Swallowing the starry sky, my clones can evolve infinitely.

Chapter 268 Amidst joy and sorrow, I find my own freedom; the heart's path leads to the ultimate truth.

In the vast and boundless First Mountain region, a giant ship spanning hundreds of light-years across the Thunder Pool passed by.

Beams of divine light emanated from the Thunder Pool ship and spread in all directions, representing the many elites of the True Spirit Holy Realm exploring the surrounding areas.

With the help of the communication token, countless pieces of information from the entire First Mountain area were gathered by Shen Mu.

"Senior Shen, I haven't found any peak-level treasures on my side yet!"

"Master Shen, the Sword Palace lineage has already explored this entire region and can no longer find any ultimate treasures."

"Senior, the Ice Palace lineage..."

The person in charge of compiling the information was not Shen Mu, but Lei Yan Tianzun.

"Master, there is no trace of any top-tier treasures left in the eastern part of the First Mountain."

At the very front of the great ship, Shen Mu sat cross-legged, where nine distinct laws of the Great Dao intertwined, using divine power as a carrier to condense into interconnected universes, forging a divine body.

Shen Mu simply sat there, and the space and time around him pulsed and changed with his aura.

"It seems that the top treasures in the eastern region have all fled."

Shen Mu opened his eyes. The Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda above his head spun rapidly, cascading down all kinds of Great Dao origins, enveloping Shen Mu.

At this moment, in the universe of the first level of the Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda, the Primordial Flame was raging, forging hundreds of ultimate treasures and refining them into endless primordial power, which was supplied to Shen Mu to accelerate spacetime.

In the outside world, the past two thousand days in the boundless Nine Wonders Mountain world are equivalent to about three hundred and twenty thousand years in the cosmic sea.

Inside the Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda, Shen Mu experienced approximately 3.2 trillion epochs. Although directly consuming the Primordial Qi accumulated in the pagoda was more effective, this time acceleration was still terrifying.

During this period, Shen Mu mainly focused on comprehending the Dao of Mind, the Dao of Time and Space, the Dao of Chaos, and the Dao of Formations.

The Heart-Image Path has the ultimate level of inheritance from the previous "Heart's Wrath and My Image Grand Canon," and the other three Great Paths are guided by the Tower Spirit, which is equivalent to the teachings of a God Emperor to perfect his life.

However, without a lineage, comprehending the other Great Daos from scratch is far more difficult than these four Great Daos, especially the Dao of the Soul.

Of the nine meridians of the Soul Path, only three branches have been comprehended over the long years, and the fusion of these branches has not yet been achieved to attain the second major Dao.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I should be able to achieve the ultimate path through one of these four great paths."

"Unfortunately, neither the Boundless Undying Mountain nor the True Spirit Holy Realm has touched upon the inheritance of the ultimate path of the soul."

Forget about the true ultimate path of the soul; there is currently no such level of inheritance in the entire Infinite Chaos Space.

The first being to transcend through the ultimate path of the soul was Dongbo Xueying, who had not yet been born.

Let alone Dongbo Xueying, it's still uncertain whether the Origin World that gave birth to Dongbo Xueying was even born.

"Hide the trail of the Thunder Pool Boat and head south!"

Upon hearing Shen Mu's instructions, Thunder Flame Celestial Venerable immediately activated the Thunder Pool Great Ship, transforming it into a dazzling bolt of lightning that dissipated into the void.

At the same time, Thunder Flame Celestial Venerable was also sending messages to the True Spirit Holy Realm cultivators in the southern region, gathering all the existing information.

Upon entering the boundless Nine Wonders Mountain, the thousands of cultivators from the entire True Spirit Holy Realm were randomly dispersed to every area of ​​the Nine Wonders Mountain.

Therefore, Shen Mu has gathered a considerable amount of intelligence over the years.

In the southern region, there is a supreme treasure that Shen Mu is most interested in—a powerful artifact containing a powerful force of will.

The True Spirit Holy Realm does not emphasize willpower. Like many source worlds, it relies entirely on the pressure of willpower to intimidate its opponents.

The will of the Origin Continent is still quite prosperous, which is probably due to the inheritance of the Lieyuan Technique.

Countless powerful individuals have inherited the Lieyuan Technique, thus deepening their understanding of willpower. However, before Luo Feng, no one had succeeded.

……

The First Mountain is a terrifying mountain peak that is tens of thousands of light-years high. Everything that happens on the mountain will not be known until tens of thousands of years later.

This means that even for a being at the God-King level, it would take at least tens of thousands of days to cross from the foot of the mountain to the summit.

The so-called First Mountain Region consists of continents that revolve around this massive mountain peak.

Boom!

Amidst the countless continents of the south, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly burst forth from the void.

The True Spirit Saint Realm cultivators who had been waiting came forward and respectfully bowed outside the Thunder Pool Boat.

"Zi Qingyi, disciple of Zixiao Heavenly Palace, pays respects to Senior Shen!"

hum!

