“What exactly do you want?”
Yun Fan was angry. He hated the feeling of his weakness being exploited.
Although at his level, true love and romance held little importance for most powerful beings, they were still his loved ones!
He couldn't be as heartless as others; he would pay any price to protect his beloved.
He was an anomaly in the Eternal Realm.
The other party said, "Just open the barrier! For you, it's an easy task!"
Even though it was an easy task, Yun Fan knew what it would mean for all the myriad worlds once the barrier was opened. It was hard to predict, but it certainly wouldn't be good. Thus, Yun Fan asked, "Do you want to annihilate my world?"
"Of course not!"
The other party replied, "I have no interest in this small, secluded place. I merely wish to take root here!"
"As long as you open the barrier, I will naturally send your people back!"
Yun Fan knew this was a momentous decision. He couldn't agree immediately. Instead, he said, "I haven't made up my mind about this matter. Can you give me half an epoch to consider?"
For Yun Fan, half an epoch was short, but it was enough time to accomplish many things.
For example, rescuing his people without opening the barrier. Whether it was feasible was another matter.
What he needed to do now was to try.
Unexpectedly, the other party offered him no such opportunity.
"There's no time for you to consider!"
The other party stated, "I want you to open the barrier now, or all those related to you will be annihilated!"
"You..."
Yun Fan was utterly enraged.
However, at this moment, he complied. The fate of all myriad worlds had been saved by him; now that he was in trouble, the myriad worlds should share the risk with him.
This was Yun Fan's stance. He wasn't a saint; he couldn't abandon his loved ones to protect the fragile myriad worlds.
Therefore, he immediately headed towards the barrier.
Looking at the impregnable barrier, Yun Fan had no other choice. He had to channel his War Heaven Power to open it.
Others would naturally be unable to do so.
But for Yun Fan, it wasn't that difficult, as the barrier was sealed by the First God.
And he was the reincarnation of the First God.
Therefore, Yun Fan encountered no obstacles when opening the barrier. He opened two layers, with only the last one remaining.
Unexpectedly, at this last layer, a phantom appeared. It was likely a phantom from the ancient past.
For the phantom was none other than the residual will of the First God.
He looked exactly like Yun Fan, so Yun Fan recognized the First God at first glance.
However, facing the residual will of the First God, Yun Fan felt a pang of guilt, as he had privately opened the barrier.
Although, to him, the First God was his state before reincarnation, and this residual will should rightfully belong to him.
But Yun Fan had sworn to sever ties with his past, so in his eyes, they were two distinct individuals.
At this moment, the residual will said to Yun Fan, "You have finally taken this step!"
"What do you mean?"
Yun Fan asked, confused. He was essentially talking to himself, one being his past self, the other his present self.
At this moment, the residual will told Yun Fan, "I foresaw this day long ago, but it has still come too late!"
"And do you intend to stop me?"
Yun Fan said, "I didn't want to open it, but I had no choice. My leverage is in their hands, so I have no other option!"
"I support you opening it!"
The residual will suddenly uttered these words.
"What?"
Yun Fan froze on the spot. He had never expected such an attitude from the other party.
"Are you surprised?"
"Indeed, I am somewhat surprised!"
Yun Fan said, "I don't understand your intentions!"
"The reason I sealed the barrier was to give the fragile myriad worlds more time, and also to buy time for myself, for you, to grow. Now that you have grown sufficiently, it is time to open the barrier. After all, staying in a well for too long makes one narrow-minded!"
Yun Fan was stunned into silence by these words.
He never imagined that his past self had such foresight.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked, "What is beyond the barrier?"
"Naturally, it is a vaster, more powerful world, a paradise for all top martial artists! I once ventured there and pushed my strength to its absolute peak, yet I still felt it wasn't perfect. Therefore, I chose reincarnation. Now that I see my results, I am at ease! Although you have not yet reached my peak, you are at least a perfect person!"
Yun Fan was shocked and asked, "Weren't you forced to reincarnate as me?"
This seemed completely contrary to what he had understood.
However, the residual will shook his head and said, "I have stepped beyond eternity. As long as I don't wish to die, no one can do anything to me! I hope you understand this principle!"
These words sent shockwaves through Yun Fan's mind.
"You mean, you weren't killed through a scheme back then?"
Yun Fan seemed to grasp the terrifying implication.
"Do you think ants standing on the first level can scheme against me, a ninth-level expert?"
This rhetorical question left Yun Fan speechless. Indeed, according to the First God, he had transcended the Eternal Realm.
