In the noble district of Redstone City, Duchy of Scorching Flame, there was a secluded and hidden villa.
It belonged to the Howard family—and it was also the very place where Rosen had awakened after his reincarnation.
He never expected that the Fate Indicator would point to this exact location.
Although over a thousand years had passed and Redstone City had been renovated many times, the Howard family villa remained unchanged.
The last time Rosen had visited this place, he casually sketched a few drawings to conceal the villa.
Thanks to the power of those spiritually infused paintings, the villa had remained intact all these years.
Pushing open the dusty door, Rosen descended into the basement, memories flooding his mind.
The Fate Indicator vanished—clearly, the world of Fate it had been pointing to was located in this very basement.
So the World of Fate was indeed connected to Blue Star, and so was his rebirth.
Rosen searched every inch of the basement.
Yet he found absolutely nothing—no anomalies whatsoever.
The World of Fate was right in front of him, yet he had no way to enter it. All he could do was stare helplessly.
Rosen had complicated feelings about the Howard family.
They were likely his descendants, yet he felt no emotional connection.
So he had never considered resurrecting the fallen ancestors of the Howard family throughout history.
But now, with no leads on how to access the World of Fate, he had few options left.
Perhaps resurrecting members of the Howard family might offer some clues.
Rosen immediately began tracing lingering traces of their existence across the past timelines, using the Laws of Space-Time to attempt resurrection.
The result: not a single success. He could now resurrect True Gods with ease, yet when trying to bring back ordinary transcendents—not even gods—all attempts failed without exception, as though the Howard family had never existed at all, and all traces of their presence were fabrications.
If the Howard family couldn't be resurrected, could he do the same with members of other families from the Duchy?
Over the course of half a month, Rosen forcibly resurrected every individual who might have had any intersection with the Howard family.
He even resurrected the deity responsible for the death of Little Rosen's parents.
But through the power of the Memory Source Seed, Rosen discovered a troubling truth: all their memories were flawed.
Even Little Rosen's parents—Erica and Ian—had never truly existed. Everything concerning Little Rosen had been part of an elaborately fabricated lie, one so well-crafted that it had deceived Rosen for countless years.
"Could it be... everything since my rebirth has been part of a setup…"
Rosen's rage manifested through his Eternal Will, turning into tangible power—his loss of control incinerated the entire Duchy of Scorching Flame into ashes.
After calming down, he activated the Creator Domain, used the Law of Time to reverse the timeline.
The Duchy of Scorching Flame, which had been reduced to ash in an instant, returned to its state before his wrathful destruction.
Just as Rosen pondered how he could access the World of Fate, a vortex suddenly appeared before his eyes out of nowhere.
Apparently, his act of incinerating the duchy and then reversing time to restore it had inadvertently satisfied the conditions for the World of Fate to appear. As the vortex began to slowly shrink, Rosen entered it without the slightest hesitation.
As long as he didn't encounter a living Eternal Being, he was confident he could escape unscathed.
And if it was a living Eternal Being out to harm him, it wouldn't matter whether it was his true body or a clone stepping in.
Rosen had passed through countless spatial vortices, but this one was by far the most powerful.
Even the spatial forces at the entrance to the Forbidden Zones of the universe didn't compare to the might of this vortex.
After a long-awaited bout of vertigo, Rosen found himself in a study filled with bookshelves.
Looking closely, aside from the lack of a computer desk, it looked strikingly similar to the Mysterious Study Room.
His Eternal Will enveloped the study, instantly detecting differences between this room and the Mysterious Study Room he had received.
The Mysterious Study Room he owned—bestowed by Apocalypse—was most likely a replica of this one.
The walls of this study were formed from world barriers at the Eternal level.
Compressing an immortal world into something as small as the Mysterious Study Room—Rosen had no idea how difficult that was in the past. It was only after he forged his immortal god-body through the Heavenly Fire of Annihilation that he realized: with only Apocalypse's strength, it was nearly impossible to compress an immortal world into a small Mysterious Study Room.
Everyone knows that compressing matter increases its strength, but while it's easy to say, it's unimaginably difficult to do.
When Rosen compressed his immortal god-body, he used not only the Heavenly Fire of Annihilation, but also the Convergence-Diffusion Source Seed, the Black Hole Source Seed, and the Mechanical Source Seed—only then was he able to make his immortal-body-turned-immortal-world flexible and moldable. Apocalypse didn't even use the Omniscience Source Seed, so by what means could he possibly compress an immortal world into the size of a study room?
