Chapter 1: Prologue: Invasion [Part 1]
In the vast expanse of the chaotic sea of stars, a quiet yet sharp voice echoed, cutting through the silence like a knife. "What is the meaning of this?"
A stern, booming voice replied, the words seemingly carried on the cosmic winds. "Chen Mo, for the unforgivable sin of interfering with the sacred laws that govern Karma, Fate, Destiny, and Causality within this infinite chaos, we, the ten original sages, shall expel you from these hallowed realms."
Floating above the roiling cosmos, Chen Mo's form was surrounded by the illustrious figures of the ten sages, each an embodiment of a profound law.
Pangu, the inviolable Law of Strength, his colossal frame exuding an aura of invincible might. Nüwa, the nurturing Law of Creation, her celestial beauty outshone only by the warmth in her eyes. Fuxi, the enlightened Law of Literature, an air of profound wisdom cloaking his scholarly presence. Shennong, the verdant Law of Wood Breath, his connection to nature so deep, it seemed the very plants bent toward his influence. Houyi, the inevitable Law of Death, a cold finality lurking behind his dispassionate gaze. Chang'e, the resplendent Law of Life, her radiance a beatific promise of rebirth. Zhurong, the scorching Law of Fire, her eyes blazing with the intensity of an inferno. Gonggong, the tempestuous Law of Water, his form seeming to shift and flow like the tides. Xiwangmu, the brilliant Law of Holy Light, a celestial sovereign whose very presence commanded reverence. And Sun Wukong, the indomitable Law of Combat, a roguish grin playing across his features, as if anticipating an epic battle.
Chen Mo's voice rang out, mocking the sages' proclamation. "Why didn't you make a move when the chaos was under attack by the demons, but just now, you make a move against me for having power and influence over a portion of the chaos? Are you that afraid of losing your dominance?"
A soft, feminine voice drifted through the celestial expanse, belonging to Xiwangmu, the Law of Holy Light. "Everything that happens within the chaos is recorded in the river of destiny. Even if the demons attack the chaos, the chaos will still survive. As long as the chaos endures, we need not interfere."
Chen Mo countered, his words laced with incredulity. "Is that so? Then why am I being attacked for saving the chaos?"
Pangu's commanding tone boomed forth once more, a giant axe, its blade the size of a star, materializing in his grasp. "You are an anomaly, an uncontrollable variable. The river of destiny holds no record of your existence. You have no karma entwined with any being but yourself, and you are not a living creature born of the chaos. You do not belong here, and thus, we shall expel you to prevent harm from befalling these sacred realms."
Nüwa's soft, glassy voice chimed in, a sword shimmering into existence in her delicate hand. "Give it up, Chen Mo. On account of you raising the son of heaven, I shall allow you to leave the chaos unharmed. Otherwise, do not blame us for being ruthless."
A defiant smirk played across Chen Mo's lips as he retorted, "You see a slumbering tiger and think it a mere housecat. Just because I do not provoke others does not make me an easy target for bullying."
"It seems you do not appreciate our gesture of kindness. This talk is over," Pangu roared, the sages growing in stature at a rate visible to the naked eye, their forms soon dwarfing entire universes.
The sages' voices thundered in unison, their weapons aimed squarely at Chen Mo. "Chen Mo, your journey ends here!"
In a blur of movement, a series of commands flashed through Chen Mo's mind. 'Activate skill [Parallel Processing]. Activate skill [OpenSource]. Activate skill [Existence]. Activate skill [Development]. Activate skill [AllOfCreation]. Activate skill [Parallel Existence]. Activate skill [Memory].
Activate skill [Scripting] – script: {
Use skill [OpenSource] to copy the ten sages' information particles and [Existence] to copy combat data and load it to [Memory];
Use skill [Development] and [Parallel Processing] to isolate each sage's infonts; Use skill [AllOfCreation] and [Parallel Existence] to create ten sages' avatars;
Use skill [Development] and [Parallel Processing] to load the sage infonts to the created avatars;
Use the skill [Parallel Processing] and [Parallel Existence] to control the created avatars;}
[Script Loaded]
[Executing Script]
[Script Executed Successfully]
In an instant, towering avatars of the sages manifested behind Chen Mo, each one selecting a sage as its opponent. Chen Mo's voice rang out, calm and smug. "As much as I'd like to play with you, I have some other matters to attend to. These avatars will keep you entertained. Adios."