For a group of beings striving for the ultimate within the Eternal Realm, facing such an existence was akin to a dimensional attack.
It only proved how naive Yun Fan had been.
Naively believing that his past self was killed through a scheme by the Lord of Gods and others; in reality, they were not even on the same level.
Had he not heard this truth, he would have remained ignorant forever.
At this moment, the residual will said to Yun Fan, "You are my achievement, so I am very pleased with you. From today onwards, you will replace me and continue the pursuit! Because you are more perfect than I was!"
Yun Fan said, "I understand!"
"Good, then thoroughly open the defenses of the third layer! After opening it, you will no longer be a flower in a greenhouse! You will face even more brutal trials and gain clearer comprehension!"
Well, this left Yun Fan bewildered.
He had gone through so many life-or-death trials, and yet, in the eyes of the First God, he was merely a flower in a greenhouse.
This was quite infuriating.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked again, "Will there be more dangerous enemies beyond the barrier who will attack me after I open it?"
"Why ask so many questions? You'll know when you experience it yourself!"
Yun Fan was rendered speechless. He never expected his past self to be so proud and aloof.
"One last question, why weren't you perfect?"
Yun Fan asked, puzzled.
He had transcended the Eternal Realm, yet he wasn't perfect? This was utterly baffling to him.
What, then, constituted perfection?
At this moment, the First God said, "Because I lacked emotions, I was destined to be imperfect!"
Yun Fan was stunned into silence. For the vast majority of martial artists, emotions were merely obstacles on the path of cultivation.
Yet, in the eyes of the First God, the absence of emotion was imperfection. This completely overturned Yun Fan's understanding.
At this moment, the First God said to Yun Fan, "You have emotions now, so you are more perfect than I was back then!"
"I understand!"
Yun Fan nodded. He could only say that everyone, including himself, had been deceived by his past self.
Now that he knew the truth, Yun Fan was finally at peace.
"Actually, I have another question!"
Yun Fan said awkwardly. It was a rare opportunity to meet his past self, even if it was just a residual will, and he had many questions bottled up.
"Ask away!"
The residual will was impatient. He realized that while his present self had become perfect, he had also become indecisive and talkative.
It was completely out of character for him. However, since Yun Fan was his creation, he suppressed his anger at this moment.
After all, scolding Yun Fan was like scolding himself.
At this moment, Yun Fan said, "A flower of the Great Dao bloomed, and within it was a phantom that threatened me. Do you know its origin?"
"Perhaps, perhaps not!"
The residual will said, "But it no longer matters. After you open the final barrier, it means a new challenge has begun. If you still wish to be a flower in a greenhouse, then go back and remain a frog in a well forever!"
"Understood!"
Yun Fan nodded, deciding not to waste any more words.
"Since you've asked me so many questions, I will give you a gift package with two presents!"
"There are more gifts?"
Yun Fan's interest was piqued. After all, he was quite generous himself, so he assumed his past self wouldn't be stingy.
The gifts he received must be good.
After all, one should never shortchange oneself.
At this moment, the residual will said, "For the first gift, I will give you all my remaining power. Of course, there isn't much left. For you, there won't be much room for growth. You might not even be able to leave the Eternal Realm and can only reach its pinnacle!"
"This gift is good! I like it!"
Yun Fan was very satisfied in his heart.
"After I give you the first gift, I will also disappear forever. The me of the old era must make way for the new. You are the me of the new era!"
The residual will explained the situation to Yun Fan.
Yun Fan felt no sadness, as he was the First God, albeit the First God of a new era.
"What is the second gift?"
Yun Fan asked expectantly.
After all, the first gift was so precious; the second gift must be even more extraordinary. It was impossible for him not to be excited.
The residual will said, "For the second gift, I made many enemies and enemies during my travels. If these people come to kill you, be careful!"
*Poof!*
Yun Fan almost spat out a mouthful of blood. Was this really a gift? Was he sure they weren't joking?
"I don't want this gift!"
Yun Fan stated directly. This wasn't a gift at all; it was him having to clean up the mess of his past self.
It was utterly unreasonable.
However, the residual will said, "Whether you want it or not, you have to take it. To reach the absolute peak, one cannot lack struggles and trials. When you have enough of these, you will stand at the same peak as I did. Of course, if you die, you will truly die!"
These words sent shivers down Yun Fan's spine. Was this guy deliberately trying to punish him?
Therefore, Yun Fan said, "Let's begin! I don't want to waste any more time with you!"