If even compressing an immortal world is that hard, how could one possibly compress an eternal world into a study room like the one before him?
Aside from an Ancient God, Rosen couldn't think of anyone else capable of such a feat.
Rosen walked over to the desk and saw a book lying on it.
The cover of the book bore five characters: Book of Fate and Creation.
Rosen didn't immediately open the book—he had an intense feeling of danger emanating from it.
He turned and approached the bookshelves, which were lined from top to bottom with volumes.
Under the gaze of the Eye of the Creator, Rosen noticed one particular book that he instinctively felt a closeness to.
Upon further sensing, he could tell this book was somehow connected to the Mysterious Study Room.
Rosen cautiously reached for it—but the instant his fingers touched it, a flood of consciousness and information surged out.
Thanks to his mastery of the Memory Source Seed and the Information Source Seed, and because his brain had been fused with the Main God Supercomputer, Rosen's speed in processing data was terrifying. In the blink of an eye, he had already sorted through all the information he received.
Sure enough, this book was related to Apocalypse. Within it, Apocalypse had left his deepest, most well-kept secret.
Apocalypse becoming an Immortal Divine Demon had been pure luck—luck within luck.
Just from the Omniscience Source Seed and the Mysterious Study Room, it was already obvious that Apocalypse wasn't suited for combat. He would hide whenever possible and avoid conflict at all costs.
That kind of personality didn't suit cultivation—if you don't fight for anything, where do you get the resources to grow?
Fortunately, Apocalypse had an insatiable thirst for knowledge, and by sheer coincidence had obtained a miraculous treasure: the Coin of Fate.
Even luckier, it only took him a few spins of the Fate Roulette before he hit the jackpot and obtained the Fate Indicator.
Following the guidance of the Fate Indicator, Apocalypse found one of the entry points to the World of Fate—specifically, the one located in Redstone City of the Scorching Flame Duchy.
Back then, the area was still a deserted island, and there were no restrictions on entering or leaving the World of Fate.
The reason Rosen couldn't find the entrance was that Apocalypse had hidden it. The condition for entry was that the island could contain only one lifeform—if a second lifeform were present, the portal to the World of Fate would not appear.
When Apocalypse first discovered the World of Fate, he hadn't been cautious at all.
Because he was ignorant and fearless, and not even a god at the time, he had no sense of the dangers of the World of Fate.
So Apocalypse boldly opened the Book of Fate and Creation—a book born directly from the essence of fate itself.
In the universe, there were many eternal beings, but none had ever mastered the Source Seeds corresponding to time, space, origin, or fate. If an eternal being ever gained mastery over the Time Source Seed, they would surpass even the top-tier Ancient Gods and define an even higher echelon of power.
But had those source seeds truly never appeared since the birth of the universe?
The answer, according to the Book of Fate and Creation, was no.
Eternal beings were not the first forms of life to appear after the universe was born.
Before them, there had been even older Primordial Beings—and they directly controlled the origins of the universe.
The Source Seeds were not natural products of the universe; they were creations of the Primordial Beings.
After crafting the original innate Source Seeds, these beings sealed away those seeds that could threaten the very fabric of the cosmos.
Then, using the remaining seeds, they created the eternal beings who came afterward.
The Eternal Soul-Binding Horn, unsurprisingly, also originated from the Primordial Beings.
Not all Primordial Beings were equally powerful—there was infighting and warfare among them too. The weakest of them were only slightly stronger than first-tier eternal beings, while the strongest had already left the universe entirely.
The Book of Fate and Creation and the World of Fate were both left behind by Primordial Fate.
The Fate Source Seed lies within the Book of Fate and Creation itself.
The World of Fate does not exist within the Ancient God World. Instead, it lies within the Primordial Sea of the Universe's Origins.
The entrance located in Redstone City is just one of many, fixed in place within the Ancient God World through unknown means employed by an Ancient God. Only an Ancient God can enter through this portal.
Rosen and Apocalypse were able to enter entirely because they were both Ancient Gods.
All native life in the Ancient God World—without exception—are fragments of the Ancient God.
