesis Divine Spear, paying him no heed. Instead, Nick Ning stared blankly into the depths of the void, and the next moment, he tore open the universe and vanished into nothingness.
Dominic Du watched as Nick Ning ripped through the boundary of the Five Elements Universe, his body growing cold. He was certain the gap between himself and Nick Ning was vast. Back when he had no Genesis power, he couldn’t match Di Jiu; now that he was in the Creation Realm, he hadn’t even faced Di Jiu for revenge, and here in this remote corner, he couldn’t defeat an unknown junior. If that young cultivator hadn’t had urgent matters, would Dominic Du have survived today?
And yet, Dominic Du still dreamed of dominating the Five Elements Universe, even the Genesis Universe? How laughable. He even felt his own Grand Way beginning to crumble.
Dominic Du looked down at his trembling hand. He was in the Creation Realm—a true master of Creation.
But after only a short time, Dominic Du regained his composure. The Five Elements Universe was no longer safe—Di Jiu was gone, but now an even more terrifying junior had appeared. Clearly, that junior had let him go for some reason; if Dominic Du remained, he’d surely die.
No matter how strong these juniors were, Dominic Du had once been the strongest—why couldn’t he stand at the peak again?
With this thought, Dominic Du turned and fled in a chosen direction, determined to leave the Five Elements Universe at once.
......
At this moment, Nick Ning couldn’t care less about Dominic Du—his eyes were only for Jane Yan. In just a short while, Jane Yan had vanished from his divine sense. How could he not be anxious?
(That’s all for today—good night, friends!)