He had completely lost any positive feelings for the residual will. While he wasn't the first person to dupe himself, this was undoubtedly the most severe instance.
Finally, the residual will gave all his power to Yun Fan. Yun Fan clearly felt his strength increasing.
Although he had once believed that his past self had already reached the peak of the Eternal Realm, he now realized how narrow-minded he had been. Only now had he truly reached the pinnacle.
It could be said that this was a tremendous gain.
Finally, the residual will dissipated. From then on, there was no longer a First God in the world; only Yun Fan stood at the absolute peak.
Ultimately, Yun Fan, as promised, opened the third layer of the barrier.
Just as he tensed his body, ready to face the impending danger, he realized that only one true flower of the Great Dao flew in from outside and took root in the Heavenly Saint Dao State.
The previous flower of the Great Dao had withered; it was merely an illusion.
Therefore, its withering and dissipation were normal.
At this moment, Yun Fan approached the true flower of the Great Dao.
"Where are my wives?"
Yun Fan said, "I have fulfilled my promise. I hope you will keep yours!"
This was his condition.
However, a woman emerged from the flower of the Great Dao. She was so ethereal, and her power was impeccable.
But what puzzled Yun Fan was that he felt she wasn't perfect, as if something was missing.
As for what it was, he didn't know, nor did he want to know. These were not his concerns.
What he wanted now was his harem.
The woman immediately said, "Take them back!"
With that, she handed Yun Fan a sealed world, within which were Yun Fan's women.
This included Mu Dan, whom he had been searching for.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked her, "You are taking root in my myriad worlds, what exactly do you want?"
This was Yun Fan's probing question. Although he might not be her match, and he didn't know how strong she was, it was unacceptable if she intended to harm the myriad worlds he had rebuilt.
The woman said, "I am taking root here to absorb the nourishment of this desolate world. I have no interest in you ants! You don't need to worry about me slaughtering these ants, because I don't have the time!"
What was arrogance? This was arrogance. With a few casual words, she uttered the most domineering statement.
Such bearing was not feigned; it was innate.
Therefore, Yun Fan immediately said, "I see. As long as you don't harm the myriad worlds, I won't bother you. But if you do, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Hearing his threat, the woman didn't take him seriously at all. Even if Yun Fan was strong now, he was not on her level.
Therefore, the woman immediately said, "I hate ants threatening me the most. So, kneel and apologize immediately, and I won't hold it against you. Otherwise, you know the consequences!"
Yun Fan found this statement incredibly amusing.
"Are you sure you're not joking?"
Yun Fan sneered, "Since ancient times, no one has dared to threaten me, and you are no exception!"
"Is that so? Then why did you open the barrier under my threat last time?"
The woman mocked him aimlessly.
The more Yun Fan thought about it, the angrier he became. It was utterly infuriating.
Therefore, Yun Fan said, "That time doesn't count. Starting from now!"
The woman sneered, then said, "To allow you, a frog in a well, to better understand your own limitations, I will now show you what strength is!"
The next moment, Yun Fan launched his attack.
Today, even if this flower of the Great Dao had three heads and six arms, he would make her understand how strong he was.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he made his move, she merely released a telekinetic force.
*Bang!*
With just this casual strike, Yun Fan was sent flying backward. Such humiliation was too great for him.
Therefore, in his rage, Yun Fan prepared to attack again.
But at this very moment, his wives began to awaken one by one.
"Husband, please stop!"
The goddesses' expressions changed. Others might not know how strong this woman was, but they did.
She was terrifyingly powerful.
Yun Fan was about to attack, but seeing his wives so resolutely stopping him, he couldn't possibly refuse them.
"You're lucky. Don't provoke me again!"
Yun Fan turned away angrily. He didn't want to stay here for another moment, seeing this woman.
Next, it was time for him and his harem to reunite.
He didn't want to waste time here, but he now had a deeper understanding of this woman's strength.
That is, she was extremely powerful.
In terms of strength, she was definitely above him. He just didn't know if he could take her down in a desperate fight.
After the goddesses apologized to this woman, she immediately told them to leave and not disturb her cultivation.
The goddesses breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she didn't target Yun Fan, it was enough, otherwise, Yun Fan truly wouldn't be able to fight her.
Yun Fan was speechless. He felt that his harem underestimated him. With the First God's augmentation, his current strength had reached an unparalleled level.
Even if this woman was an expert beyond the Eternal Realm, his imposing aura shouldn't be inferior.
"Husband, you almost caused trouble just now!"
Zang Tian Shen Nu said with lingering fear.