The lightning faded, revealing Shen Mu's figure.

Shen Mu's gaze fell on Zi Qingyi: "Where is that supreme treasure containing the pressure of will?"

"Senior, it's right here..."

Before Zi Qingyi could finish speaking, a vast will emerged from the endless void, directly shattering the swirling mist in the sky and revealing the pitch-black void.

Time here began to crumble, and the void began to descend into chaos.

This was not caused by the power of the Great Dao such as the Dao of Time or the Dao of Void, but by a pure, terrifying will that transcended the ultimate realm.

"Youngster, there's no need to look for me anymore. I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

It was as if rolling thunder resounded throughout this land, accompanied by the slow rise of an endless, brilliant sun.

That great sun was not the real sun, but rather a pure radiance of will.

The instant the sound spread, all the countless lives and spirits on this continent and its mountains fell into a coma, leaving only Shen Mu.

"I never expected it to be a treasure at the quasi-primordial level."

The Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda above Shen Mu's head suddenly enlarged, spreading out like vast universes, crushing spacetime, enveloping the entire Thunder Pool Boat, and then quickly dissipating.

"It's too late to escape now!"

"Both are quasi-primordial treasures, but this tower cannot protect you!"

Within the Great Sun of Will, an ancient bell swayed slightly, and the invisible realm of will began to spread, without carrying the mysteries of the Great Dao of Fluctuation.

Unlike the Path of Illusion or the Path of the Soul, this is a pure illusion of will, obscuring all self.

Ding--

The bell rang long and pure, neither in Shen Mu's ears nor in the very essence of his soul.

Instead, it trembles from Shen Mu's own will and soul, evolving into endless cycles of reincarnation.

Before falling into the illusion, Shen Mu heard the ancient bell's last words.

"A quasi-primordial treasure without a soul—what a tremendous opportunity, such a tremendous opportunity..."

Clearly, the ancient bell's target was not Shen Mu, but the Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda.

A treasure with a soul is no different from a true living being. But a treasure without a soul can never unleash its full power.

……

"who I am?"

Shen Mu opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by smoke and deafening shouts of battle.

The wind howled, sand and dust filled the sky, and the stench of blood was strong and pungent.

Shen Mu, dressed in tattered and bloodstained armor, gripped the heavy longsword tightly.

Looking around blankly, all I saw were unfamiliar faces.

"Who am I? Where am I?"

On the battlefield, the shouts of battle were like a never-ending storm. A fierce-looking soldier charged forward, wielding a long spear, his eyes filled with a frenzied killing intent.

Instinctively, he raised his sword to defend, and the sword and spear collided, producing a crisp sound.

A tremendous force surged through my arm, making my hand ache, and I nearly dropped the longsword.

"Who are you?" Shen Mu shouted, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the surrounding shouts of killing.

The soldier remained silent, then roared again and thrust his spear forward.

At that moment, a burly man, as tall as an iron tower, rushed over.

He wielded a huge axe, his imposing presence instantly felling the soldier who attacked Shen Mu, blood splattering and staining the ground beneath his feet.

"Hey kid, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and kill the enemy!" the big man shouted.

"Do you know me? Who am I?" Shen Mu asked anxiously, as if grasping at a straw.

The burly man frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "You're Lin Feng, aren't you? We joined the army together, how come you've even forgotten yourself?"

"Lin Feng? That's me, but why don't I remember him at all?" Shen Mu was full of doubts, but the battlefield was in chaos, and he had no time to think about it.

The enemy surged in like a tide, and Shen Mu had no choice but to fight desperately.

Every swing of the sword is driven by the desire to survive.

Watching his comrades fall one by one, Shen Mu gradually became numb, knowing only to kill, and to keep killing.

During a lull in the fighting, Shen Mu looked around, trying to find clues to his identity.

Not far away was a tattered military flag with blurry patterns, but Shen Mu felt it was familiar.

Shen Mu ran towards the military flag with all his might, dodging enemy attacks along the way.

As Shen Mu approached the military flag, several enemies blocked his way.

"Stop him! Don't let him get near the flag!" the enemy shouted as they rushed toward Shen Mu.

Shen Mu gritted his teeth and fought desperately with his spear.

Shen Mu was very strong. He always instinctively gathered his strength into one place and unleashed an attack that others could not withstand, breaking through the army formation and arriving at the army flag.

Shen Mu carefully examined the pattern on the military flag, trying to find clues.

But then, a cold arrow suddenly shot out, and Shen Mu couldn't dodge it in time.

As consciousness faded, only one question remained in my mind.

"Who am I? And why am I fighting this war?"

"Who am I...?"

When Shen Mu woke up again, he saw the white walls of the hospital and his wife Tang Yongqing's concerned face.

Tang Yongqing hugged Shen Mu and burst into tears, crying, "You're finally awake..."

In this life, Shen Mu is a person who has just awakened from a vegetative state.

In his first year after waking up, Shen Mu tried his best to adapt to this unfamiliar world.

