Chapter One: The Law of Life

Milky Way Galaxy, Dreamstar.

Towering skyscrapers pierced the clouds, and spacecars glided effortlessly through the air, all testifying to the remarkable technological advancement of this planet. Yet within the only remaining stretch of primeval forest on Dreamstar, Qin Yu, robed in black and entirely out of place amid the world’s modernity, shook his head slightly. No matter how advanced technology became, it could never compare to the path of cultivation that unlocked one’s true potential. Even a casual cultivator at the Tribulation Crossing stage could inflict devastation upon this planet.

Dreamstar was the homeland of Lei Wei, the man who created the Stellar Transformation technique—whom Qin Yu revered above all others. Without Lei Wei, there would be no Qin Yu as he was today. Once the new universe had been set in order, Qin Yu came here directly.

He also released Thunder Mountain Residence, Lei Wei’s relic. Qin Yu still remembered the words Lei Wei had left behind—how deeply Lei Wei missed his home. The three broken Tongtian Diagrams were painstakingly restored by Qin Yu and hidden across Dreamstar. Lei Wei had longed for the path of cultivation; now that he was gone, all Qin Yu could do for him was to leave behind the Stellar Transformation and the cultivation techniques Lei Wei had collected, as a final contribution to his homeworld.

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Within the Hongmeng Space, beneath the cassia tree, Hongmeng, Linmeng, and Qin Yu sat together, smiling. Regarding Qin Yu's recent visit to Dreamstar, both Hongmeng and Linmeng were full of admiration—for Lei Wei as well, whose creation of Stellar Transformation alone was worthy of respect.

"Third Brother, Lei Wei was a genius in his own right, but you are no less remarkable. With only part of a cultivation method, you managed to connect all the way to the Hongmeng Space. Linmeng can’t compare—he had to exhaust himself before he earned the approval of Hongmeng Space!" Hongmeng laughed gently, pouring another cup of the rare Hongmeng Spirit Wine—unique to this space—for both Qin Yu and Linmeng.

"Third Brother, tell us—after creating life, what new insights have you gained?" Linmeng smiled at Qin Yu. Since Qin Yu had achieved balance in his own universe and created life, he had gone straight to Dreamstar. This was the first time they had gathered since then.

"Life itself is a Law," Qin Yu’s expression grew more solemn. "As I created life, I began to comprehend the Law of Life. It is a law even higher than time. I think if a Supreme Sovereign can ultimately create life, he too becomes a Controller."

"You’re absolutely right, Third Brother," Hongmeng said. "For Supreme Sovereigns, their pursuit is the Law of Life. Linmeng and I have theorized that a Supreme Sovereign who completely comprehends the Law of Life can ascend to become a Controller."

"Second Brother, if that’s so, doesn’t it mean—"

"Third Brother, what Second Brother said is true only in theory. For a Supreme Sovereign to comprehend the entire Law of Life and become a Controller—so far, we have found no way for this to actually happen!"

Hongmeng smiled, gently interrupting Qin Yu’s words. He drank another cup of spirit wine, clearly amused by Qin Yu’s astonished look.

"Third Brother, our eldest is teasing you," Linmeng said with a laugh. Qin Yu had only just become a Controller, and he had skipped the Supreme Sovereign stage, so he hadn’t fully grasped all the nuances yet.

"But our eldest speaks truth as well. My Linmeng Universe has only existed for two Eras, but his Hongmeng Universe boasts a history of over a thousand Eras! In all that time, hundreds of Supreme Sovereigns have risen and fallen, yet not one has managed—on their own—to fully comprehend the Law of Life."

"Big Brother, Second Brother, just tell me plainly," Qin Yu said, smiling as he tasted the spirit wine, his earlier anxiety completely gone. He could tell they would explain whether he asked or not.

Hongmeng nodded. "In my Hongmeng Divine Realm, as in Linmeng’s, once someone becomes a Supreme Sovereign, they become our disciple."

Qin Yu nodded. The Feathered Supreme, Kreivik, was Linmeng’s eldest disciple, and the newly ascended Chariot Sovereign had just become Linmeng’s fourth disciple—now his third.

"We are only their Masters in name," Linmeng explained, savoring his wine. "We never teach them anything, nor do we interfere in their struggles. Our only involvement is bestowing a Supreme Sovereign Divine Treasure upon them when they achieve that level. In truth, it is this treasure that binds them to us as disciples."

Qin Yu nodded again. Linmeng was right—Thunder Punisher’s attitude toward Free Wanderer was indifferent; he only respected his senior brother, the Feathered Sovereign, and even that was due to power, not Linmeng himself.