"Trouble?"
Yun Fan asked, confused, "How strong is she?"
"We don't know how strong she is. We only know that her background is significant!"
Chi Xian also said with trepidation.
The remaining goddesses felt the same. While reuniting with Yun Fan was enough for them, they didn't want him to be taken away right after.
Fortunately, a complete fight was avoided, or it would have been too late.
Yun Fan was once again speechless. He felt that his wives were exaggerating the opponent's power and diminishing his own.
At this moment, Mu Dan explained to Yun Fan, "She is a Twin Flower!"
"Twin Flower?"
Yun Fan asked, confused.
"That's right. There's another flower. She is just one of them. If the two flowers merge, there will be no one in the world who can defeat them!"
Yun Fan was instantly shocked by these words. He never imagined this woman had such a profound background, far exceeding his expectations.
At this moment, they all advised Yun Fan to make peace, as the opponent was merely taking root here and had not harmed anyone.
Yun Fan ultimately heeded their advice.
...
Several days later, Yun Fan once again approached the Twin Flower.
"What are you doing here?"
The woman clearly did not welcome Yun Fan.
Yun Fan said, "This is my territory. Is there a problem with me strolling around my own territory?"
"My territory, I make the rules!"
She said domineeringly to Yun Fan.
Frankly, at this moment, Yun Fan's temper flared again, but he was here to ask for a favor, so he had to endure it.
He smiled and said, "Actually, I've come to ask you some questions! If you can satisfy me with these questions, I will definitely help you with any future requests!"
"Unfortunately, I don't need your help!"
She directly refused Yun Fan.
Yun Fan then said, "If you don't cooperate, I'll just live here!"
"Do you believe I'll kill you?"
The woman became angry.
"I believe it!"
Yun Fan said, "However, you are not in your complete state. If I fight you desperately, even if you kill me, it won't be worth it. You will also pay a considerable price!"
"You might be overthinking things!"
The woman said disdainfully, "Killing a mere ant like you, who hasn't even stepped into the Eternal Realm, is just a matter of lifting a finger!"
"However, ask whatever you wish to know! I happen to have nothing to do today! I can satisfy the curiosity of you ants!"
Yun Fan immediately asked, "I want to know, what kind of world is there beyond my world?"
Although he had opened the barrier, he still lacked the confidence to venture out. He wanted to know the specific situation before leaving.
The woman replied, "The Pangu Continent! Your world is also part of the Pangu Continent, only separated by that barrier. The world you can perceive and the world you cannot are all part of the Pangu Continent!"
After hearing such a straightforward answer, Yun Fan was somewhat shocked. The First God from ancient times, and even this woman, called him a frog in a well, and there was a reason for it.
Perhaps they had all misunderstood one point: he had to dominate here for a long time and consider himself invincible to be called a frog in a well.
As for Yun Fan, he had only recently resolved his enemies and hadn't dominated for many years. Moreover, he didn't consider himself invincible.
He had always believed that there were stronger existences, possibly quite a few.
Therefore, describing him as a frog in a well seemed inappropriate.
At this moment, Yun Fan asked, "With my current strength, if I were to go out, would I be considered a top expert?"
This was the question he wanted answered: what rank did he hold?
However, the answer he received was disheartening.
The woman said, "Third-rate!"
Despite the disheartening answer, Yun Fan said, "Third-rate is acceptable! It's not entirely unacceptable!"
"We've talked for a long time, but I don't know your name! My name is Yun Fan!"
Yun Fan introduced himself.
The woman said, "Originally, an ant like you wouldn't be qualified to know my name, but since I might be staying here for a considerable time, I'll tell you. My name is Ning Shuangxue!"
"A good name!"
Yun Fan flattered her, trying to extract more information.
"Stop flattering me and get lost!"
Ning Shuangxue cursed at Yun Fan.
But Yun Fan hadn't yet obtained all the information he wanted, so leaving was not an option.
Therefore, he asked again, "Have you heard of the First God?"
It seemed she hadn't. Otherwise, given how similar he looked to the First God, being the same person, if she had known him, she would have recognized him long ago.
"Never heard of him. Who is this First God, some minor character!"
Ning Shuangxue said disdainfully.
Yun Fan felt his dignity had been bruised. Thus, he said, "Actually, I want to go out and explore!"
This was his intention, and the intention of the First God, to pursue higher realms.
He had once thought that if his strength reached a certain level, he could resurrect many of his old friends.
But that was ultimately just a legend, impossible to achieve or complete.
