**Chapter 1: The Nameless Taboo...The Esteemed Gue
**Chapter 1: The Nameless Taboo...The Esteemed Guest**
Since the dawn of the formation of the universe, questions have existed that have preoccupied minds. Questions such as how did the universe come into existence? Where is its beginning and end? And is there another world beyond it? These are questions that are only raised and have no clear answer.
**Secondary World**
Where the horizon meets its end, there lay a vast valley with unimaginable depth, like a dragon lying in the abyss. A thick mist covered its mouth, allowing no gaze to penetrate. It was as if a great secret was hidden there.
Above this valley stood a shadowy figure. It was as if the world did not want to display his image. He called himself the Nameless Taboo, or more accurately, it was a title that was attributed to him.
The Nameless Taboo curiously turned his eyes towards an ambiguous existence. It could not be easily described. It was like a piece of light that even the smallest ray of it illuminated the darkest void. Wherever it appeared, the runes of Dao with various laws orbited around it like asteroids. It was as if they had met their source.
[Even I cannot comprehend his existence.] The Nameless Taboo asked in his majestic and dominant voice, "Who are you? What is your purpose in accompanying me?"
It was unclear if the ambiguous existence was looking at him, but it responded calmly, "I am the will of the Secondary World." Its voice resonated like the sound of heaven around. However, what made it special was its strange identity. Apparently, it was the supreme in the world.
The Nameless Taboo, intrigued by the term "Secondary World," hesitantly asked, "What is that?"
The ambiguous existence, introducing itself as the will of the Secondary World, explained wisely, "Although it is called the Secondary World, it is more like a continent. A very small continent created separately from the main world. Although it cannot be compared to the main world, it has its own unique Dao and laws that are very distinct from the main world. In other words, the heavenly Dao of the main world has no control over the Secondary World."
The Nameless Taboo pondered over the explanations of the will of the Secondary World. [Then, since I was born in this small world, could it be related to me? If so, then what is my identity? How did the Secondary World come into existence in the first place?]
It seemed the will of the Secondary World had guessed the thoughts of the Nameless Taboo. With a cold and emotionless tone, it said, "You can be assured that the Secondary World has no connection with the main world. The Secondary World, as a separate world, has a different history."
Seeing that the Nameless Taboo was thoughtfully listening to him, the will of the Secondary World continued, "I was tasked by a powerful individual, who has an undeniable connection with you, to develop this world. I was also assigned the task of guiding you on your path until you reached this point. Now I can reveal a secret about yourself to you."
The Nameless Taboo, with a slight surprise that the will of the Secondary World knew a secret about him, asked, "Is it related to my identity?"
The will of the Secondary World paused briefly before replying, "It is somewhat related to your origin. In fact, you are not complete."
Surprisingly, the Nameless Taboo did not feel shocked; it seemed he had sensed it himself. [Interesting. It seems my origin is more complex than I thought. Could I be half of my existence? Then where is the other half of me?] The Nameless Taboo raised his head and asked expectantly, "Do you know how I can attain my complete existence?"
Perhaps this was the first time the will of the Secondary World was surprised. It could not help but admire the high mentality of the Nameless Taboo. It responded, "The other half of your existence is somewhere in the main world. As for how you will meet it, you only need to step into the valley."
The Nameless Taboo looked at the valley. In fact, he had come here several times before but had never been able to discover the origin of this valley. To him, this valley concealed a great secret. Now, according to the will of the Secondary World, this valley was the path to reaching the other half of his existence.
The will of the Secondary World explained, "This valley is a space-time gate specifically created for you by that powerful individual. I will not elaborate further on it. Just know that the time has come for you to unite with the other half of your existence."
The Nameless Taboo did not need further explanations as he had realized the complexity of his origin and background. [It seems this situation is becoming more and more interesting. I wonder what awaits me in the future.]
Before stepping into the deep valley, the Nameless Taboo glanced back. The Secondary World! He had lived here for years, grown up, and reached this point. Now that he stood at the peak of this world, he had gained a relative understanding of his mysterious identity. He did not forget what his primary goal was.
Meanwhile, he heard the majestic voice of the will of the Secondary World saying, "Do not look back. This is just the beginning of your path."
The beginning of the path!
The Nameless Taboo nodded wisely. He looked at the will of the Secondary World, this mysterious and incomprehensible existence that had introduced itself as the will of the Secondary World, playing a significant role in his journey. He did not know what feelings he had towards this existence. Nevertheless, he preferred to remain silent.
Finally, he jumped into the valley. The Nameless Taboo could feel a very mysterious force enveloping him and controlling his body and soul. Soon his vision went black, and he saw nothing more!
The Secondary World also fell into the endless abyss with him. It seemed its time had come to an end!
"Everything will start anew."
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**The Bloody Tear Continent.. The Great Shang Empire**
"Father, what is all this commotion about? Why has even Grandfather come out of seclusion? Could all of this be related to that person?"
In a grand and magnificent hall that showcased the grandeur and beauty of a royal palace from every corner and direction, a young girl stood before a distinguished figure. Her eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at this middle-aged man.
Recently, there had been an unusual hustle and bustle in the Great Shang Empire that had caught the attention of many forces. It seemed that the Great Shang Empire was welcoming a highly esteemed individual.