The question "Who am I?" kept swirling in Shen Mu's mind.

His wife patiently recounted their past to Shen Mu, but looking at the photos, she could only catch a vague glimpse of them.

In the second year after his awakening, he accepted his identity and began to embrace a new life.

In the third year, the fourth year... Shen Mu gradually let go of everything and lived an ordinary life.

In the final moments of his life, back in the familiar hospital ward, the almost forgotten question resurfaced in Shen Mu's mind.

"Am I... really me?"

……

In the dilapidated and quiet thatched hut, Shen Mu awoke in a dimly lit corner.

"Another life?"

His clothes were tattered, he was covered in dirt, and he was lame.

In this life, Shen Mu is a beggar.

The world around me is filled with indifference and disdain.

In the first year, I wandered the streets, constantly plagued by hunger and cold.

The following year, life did not improve at all... Year after year, time passed in hardship.

One winter day, Shen Mu froze to death in an abandoned, dilapidated wooden hut.

In the last moments of his life, the question of "who am I?" still echoed in his mind.

But Shen Mu was powerless to find the answer, and as his consciousness faded, he fell into darkness once more...

In the fourth generation, Shen Mu ruled a dynasty, working diligently to govern it and bringing glory to all.

In his fifth life, Shen Mu was a scientist.

In the sixth life... through a series of illusions, Shen Mu experiences joys and sorrows, and witnesses the myriad aspects of human life.

Later, Shen Mu didn't know how many times he had been reincarnated. Sometimes, Shen Mu even felt that he was very lucky to have countless lives, so why should he still be concerned about who he was?

……

The vast will shook the entire Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda, and endless radiance of will condensed, repeatedly attempting to distort the defenses of the Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda.

"Damn it... the tower-shaped treasure is too sturdy. Even if it slowly wears down, there won't be enough time."

"Such a commotion must have attracted the attention of the Hunyuan beings."

The ancient bell manifested as a human figure, and then a special wave of will spread out, cutting through the entire space-time and teleporting the Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda away from this continent.

Before long, a tiny space, as small as a mustard seed, opened up amidst the vast clouds and mist.

Inside the space, countless chaotic mists surged, and enormous stone pillars with diameters of one light-years supported the entire world.

Each stone pillar is an invincible divine weapon, forming a formation according to their positions.

"This time, I don't know how long you can hold out."

The bell trembled, and the primal power of the Ultimate Wave Dao and the Ultimate Tide Dao intertwined, causing thousands of invincible treasures to resonate.

These treasures were not forged from life sacrifices, but were crafted from this ancient bell.

hum!

Brilliant chains of light from the Great Dao intertwined, and under the resonance of the Ancient Bell's Dao of Fluctuation and Dao of Tide, they converged into a sharp spear of primordial chaos.

"Break it!"

Boom!

The boundless primordial energy burst forth, directly piercing through the power of the rules of this realm, and exploding onto the pagoda.

Click!

A fine crack appeared on the Ten Absolute Primordial Pagoda.

Suddenly, a peculiar fluctuation spread out from the pitch-black bone tower; this was the will of the Ultimate Realm.

"It's recovered? Interesting. The will of the Ultimate Realm can actually break free from the illusion of will."

"That's enough for now, give me the town!"

Boom!

Two immense wills began to clash, but the result left Gu Ling utterly astonished.

"The realm of a Palace Master... no, the Great Perfection of the Palace Master realm, the will of a semi-primordial being!"

The ancient bell instantly burst into flames. Faced with this level of will, the ancient bell's own will was directly suppressed, and the power of the entire formation instantly dissipated. The Ten Absolute Exquisite Pagoda broke free from its restraints.

As the two near-primordial divine weapons expanded in the front, this ring-shaped Sumeru world collapsed directly.

"You're merely an Ultimate-level life form... how could you possibly possess a will at the semi-primordial level!"

Shen Mu did not respond to Gu Ling's question.

"Believing in life and death, amidst joy and sorrow, I remain carefree—this is the true pinnacle of inner peace!"

The Great Dao of Mind and Body is achieved; the ultimate realm is broken!

"I owe my understanding of the true nature of the mind to you!"

Shen Mu's eyes flashed with murderous intent as his complete inner vision condensed into the ultimate Dao, propelling his soul and body to begin a transformation.

Previously, although Shen Mu already possessed the combat power of the ultimate realm, he had only comprehended the second level of the Great Dao, and the soul and divine power structure he constructed was only at the second level of the God King realm.

The fact that he possesses ultimate-level combat power is largely due to his ultimate-level will and perfect divine body, which provide a strong foundation. Even though his divine power and soul structure are only at the second level, Shen Mu is still comparable to the ultimate-level.

Boom!

The mysteries of the mind and the Dao intertwined, constructing a brand-new soul structure. Shen Mu's soul strength suddenly began to surge, breaking through the ultimate peak boundary in an instant!

(End of this chapter)