The First Law Awakens

The moment Dev invoked the First Law, the entire continent trembled.

Forests bent as if bowing. Oceans stilled. Mountains resonated with a low hum like an ancient song being sung by the world itself.

High above, the Void Monarch—invincible and detached—suddenly recoiled.

"Impossible... that Law was sealed during the Primordial Collapse."

His wings flared open, trying to shield his essence. But it was already too late.

Dev had tapped into a realm beyond cultivation—a force that didn't belong to mortals, immortals, or even the gods.

"The First Law is not just a technique," Dev murmured. "It is the memory of creation. The moment the universe decided to exist."

The energy swirling around him wasn't made of spiritual qi. It was pure conceptual authority. Reality itself responded to his will.

Dev pointed at the approaching horde of Void Hunters.

"Be undone."

Dozens of them shattered—imploded into stardust, not by attack, but by being declared unworthy of existing.

A terrifying silence followed.

Meanwhile in the Academy…

Lin Feng watched in awe, his mind struggling to grasp what he was witnessing.

"He's not just strong," Lin Feng whispered, "he's… rewriting the rules."

Ye Qingxue nodded beside him, lips tight.

"Ancestor Dev once said: 'Power should not be the ability to destroy. True power is the ability to decide what deserves to exist.'"

"That's… insane."

"That's why we follow him."

She looked up as another rift opened above the Southern Tower.

This time, it wasn't a Void Hunter. It was something worse—a Forbidden Seed.

A twisting mass of ancient hatred and decayed will that had once been a powerful cultivator, now reduced to a cursed existence.

"Lin Feng, stay behind me."

"No," he said, gripping his sword tighter. "I need to try."

The moment he stepped forward, the system in his body clicked.

[Hidden Mission Activated: Stand in the Face of the Forbidden.]

Dev's Eyes Shifted

Even from miles away, he turned his head toward Lin Feng's position. A soft smile played on his lips.

"So... you're beginning to awaken too?"

He flicked his fingers, and a shard of his energy—a golden rune—shot across the sky, embedding itself into Lin Feng's chest.

A sudden warmth filled the young disciple's body.

[You have received the Dao Ancestor's Mark.]

[Temporary Authority Granted: Conceptual Reinforcement - Willpower.]

His blade pulsed.

"This feeling… I can't lose as long as I refuse to accept defeat?"

Lin Feng roared and rushed toward the Forbidden Seed.

Back in the Void...

The Void Monarch began to stabilize his form.

"You may wield the First Law, Dev Yadav, but it cost you everything. You're a shell of your former self."

Dev didn't argue. He stood still, breathing slowly.

Then he smiled.

"You're right."

"Then why do you fight?"

"Because I'm not here to win."

"What?!"

Dev raised both hands.

"I'm here to give them time. And... to remind the Heavens—why I was called the Dao Ancestor."

He slammed his palms together.

The sky ruptured.