The status of this person was so high that it even caused the Grand Ancestor of the empire to come out of seclusion. The Grand Ancestor of the Great Shang Empire was the number one expert on the Bloody Tear Continent and held the highest authority across the land. Therefore, his emergence caused quite a stir.
The superior forces of the continent assumed that the Great Shang Empire was preparing for another upheaval, but the young girl, as the princess of the empire, was certain that there was no impending war. Instead, she had heard news that an important person had arrived at the imperial palace.
The current ruler of the Great Shang Empire was Shang Diyun. He was the third emperor of this grand empire who had suppressed all the geniuses of the world during his reign. He was a proud and domineering man, but when he heard the name of that person, his eyes were filled with despair and his face turned pale.
The princess could infer from her father's reaction that the identity of that person was more terrifying than she had imagined.
[It seems that this so-called esteemed guest is a dreadful being from another continent. Could he have come from the Upper Realm?] When the princess thought about it, she felt she might be overthinking it. Information about the Upper Realm was very scarce, and the possibility of someone coming from there to the lower realm was even less. [But if that's not the case, then what kind of existence is he that even Grandfather must respect him?] The princess was still trying to guess the identity of that person when she heard her father's voice.
"Once, I heard from my father that our Grandfather was merely an ordinary person without talent and background. He lived in a small village and did hard labor to make a living. The pain he endured in his childhood was immense."
The princess furrowed her delicate eyebrows slightly. This was the first time she was hearing such a confession from her father, so she listened more attentively.
Shang Diyun continued, "However, fate is very strange, and no one knows what the future holds. Our Grandfather was likely one of those fortunate individuals. Because in his youth, he encountered a mysterious man who changed his destiny entirely. That mysterious man bestowed a talent upon our Grandfather that no one else in the entire Bloody Tear Continent had ever possessed."
"With such talent, our Grandfather became an invincible expert within five thousand years and swept across the Bloody Tear Continent. He then established the Great Shang Empire in the center of the continent. Since then, the Great Shang Empire has continuously added to its glory until it became the number one force on the continent. To defeat us, even if all the forces of the continent united, they would still have to pay a tremendously heavy price, making such a movement not worthwhile at all."
When the princess heard the end of her father's words, she raised her eyebrows in an odd manner. [So, this is the history of our empire. It’s really unbelievable to think that our famous Grandfather was merely a mortal. But who was that man who transformed Grandfather’s talent? People with such power must be beyond the Bloody Tear Continent. And why did he even help Grandfather in the first place? Such an act must come at a cost, and that man wouldn't take such a heaven-defying action out of mere kindness. Surely, there is more to the story.]
It seemed the emperor could see through his daughter’s thoughts, as he said, "In exchange for such an act, our Grandfather made a promise to that person to obtain one hundred of the best geniuses of the continent every ten thousand years under any circumstances and offer them to him or his people. If someone with a specific constitution, bloodline, or root existed, they would give us a great reward containing valuable resources. This program has been in execution for the past twenty thousand years, and this year will be the third time."
The beautiful princess furrowed her eyebrows slightly and said, "But why did that man make such a request? Why is he looking for these so-called geniuses? And what is the connection of all this with that person?"
She had many questions in her heart, and finding answers to them had aroused her curiosity. From her perspective, the threads of these causes were intertwined, creating an intriguing but mysterious story. [The secrets behind this must be special, even Grandfather might not be aware of them.]
The emperor sighed at his daughter's numerous questions. In fact, he himself didn't know much, let alone his daughter; even his father and Grandfather might not know much. He put aside his thoughts with a bit of hesitation and said seriously, "Don’t ask about things that don’t concern you. Actually, all these things I told you are the greatest secrets of the empire. You are the most dazzling genius of the fourth generation and the personal attention of Grandfather. Your talents have surpassed the level of this continent, and your true destiny lies beyond here. Everything I told you was because I want you to attract that person’s attention. If you can do that, it’s like reaching for the heavens. Also, watch out for your brother. He is impulsive and narrow-minded and might anger that person."
The princess felt a bit disappointed at not getting the answers. [It seems my guess is correct. Matters related to that man and his goals are beyond the reach of my empire. That person is even more terrifying. Considering my father’s descriptions, the identity of that person is far higher than that mysterious man.] She took a deep breath, gathered all her thoughts, and said to her father, "Rest assured, I will do my best."
Now that there was nothing more to be curious about, she left the hall of her own accord, leaving her father alone. She needed to plan for the coming days. She just didn’t know how to attract that person’s attention. After all, that person was under the special hospitality and accompaniment of Grandfather. And she was not someone who would try to seduce that person merely through her beauty. From her perspective, such people were despicable and incapable.
Emperor Shang Diyun watched his daughter's departure alone until her frail figure disappeared from his sight. He always felt that the goals of that man should not be simple, so he hoped his daughter could attract that person’s attention. He preferred to entrust his daughter’s fate to someone rather than let her wander on an uncertain path. Fortunately, his daughter was intelligent and capable enough. Despite her young age, she could easily comprehend complex matters. Her talent was even stronger than Grandfather’s, so he was confident that his daughter could become an existence far superior to the Grand Ancestor and propel the Great Shang Empire to heights beyond its current state.
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