Chaos Beast Universe
The Chaos Beast Universe was in an uproar.
The aftershocks of Dai Long's thunderous roar still reverberated across countless realms. Every peak, every city, every sky-bound citadel buzzed with speculation. Whispers turned to debates, and debates to panic.
Some speculated that Dai Long had clashed with his ancient rival—Sage Tian Meng of the Sky Battle Apes. But that theory was quickly dismissed. A battle between two Sages of such caliber would leave nothing of the universe behind. Not even dust. Their clashes would collapse realities, shatter heavens, and erase entire epochs.
And yet—the damage caused by Dai Long alone left many breathless.
What could have caused the Sage Dragon of the Eclipse to erupt in such fury?
Among the ruling factions, theories abounded. But the older, more ancient beings—the ones with ears attuned to the cosmos—had heard something else.
They had heard Tao's roar.
And they understood.
…
Meanwhile, the Dragon Realm itself was a sea of chaos.
The return of Dai Long had shaken the foundation of their world—and more shocking still, he had brought a child with him.
A child of unknown origin.
For five straight days, the speculation had boiled like a volcano. Who was this child? Why had Dai Long returned with him? What role did he play?
From the lowest commoners to the highest elders, questions roiled. Yet the answer they all sought—the center of the storm—couldn't care less about their curiosity.
If Tao had heard them, he would've simply said:
"You can all go fuck yourselves."
...
Dai Long stood in silence over the sleeping form of his son.
When he returned to the Dragon Realm, he had been bombarded by thousands of questions. The clamoring voices of elders, warriors, and even the Jade Dragon Emperor himself demanded answers.
He ignored them all.
His only concern was saving Tao.
Even the Jade Dragon Emperor, the ruler of the entire Dragon Clan, had been silenced. He had tried to issue a royal decree, only to be met with silence. In the end, he had no choice but to wait until the Grand Assembly, when Dai Long would be required to explain himself to the Ancestors.
But even that would have to wait.
Dai Long had returned to the Eclipse Palace, where he now watched over Tao.
The boy floated within a Chaos Genesis Source Orb—a healing treasure of the highest grade, formed from the original source of chaos. Its power mended not only the flesh, but also the soul.
And Tao's soul… was in tatters.
Dai Long, seeing this, had spared no effort. He lined the entire room with Dao Rhymes—etched into the walls, floor, and ceiling. Though Tao would not yet recognize their significance, they would slowly acclimate his soul to the essence of Dao.
Everything Dai Long did now, he did with reverence.
Because to him, Tao was more than a son. He was the last gift from Yu Bai Lian.
The only woman he had ever loved.
And for the first time in a millennium, Dai Long smiled.
Anyone who witnessed it would've been stunned. For centuries, he had been a volcano of cold fury—dormant, but deadly. But now that time had passed.
Now, he had Tao.
And Dai Long would do anything to ensure his son could grow into whatever he chose to be.
He had seen the Taboo Mark branded on Tao's soul—a mark of cosmic significance. One he would explain to Tao when the time was right.
But for now… Tao needed rest.
So Dai Long sat in silent cultivation beside him.
...
Meanwhile, a clone of Dai Long walked calmly up a golden staircase leading to a floating mountain range twenty thousand feet tall.
He could have flown. But he chose to walk—gathering his thoughts, preparing himself for the arrogant elders and young hot-blooded dragons of the Grand Assembly Hall.
Only out of respect for his teacher, Empyrean Destruction, did he even agree to appear. The teacher whose name this realm could not withstand.
Dai Long valued his teacher's wisdom above even that of his royal lineage.
So why send a clone?
Because even with all his respect, Dai Long followed his own will.
And so, as he stepped onto the final stair, he cast one last look at the vast world behind him.
Then he spat.
"Let's get this over with. I've got more important shit to do."
...
Far away, on the edge of the void—an isolated field of floating asteroids drifted in a sea of chaotic gases.
One asteroid bore a small, near-invisible hole. Unremarkable to the untrained eye.
But inside that hole was a cavern.
A cavern that stretched for miles, filled with a dim and eerie beauty.
Purple crystals hung like stars from the ceiling. They protruded from the ground, merging with stone, bathing the area in a ghostly glow.
The deeper one went, the larger the crystals became—until the ground was nothing but a vast field of glimmering amethyst.
Crystalline platforms spiraled like a dragon's spine toward a central, walled-off core.
There was no sound—only pressure.
Then—A flash of white light and two broken forms appeared.
Old Man Gu. Meng Hao.
Their faces were pale. Their bodies were broken and souls dim.
Especially Old Man Gu—who had witnessed everything up until Dai Long's arrival.
In his hand, he gripped a flickering red jade talisman—a divine teleportation tool gifted by one of his seniors.
A lifeline.
"I never used it," he muttered, voice like sandpaper.
His blood-filled eyes drifted down to Meng Hao's battered body. Still alive—but barely.
He scanned the glowing cavern. The haunting purple light, the silence, the eerie beauty… it was deceptively peaceful.
But, Old Man Gu had lived long.
He knew better. This was a death trap.
Too injured to fight or flee, he did the only thing he could.
He sat. Cross-legged, hands clasped, then he bowed.
"Senior, whoever you are—I offer my thanks."
Then silence. He did not move.
Not for a minute. Not for an hour. Despite his crooked back. Despite the pain. He bowed.
Because this was life or death. He needed a backer. He needed to survive long enough to report what he'd seen—Tao's vow, his draconic monstrous form.
His eyes burned with fury.
Tao must be killed. His golden gaze narrowed a storm of murder burned in his heart.
Then— "sigh."
A soft and disappointed sight entered Old Man Gu's ears.
"Young ones these days… always wanting handouts."
The voice echoed.
A vast shadow of a bird flickered across the purple crystals. But the shadow wasn't on the surface. It was within the crystals themselves.
The voice returned.
"Time... Time... Time. It must be soon, then?"
And then the floor beneath Old Man Gu and Meng Hao split apart. They fell into the depths below. The shadow flashed once more, and silence returned.
A silence filled with ominous intent.