As for cultivating Supreme Sovereigns, neither Hongmeng nor Linmeng, as Controllers, could offer any real help. Qin Yu now understood this well. Within his own universe, he could let people comprehend the Laws of Space and Time at will, turning them into Supreme Sovereigns. But beyond that, he could not help them progress further.

Suddenly, a thought struck Qin Yu: "Li’er—she has already comprehended the Law of Life!"

"Indeed," Linmeng replied. "Your wife inherited Zuo Qiumei’s memories, and with them, her unique insight into the Law of Life. According to our classification, she has merely touched the surface of the art of life restoration."

"Life Restoration, Life Augmentation, Creation of Life," Qin Yu murmured, lowering his head. Now a Controller himself, he fully understood the Law of Life and its mysteries. The act of creating his new universe had relied on the creation aspect of this law.

"There are three layers to the Law of Life. That Kreivik fellow has only grasped half of the Life Restoration layer. Zhou An is even less accomplished—his understanding is only a bit deeper than Zuo Qiumei’s was," Linmeng said with a wry smile. "My universe is too young—few Supreme Sovereigns have arisen, and even the strongest, the Feathered Sovereign, would be considered weak among Hongmeng’s Supreme Sovereigns."

"Complete mastery of Life Restoration means even if one’s physical body is destroyed, as long as the true spirit remains, the body can regenerate. It also greatly enhances one’s sense of vitality. Zhou An’s fear of Kreivik likely stems from this," Qin Yu said with a smile. With his current understanding, he could easily discern the strength of all the Supreme Sovereigns. In particular, Chariot Sovereign, having just ascended, had not yet begun to comprehend the Law of Life—meaning he could not yet revive his true spirit. The common belief that all Supreme Sovereigns could revive their true spirit was not entirely accurate.

"Zuo Qiumei was remarkable to have grasped the Law of Life at all," Linmeng remarked. "Even if it was only a trace, it’s rare. But in our eldest’s universe, there have been others—Godkings—who have touched upon the Law of Life."

Linmeng sighed; the age of his universe paled in comparison to Hongmeng’s, and so did the strength of its denizens. For the first time, Linmeng felt his time was short—but remembering that Qin Yu’s universe had not yet produced sentient life, he laughed heartily.

Qin Yu and Hongmeng both understood Linmeng’s thoughts. As Controllers, there was no need for words; they often understood one another intuitively. Thus, Qin Yu was not concerned by Linmeng’s laughter.

"When Little Black comprehended the Law of Time, it was also a leap beyond his level," Qin Yu reminisced. At the Lower Divine stage, Blackfeather had grasped Time Acceleration—no less a feat than Zuo Qiumei’s.

"Blackfeather is a true talent," Linmeng said, shaking his head with a smile. "Whether in your universe or mine, he will one day become a Supreme Sovereign. But alas, not one of mine." As Controllers, they could see fate; Blackfeather’s future was clear to all three.

"Second Brother, if you truly wanted more Supreme Sovereigns, you could create as many as you wished," Qin Yu replied with a smile, asking Hongmeng for another cup of spirit wine and savoring it. Indeed, Controllers could create as many Supreme Sovereigns as they liked, so long as there were people. Yet that would rob the process of its enjoyment. Hongmeng and Linmeng took the greatest pleasure in watching their universes develop—especially those whose destinies they could not foresee. Hongmeng’s pouring of the spirit wine today was, in itself, a bit of a game.

Li’er, Little Black, and Feifei were all fated to become Supreme Sovereigns, even Qin Si as well. In fact, all of the Supreme Sovereigns in Qin Yu’s universe seemed to be his family members. The thought made Qin Yu shake his head once more.

"Third Brother, your new universe has produced sentient life—congratulations!" Hongmeng’s eyes suddenly brightened as he congratulated Qin Yu. With Hongmeng’s abilities, nothing in the three universes could escape his notice.

"It has just begun—they are still mere mortals. Their future depends on themselves," Qin Yu replied softly, though he could not hide his joy. A Controller could create life, but not sentient life. By accelerating time for all the mortal worlds, Qin Yu had finally witnessed the emergence of intelligent humans—even if they were still primitive, it meant his universe had officially become a universe of intelligent civilization.

From today, Persimmon returns to Qidian, and the sequel begins anew. Here, heartfelt thanks to the editors at Qidian, and special thanks to Tomato. At the same time, the sequel is now open to all brothers—if you like it, register and support Persimmon! The new sequel will be even more exciting than the last!