This is actually quite easy to understand. Rosen's true self is Rosen, his Yinglong avatar is also Rosen, his Eternal clone is still Rosen, and even each of his Root Mother Worms is Rosen. Whether it's the original or a clone, each possesses a soul, a spiritual origin, and a life origin.
What determines who is the true self and who is the clone depends on strength and memory.
Rosen's true self holds overwhelming power, which is why he is the original. Moreover, he possesses complete memories that the clones do not, so he will always be the original—no clone can replace him unless, one day, the original perishes completely and one of the clones transforms into the new original.
Alternatively, if the original and a clone are somehow severed by a powerful force.
If the clone cannot contact the original for a long time, it may assume the original has died. In such cases, the clone might autonomously transform into the new original. That's why the distinction between original and clone is never absolute—this is also why clones are always weaker than the original.
Ancient Gods manifest as all things, and their divine essence transforms into the sentient lives of all beings.
This essentially means that all intelligent life in the Ancient God World are avatars of the Ancient God.
Therefore, both Apocalypse and Rosen could follow this Ancient God–anchored passage and enter the World of Fate.
Although the Ancient God discovered the World of Fate and even monopolized one of the portals, he could not refine or claim ownership over it—because when Primordial Fate created the World of Fate, no mechanism was left for it to recognize a master. The true master of the World of Fate is the collective sentient beings of the universe.
Anyone who finds an entrance can, under normal conditions, enter the World of Fate.
Then, through the Book of Fate and Creation, they can witness their own fate.
Fate among the universe's sentient beings is almost fixed—ways to change fate are exceedingly rare.
Even eternal beings who have mastered innate Source Seeds can only make minor changes to fate.
Alternatively, with the help of rare and exceptional seeds like the Miracle Source Seed, they can alter their fate more significantly.
But to completely change one's fate, one must rely on the Book of Fate and Creation, which contains the Fate Source Seed.
However, having the opportunity to change fate does not mean having the power to do so.
For example, an ant may be able to extend its life by a few days through a change in fate, but it will never survive the destruction of a planet. Without sufficient power, trying to change one's fate is nothing more than a delusion.
Ignorance is bliss—many times, not knowing anything is its own form of happiness.
Apocalypse's greatest regret was opening the Book of Fate and Creation all those years ago.
And seeing his own fate—worse yet, seeing the various branching developments of that fate after his attempts to change it.
But no matter how his fate developed, Apocalypse found that every path led to death.
Because the Ancient God would never leave behind any fragment of himself. He would scour the universe to recover all of his avatars. Only when a singular Ancient God exists in the universe can that Ancient God have a chance to evolve into a Primordial Being and leave the universe entirely.
Everything the Ancient God is doing now is laying the groundwork to become a Primordial Being.
After seeing his inevitable future, Apocalypse was filled with fear and unwillingness.
Yet the Ancient God was far too powerful—for a clone to rebel against the original was nearly impossible.
Even if in one of the possible fates Apocalypse became an eternal being, he still could not escape the fate of being slain and reabsorbed by the Ancient God.
With his deep understanding of fate, Apocalypse—despite not being naturally gifted—grew stronger and stronger.
But the stronger he became, the deeper his despair. And ultimate despair breeds resentment and madness.
Apocalypse could not accept that he was born solely to be fodder for the Ancient God's evolution into a Primordial Being. He began searching for an opportunity to fight back.
But thinking it was easy—doing it was unimaginably difficult.
Because not only could Apocalypse open the Book of Fate and Creation, so could the Ancient God.
Unless he could deceive the book itself, any plan against the Ancient God was doomed from the very beginning.
For everything Apocalypse had done—the Ancient God had already known for countless years through the book.
To deceive the Book of Fate and Creation, one must first understand it thoroughly.
Through his continuous research, Apocalypse discovered that the book was not omnipotent. When it came to things related to the Primordial Beings, the Book of Fate and Creation could not accurately or fully display fate. Additionally, the power of miracles could interfere with its readings.
Ultimately, under the guidance of the Book of Fate and Creation, Apocalypse found Blue Star, which had been hidden by the Ancient God.The power of the Book of Fate and Creation could not extend to or influence Blue Star at all.
Because this seemingly ordinary star likely contained within it the Time Source Seed and the Space Source Seed.
Apocalypse also discovered that the Book of Fate and Creation could not truly control the fate of all sentient beings.
The Book of Fate and Creation can fully reveal the fate only of the being who opens the book.
If Apocalypse wanted to know the fate of some deity in a remote corner of the universe, that would be easy. But if he wanted to know the fate of an immortal god-demon in the same situation, the margin for error in the Book's reading would skyrocket.
The Book of Fate and Creation is not omnipotent—this gave Apocalypse an opportunity to lay out his plan against the Ancient God.
Apocalypse found the Miracle Source Seed and then hid himself on Blue Star.
With the Book of Fate and Creation unable to affect that realm, Apocalypse began to lay his plans on Blue Star.He also understood clearly: once the Ancient God's fragment awakened, it would only need to enter the World of Fate to discover him—to know he had come to Blue Star.At that point, given the Ancient God's control over Blue Star, no matter what arrangements Apocalypse left behind, they would all fail.
So from that moment on, Apocalypse had already prepared to die.
He planned to use his own life to create a miracle—one that could overthrow the Ancient God and defy the Book of Fate and Creation.
Thanks to Blue Star's continuous time loops, Apocalypse attempted, over and over across the cycles, to influence nearly every person throughout history.Until one day, during one particular time loop, Apocalypse discovered him—someone who was born with a unique gift.
Rosen, from a young age, had a tendency to escape from reality. He instinctively felt that reality was too fake.
Instead, he thought that fictional worlds felt more real.
Because in reality, he often saw certain people or things and had the distinct feeling that he had seen them before.
When Apocalypse found him, he noticed that Rosen's spiritual sensitivity was extraordinary—beyond imagination.That instinct, in truth, stemmed from countless past lives across repeated cycles.Even Blue Star's time loops had not fully erased all of his previous memories.
Upon realizing this, Apocalypse grew more and more interested in him.
After observing him over several loops spanning tens of thousands of years, Apocalypse uncovered the true nature of Rosen's instincts.
Blue Star really did possess a Time Source Seed, and Rosen was innately attuned to it.
This isn't hard to understand. A saltwater fish cannot live in freshwater, because its cells have adapted to the marine environment.
But there are some fish that, at different stages of growth, can live in both saltwater and freshwater.
Life is highly adaptable. After countless time loops and endless time acceleration on Blue Star, some people gradually adapted to the power of time—gradually adjusting themselves under the influence of their environment.
Rosen was the one who adapted best.In theory, after endless cycles, he could become recognized by the Time Source Seed.
But the time required was far too long.It was entirely possible that, before he earned the Time Source Seed's recognition, the Ancient God would already discover his anomaly and seize the opportunity.In fact, it's even possible that this was the Ancient God's plan all along.
Because all life on Blue Star, just like in the Ancient God World, is formed from the divine essence of the Ancient God.
The Ancient God wanted to use this method—to let one of his own fragments adapt through the environment and earn the Time Source Seed's recognition.
Then, upon reclaiming that fragment, the Ancient God could gain control over Blue Star's Time Source Seed.
Once Apocalypse discovered this secret, he immediately began paving the way for Rosen.
Rosen, having been tightly bound to the Time Source Seed through countless time loops, was naturally an outlier capable of escaping the fate written by the Book of Fate and Creation.Only he had the potential to defeat the Book and replace the Ancient God's original self, becoming the new Ancient God.
Apocalypse wanted to use Rosen to carry out his rebellion against the Ancient God.
Apocalypse prepared the Mysterious Book Room for him, allowing it to follow Rosen through each cycle, completing the initial steps of recognizing him as its master.
That's why, even though Rosen was just an ordinary person with no awakened spirituality, he could still merge his soul into something as mighty as an Immortal World.
Because he had already lived through countless time loops for tens of thousands of years.With the Mysterious Book Room, once he left Blue Star and entered the Ancient God World, he could rely on it to safely navigate danger, ensuring he could survive and grow stronger.
To make it easier for Rosen to fuse with the Book Room, Apocalypse even stripped the Book Room of its world origin.
After leaving the Book Room to Rosen, Apocalypse used the eternal time origins he had extracted from Rosen over countless time loops to temporarily evade the fate control of the Book of Fate and Creation.He made many arrangements—among them, preparing the identity of Little Rosen, a persona that could legitimately deceive the Book of Fate and Creation.
(End of Chapter)