Mu Changqing watched all this with indifferent eyes. This was the price for attacking him.
Unlike the Demon Ancestor, he was a true warrior, unafraid of death.
Therefore, Mu Changqing bestowed upon him the great favor of dying in an ultimate battle.
Karma and destiny, however, were different. From beginning to end, they were merely scum in the darkness, doing unspeakable things.
Such behavior filled Mu Changqing with extreme disgust.
To let them be easily annihilated would be too lenient.
"Enjoy my gift to the fullest."
Mu Changqing said coldly, and with a wave of his hand, he cast them into unknown ages, forging a dark prison.
Even if heaven and earth perished, and eternity shattered, they would not be able to die, only to live forever in the most extreme torment.
"The dignified Emperor Burial Mu Changqing, how narrow-minded he is, it is despicable."
At this moment, a faint, mocking voice echoed through heaven and earth.
Immediately after, the world fell silent, and time froze.
In a place of unknown origin, in the boundless distance.
A ray of light suddenly appeared, emerging from the darkness, like an endless chasm tearing through the heavens and earth.
Majestic heavenly might and endless divine radiance surged forth, like the emanation of the highest substance, pouring out, carrying the most dazzling and brilliant light.
That light was boundless. The moment it appeared, heaven and earth were rendered insignificant, and the sun and moon lost their luster.
Mu Changqing turned, his expression as indifferent as ever. His thick black hair was interwoven with a crystalline galaxy, constantly creating and perfecting his ancestral origin.
"They've come? I'm rather looking forward to it."
Mu Changqing murmured to himself. He eagerly anticipated a powerful, unknown opponent.
However, no matter how powerful and terrifying you are, you will ultimately face annihilation.
This was his confidence, stemming from an invincible heart.
A confidence that dared to make heaven and earth tremble, that knew not how high the Emperor Heaven was, nor how deep the thick Earth was.
Perhaps, to others, this was arrogance and blind self-importance.
But Mu Changqing was different. This was an invincible dominance, a resolute pursuit of his own Dao.
No matter how terrifying and powerful his opponent, he would never retreat in fear.
At this moment, the sound of Dao resonated throughout heaven and earth.
It was akin to the sound of creation, the booming noise of heaven and earth being split open, like the arrival of gods, the chanting of all beings in prayer.
A great realm appeared, similar to the ancestral origin, yet with some differences.
There, the seasons were like spring, and prosperity was eternal.
There, every blade of grass, every tree, every flower, every branch, every mountain and river… the most common, mundane things, all flowed with infinite divine radiance, all spewing forth sacred substances.
Those substances were more alluring than the primal chaos origin. Perhaps even a mere common sacred substance could create a primordial being, which was extremely terrifying.
Upon that radiant plain, a figure, bathed in light, like a banished immortal, was tending to a vast and boundless medicinal garden, shimmering with a flowing brilliance.
Watered with the substance of the ancestral origin and spurred by the passage of time, the fruits produced were all resplendent with light. On the side of its terrifying medicinal power, a great universe was born, yet the banished immortal figure pulled them out and discarded them like weeds.
The man slowly stood up, his posture unfurling, as tall and imposing as a giant of heaven and earth.
He slowly turned, his eyes flowing with divine light, vaguely carrying an eternal smile.
"Mu Changqing, I've waited for you for too long."
The banished immortal figure moved slightly. Without taking a step, he traversed space and time in an instant, appearing wherever his thoughts reached.
Wherever he passed, ancestral medicines bloomed and rejoiced, vying to outshine one another.
It was more captivating than the revival of all things.
This was creation from nothingness, sharing the same origin as the gray ancestral origin, yet with some differences, striving to forge its own Dao and break free from the shackles of the gray ancestral origin.
"You knew I would come?"
Mu Changqing smiled faintly, as if conversing with a long-lost friend.
Between them, there was no hint of confrontation, nor any gunpowder smell.
"Does it matter if you come or not? Is your coming or not coming predestined? No, at our level, everything is unknown. When the unknown becomes reality, it becomes known. Therefore, there is no so-called destiny. It is merely you and I controlling the direction of our own future. What do you think?"
The banished immortal figure's words were filled with endless primordial truths, making them impossible to fathom.
Only beings of the same level could understand the true meaning within.
Mu Changqing nodded slightly in agreement.
All his actions, though seemingly random, were filled with certainty. Though seemingly known, they were also filled with the unknown.
This was akin to the naturalness of the Dao, but with a difference: they were the creators of the Dao.
The so-called destiny was something they themselves created.
"Well said. But did you not deliberately interfere with the future by allowing Karma and Destiny to enter your domain?"
Mu Changqing did not believe that mere destiny and karma could enter the domain of a majestic ancestral god and replace the original karma and destiny.
The only explanation for all of this was that he had deliberately allowed it to happen.
The purpose was, naturally, obvious: he was waiting for him.
"Hahahaha, yes and no. If you think it is, it is the truth. If you think it is not, it is an illusion. Why bother dwelling on it?"
The man let out a hearty laugh, and his figure left the flowery plain, appearing at the entrance of the chasm.
The vast plain behind him, whose end was out of sight, moved with him.
Mu Changqing's eyes flickered at his words.
Stars flowed within his eyes, creating great eras, and the flower of the future bloomed.
Within the depths of his gaze, a purple ancestral origin trembled, pouring out bizarre, forbidden substances, dispelling the supreme interference from the ancestral god level.
After a moment, Mu Changqing chuckled.
"The present Karma and Destiny were created by you. No wonder. So, what is your purpose in luring me here? To have me destroy you? To break your curse of immortality and eternal life?"
As he spoke, Mu Changqing's smile faded, his expression turning cold and indifferent. His aura grew increasingly somber.
Regardless of the purpose of the being before him, it would ultimately lead to an ultimate battle.
It was not destiny, but rather Mu Changqing's decree.
"Yes. I could not discern your future, so I could only resort to this method to lure you here. It was also a gamble, a gamble that you would settle old scores."
The banished immortal figure stood amidst heaven and earth… this statement was not quite right, or rather, heaven and earth were in his palm. The place where he stood possessed heaven and earth.
Where he existed, time, eternity, Dao laws, the rules of order of the heavens, all substances existed.
"Oh? Continue."
Mu Changqing was not surprised. Beings at this level, no matter what actions they took, left no discernible trace.
Even though he had initially formed his ancestral origin, he could not truly deduce the true purpose of an ancestral god.
Unspeakable beings could not be inferred by ordinary means.
"Alas… I have lived for too long, and it has become somewhat uninteresting. Your appearance has disrupted the balance, broken the rules. You are too unique, and your variability is so terrifying, so terrifying that it makes us wary…"
The banished immortal figure paused for a moment, leaning languidly against the passage of time, playing with the beings of all living things.
He watched as, in an instant, a being broke free from the great realm, stepping into the darkness in search of a new gray ancient path.
He smiled, and with a slight flick of his finger, he annihilated this fated protagonist in the river of time.
Then, he slowly raised his eyes and said to Mu Changqing.
"They are seeking transcendence. We are no different!"