The so-called resurrection was ultimately just a rumor, so even now, he felt he had let down the four seniors of the Divine Realm.
He had sworn to resurrect them, but in the end, it was all in vain.
At this moment, Ning Shuangxue said, "Then I advise you to forget it! Your strength is too weak. You'll only die faster if you go out!"
Seeing himself being attacked again, Yun Fan felt no anger. He had been attacked so many times that he had become numb.
Therefore, he asked Ning Shuangxue, "What comes after Eternity?"
He was tired of the constant breakthroughs. He thought a certain realm was the ceiling, but upon reaching it, he discovered even more formidable realms.
It felt like a nested doll. Although he had sworn to reach the extreme of the realms, he was now somewhat weary.
He didn't seek invincibility, only not to fear anyone. That would be enough, but even this seemed like a distant hope.
At this moment, Ning Shuangxue told Yun Fan, "After Eternity comes Destiny! The Nine Realms of Destiny. Before Eternity, one can only be considered in the first three realms. However, no one has been able to reach the end of the six realms!"
Yun Fan was shocked by these words.
"In other words, all realms are contained within Destiny. From nothingness to Eternity are merely the lower three realms?"
Yun Fan asked in shock. If he understood correctly, that should be the case.
Ning Shuangxue nodded and said, "You guessed correctly. That is indeed the case!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan cursed inwardly, "Will this never end?"
However, he couldn't dwell on it too much now. Even Ning Shuangxue lamented the difficulty of cultivation, so for a beginner martial artist like him, there was still a long way to go.
"What realm are you in?"
Yun Fan asked, puzzled.
"I am in the middle three realms. If the two flowers merge, I might reach the peak of the middle three realms!"
Ning Shuangxue told Yun Fan the truth.
"You can't even reach the upper three realms with this?"
Yun Fan asked in shock.
"Of course not!"
Ning Shuangxue said coldly, "The upper three realms are merely legendary realms. Perhaps someone has reached them since ancient times, but I have never heard of it!"
This was Ning Shuangxue's answer.
Yun Fan understood again. The so-called upper three realms were likely just a facade.
Why a facade? Because no one had ever reached them. Perhaps it was just something top experts like Ning Shuangxue imagined.
Therefore, he shared his conjecture with Ning Shuangxue.
Unexpectedly, instead of agreement, he received mockery, "Don't use your shallow perspective to question the upper three realms. Wait until you reach the middle three realms!"
Yun Fan was truly speechless at these words.
Afterwards, he left. The sheer volume of information was too much for him to digest properly.
...
After an unknown period, Yun Fan still could not cross into Eternity. With Ning Shuangxue's guidance, Yun Fan finally understood the reason for his inability to transcend the Eternal Realm.
It was likely due to limitations.
In other words, this corner of the Pangu Continent could not support breakthroughs into the middle three realms beyond Eternity.
The reason was that this corner could not bear it.
Of course, this was merely Ning Shuangxue's conjecture, and whether it was true was yet to be determined.
Furthermore, Yun Fan still didn't know Ning Shuangxue's reason for descending here.
Since she wouldn't say, he dared not ask. It had to be said that sometimes, even he couldn't avoid misfortune.
He planned to ask Ning Shuangxue again after some time, when her favor towards him had slightly increased.
He had a feeling that Ning Shuangxue had a way to help him break through to the middle three realms.
It was just that Ning Shuangxue was unwilling.
Unexpectedly, accidents always happened suddenly.
Because on this day, demonic energy invaded. It had been blocked by the barrier before, but now that the barrier was gone, the demonic path had ultimately returned.
Yun Fan stood at the forefront, ready to see how many demonic experts would appear this time.
To his surprise, only one demonic expert appeared this time, but even that one made Yun Fan's blood run cold.
Because this demonic expert, though seemingly old, possessed formidable strength, even he felt oppressed by the opponent.
What terrifying power was this?
"My five sons, are you alright?"
As soon as this demonic expert entered this world, he began to call out for his sons. His five sons had ventured into this continent countless ages ago.
Then they vanished without a trace. In the ensuing years, he had tried many methods, but due to the barrier's protection, he couldn't arrive.
Now that the barrier was gone, he had entered this world in search of his five sons.
At this moment, Yun Fan appeared, "They might not be well, because they are already dead!"
"What did you say?"
This demonic expert coldly looked at Yun Fan, who had just appeared before him, "Say that again?"
"I said, they are already dead!"
Yun Fan said coldly.
Instantly, the air fell into absolute silence.