Calculated Upgrades

The Origin Dao Ancestor continued, "Before you reincarnated into this world, you created a system — a system forged by merging the Supreme Daos of Time, Space, Reincarnation, and Karma, along with an entirely new and unprecedented law — the Law of Technology. To power its creation, you even used mortal machines to gather the energy of a star. This system was meant to assist you in achieving the goal that your former self could never accomplish."

"However, what you never anticipated was that by merging these Supreme Daos with a mortal body and a mortal soul from Earth, you should have been reduced to nothingness — devoured by the sheer backlash of the Supreme Daos themselves. What do you think happens when four Supreme Daos are forcibly fused into a fragile mortal vessel? Yet, something completely unexpected occurred. This bold and innovative path of cultivation you pioneered caught the attention of both the Universe Will and myself — because this path held the potential to help you attain the peak power of an Origin Dao Ancestor, equal to or even surpassing me. This potential directly aligned with the Universe Will's primal survival and protective instinct."

"As recognition, the Universe Will and I bestowed upon you a gift — the All Severing Poison, the very poison once used against me. I refined it, stripping away its lethal nature, and fused it with a portion of the Universe's essence, along with the power of your Four Merged Supreme Daos and your Law of Technology. This fusion gave birth to the very system you desired — the one you now possess. That is why your system does not merely have a simple Devouring Ability, but a terrifying, unparalleled Devouring Function — one that mirrors the original All Severing Poison itself. It can sever even an Origin Dao Ancestor from Time, Space, Fate, Karma, and Reincarnation, erasing their very existence entirely."

"This is why your system holds the supreme authority of a True Universe Treasure."

The Origin Dao Ancestor's will continued, "It wasn't just to help you create the system. I also left behind my final trace of resentment within the All Severing Poison — and that very resentment is what you are hearing now, through this recorded will. I deliberately set this will to activate within your system the moment Tian Mozi contacted you."

"I want my treacherous junior brother, Tian Mozi, to experience the same betrayal — not from an enemy, but from his own clone, the very backup plan he thought would save him."

As those words fell, the ancient will, which had maintained an indifferent tone all this time, suddenly burst into laughter — a laughter so cold, mocking, and filled with boundless irony that it seemed to pierce directly into Xu Tianran's soul. It was the laughter of a supreme existence who had transcended all mortal emotions, only to find cruel amusement in the poetic justice about to unfold.

Moments later, the laughter faded, the eerie atmosphere lifted, and the colors of the world around Xu Tianran gradually returned to normal, as if none of it had ever happened.

After meticulously reviewing the information multiple times and ensuring no crucial details were overlooked, Xu Tianran exhaled slowly, forcing himself to regain composure. His cautious nature had always driven him to seek greater power, yet now he found himself ensnared in the schemes of formidable beings: one attempting to deceive him into discipleship to seize his system and make him a pawn, and another openly seeking to manipulate him under the guise of assistance.

Frustration surged within him as he pondered, "What do these ancient bastards want? If they wish to battle, why involve me—a person who desires no trouble?"

After calming down, a cold, ruthless gleam appeared in his eyes. "At least now I know the truth. Otherwise, I might have remained in the shadows, unaware of how I met my end."

Just then, the system's cold voice resonated:

"Ding! Host has reached the appropriate power level to activate a new function."

Xu Tianran's mind raced as he processed the system's latest notifications. The activation of Primal Severance and Consumption required an astronomical 700 million Soundless Chaos Star Bombs. This function promised unparalleled freedom, allowing him to sever any bindings—be they origin control, soul imprints, slave marks, or ties of fate, karma, time, or reincarnation—and devour the forces attempting to control him.

Yet, doubts gnawed at him. Could he truly trust this system? It had consistently provided him with the tools he needed at critical junctures, but its impeccable timing now seemed almost too convenient, bordering on the suspicious. However, dismissing the system was not an option; without it, he would not have achieved his current strength. Even if there were hidden machinations at play, what choice did he have? Power was his only path to security.

As he deliberated, the system prompted another potential upgrade:

World Transverse Upgrade 2.0

Allows the host to transfer to a different Immortal Great Dao World randomly, irrespective of any spatial restrictions or controls in place.

Cooldown: 10 years

Upgrade Fee: 300 million Soundless Chaos Star Bombs.

Upon examining both functions, an instinctive sense of danger arose regarding their activation.

Upon further reviewing the potential consequences of activating the Primal Severance function, Xu Tianran realized that such an action would inevitably alert Tian Mozi. In response, Tian Mozi would likely mobilize his Primordial Immortal Realm clones to locate and seize the system. However, due to the system's Heavenly Concealment function, these clones would be unable to find him. Frustrated by this failure, Tian Mozi might resort to extreme measures, such as annihilating the Immortal Great Dao World where Xu Tianran resides and its associated Heavenly Dao Worlds, to eliminate any future threats. Given that Tian Mozi is already subjected to eternal punishment, additional punishment from the Universe Will may have little effect on him directly. However, the Universe Will might retaliate by destroying the clones involved in the destruction of the Immortal Great Dao World. Nevertheless, sacrificing some of his clones to eliminate a high-potential adversary like Xu Tianran could be a calculated risk for Tian Mozi, yielding maximum benefit at minimal cost.

Realizing that activating the Primal Severance function could have dire consequences, Xu Tianran decided to postpone its use. Instead, he commanded, "System, upgrade the World Transverse function." The system promptly initiated the upgrade, consuming 300 million Soundless Chaos Star Bombs and enhancing the function to World Transverse 2.0.