With a casual wave of his hand, Chen Mo shattered the void itself, stepping through the resulting spatial vortex as it closed behind him, leaving the sages to contend with their cosmic doppelgangers.
...
In the shadowy depths of the chaos, the Demon Ancestral Hall loomed, an ominous presence. Demon Ancestor Pifu sat upon a golden throne, surrounded by massive black dragon heads that exuded an eerie, visible aura. Clad in a dark daoist robe and skeletal armor, he held a spherical crystal in his grasp, its sinister energy pulsing outward.
The hall stretched endlessly, its cavernous expanse only heightening the tense atmosphere. Suddenly, a cloaked figure emerged from Pifu's shadow, kneeling before the demon ancestor.
"What happened?" Pifu's agitated voice resounded through the vast hall.
"The sages failed to stop him. He is heading our way as we speak," the figure replied, its tone laced with trepidation.
"What!" Pifu's roar shook the ancient chamber. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Contact the demon generals immediately!"
A sharp, bone-chilling voice cut through the din from behind Pifu's throne. "No need for that." Chen Mo strode into view, tossing ten severed heads at the Demon Ancestor's feet. "I already took care of them on my way here."
'What was that? I didn't even sense his approach. My shadow assassins use teleportation arrays to transmit information throughout the chaos, and yet he arrived here from the chaos's zenith at the same time they did. He even had the time to kill ten demon generals during his journey. I couldn't detect his presence as he slew those generals, meaning he expended virtually no energy - a feat that would take me at least an hour to accomplish alone. Where did this monster emerge from? The oracle made no mention of him. Damn those treacherous fools, they were unwilling to invade the chaos themselves, using me to test this uncontrollable variable instead. The demon army has suffered a grave loss this day.'
Pifu rose from his throne, his tone courteous as he gestured toward the seat of power. "Sect Master Chen, I have long heard of your renowned name. To what do I owe the honor of your visit to my humble abode?"
"You, prepare tea for Master Chen," he ordered the shadow assassin.
Chen Mo settled comfortably upon the Demon Ancestor's throne, his voice ringing out. "I am but a humble sect master. I dare not partake of the Demon Ancestor's tea."
"Master Chen need not be so polite, since you are my esteemed guest. It is only natural that I should serve you," Pifu replied, pouring the fragrant brew into a cup.
Chen Mo's words carried a hint of challenge. "Guest, you say? But I have just slain ten of your demon generals. Do you have nothing to say on the matter?"
Pifu's response was conciliatory as he handed Chen Mo the steaming cup. "Master Chen is a righteous person and would not attack without provocation. Since you have dealt with them, they must have transgressed against you first. The demon army has suffered great losses this day. I hope Master Chen will be magnanimous and let this matter rest, as he has already punished the culprits."
'Trying to provoke me into acting rashly, giving you an excuse to strike? Child, you are a million years too young to deceive me.'
The demon ancestor looked at Chen Mo with a sly, calculating smile.
'Hateful, trying to shift the blame to the demon generals now that you know you can't beat me,' Chen Mo thought derisively.
"I didn't know the Demon Ancestor was so righteous. I've misjudged you," he remarked aloud, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Pifu let out a grating laugh. "Master Chen is too kind. You pick up a thing or two when you've lived long enough."
'What a sly conniver. Since you decided to play these games, don't blame me for being ruthless,' Chen Mo mused inwardly.
"I originally wanted to recover the ten million high-grade saint crystals that the demon generals stole from me," Chen Mo stated boldly. "But since the Demon Ancestor is so righteous, I will only take back one million."
Pifu's thoughts raced. 'Ten million saint crystals? Even the Heavenly Emperor doesn't possess that many. Clearly, this is extortion. Does this arrogant fool think my demon clan is so easily bullied?'
Outwardly, he bowed with feigned respect. "I thank Master Chen for his kindness on behalf of the demon clan."
Suddenly, the vast hall began to tremble violently, the chaos itself quaking as spatial rifts tore open, disgorging huge demonic warships in their wake.
Pifu's laughter rang out, thick with dark triumph. "Did you really think I would agree so readily? I summoned the demon army the moment you set foot here. Now, they will take over the chaos itself!"
The rift yawned wider still, and Chen Mo found himself violently sucked into the swirling vortex, the demon ancestor's mocking laughter pursuing him into the depths.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone