There was no sound when he woke up.
Not because the world was silent—but because sound itself felt like it had stopped being meaningful here.
He opened his eyes slowly.
What he saw was not the shattered forest, nor the corpse of the Vajra Scaled White dragon.
It was something far beyond that.
An endless expanse stretched in every direction, not of sky or land, but of something that could not be described with normal perception. It looked like water, yet it wasn't water. It moved like liquid, yet carried the weight of entire galaxies within it. Stars drifted beneath its surface like glowing dust trapped in an infinite ocean.
He was standing on it.
Or rather—levitating above it, as if the concept of "standing" had been rewritten.
Wang Luan blinked once.
"…Okay," he said quietly. "This isn't normal."
There was no panic in his voice. Just mild annoyance, like someone realising their day had taken a wrong turn far too early.
He looked down.
The "ground" rippled slightly beneath him, reacting to his awareness rather than his weight.
That alone was enough to tell him—this place did not operate on normal rules.
Then he felt it.
A pressure.
Not physical.
Not spiritual.
Something deeper—pressing against the very structure of his soul, as if the world itself was examining whether he was allowed to exist here.
Wang Luan sighed softly.
"I really should stop breaking through in inconvenient places."
Then, the space around him began to ripple, and small waves formed on the ocean.
Slowly at first. Then all at once.
The surface of the infinite sea rose without motion, forming three figures that appeared out of nowhere.
One was a constantly shifting form of colours that did not belong together, twisting and folding like reality struggling to decide what it should be. It resembled a human figure, but had no face or features, just a cloudy, blurry silhouette.
The other was a silhouette made of absence itself—where even perception failed to settle. It seemed to remove the very matter at the point it stood. It would have been easily ignored, if not for the space itself bending around it. It wasn't dark; it was something beyond it.
The last couldn't even be described in mortal words. It was a perfect geometric presence, structured beyond anything mortal logic could comprehend. It resembled perfection in its finest state, something that seemed close to reach, but too far to grasp.
They stood before him. Not towering. Not distant.
Simply present.
And then, they shrank. Not physically—but in meaning, compressing themselves into a scale the human mind could process.
Wang Luan tilted his head slightly.
"…I'm guessing you three are important."
"Indeed, mortal," the first being said. "You are indeed right. Most would have been panicking, and here you are, questioning us. We are the Primordial Gods of Chaos, Void and Order."
"And why am I here?" Wang asked.
Order spoke, "Do not make haste, mortal, for you are beyond the grasp of Time itself, in our presence. You have been chosen, mortal, to take on our positions, the Primordial God Positions of Chaos, Void and Order."
"For aeons," Void spoke, "We have been working tirelessly, caring and observing the infinite number of Universes. You stand above the Primordial Ocean of Orgin. It is the foundation, from which countless universes have emerged."
Chaos began, "But such work has taken its toll on us. It is our desire to retire, to dissolve back into the very Ocean that birthed us. But-"
"Abandoning our duties," continued Void "Without care would result in the destruction of existence itself. That is why we searched through countless souls and infinite universes for a suitable successor."
"So you have chosen me?" Wang asked.
"Yes." All three said together.
"And I can't refuse?"
"It depends." Order began, "If you decide to refuse, you will return to your world, with no memory of this conversation. But, you should know that accepting means you will receive our powers, and freedom from the shackles of Time itself."
"But you will lose a great opportunity," Chaos said
"Well, I think I accept, then."
"Acceptance binds you to consequence. This power comes with responsibility," Void said
"Yeah, I'm sure," Wang says
"Then brace yourself," they said in unison, "For you are about to be baptised in the Ocean, to strengthen your soul. Beware, it will be painful."
They raised their right arms, and the Ocean around him rose in great tides over him.
"WHAT?! YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT PAI...Ugh...Ugh," Wang tried to retort, but the Ocean muffled his sound.
He fell. Not physically.
But in every sense that mattered.
The infinite ocean swallowed him whole.
But it did not drown him.
It rewrote him.
His consciousness was pulled into layers of existence beyond the physical world. Spirit power, body structure, and even his sense of self began to fracture and reform under pressure that should have destroyed him instantly.
Yet he remained. The pain was far greater than anything he had ever endured. He felt like his own existence was being torn apart and remade.
After a long time, if Time even passed, he woke up.
He looked around and found himself back in the forest once more. The sky had darkened, and it shone with twinkling stars. The corpse of the Vajra Scaled White Dragon remained where it was, its massive body a silent testimony to the power it once bore.
"Urgh... What just happened?" Wang thought, shaking his head.
[The Divine Chaos System Welcomes the Host!]
"So it wasn't a dream?"
[No. The Host has been selected as the new Heir to the Primordial God Positions of Chaos, Void and Order.]
[The God Trails will initiate once the Host reaches the God King Realm.]
"Well, guess I got plenty of time. Let's see what the world decides to throw at me next."
Wang summoned his Celestial Sword and climbed on it. It floated in the air, holding his weight.
"Yahoo! I always wanted to do that!" He laughed.
Under his control, the sword began to move, and he soon soared into the horizon, his figure streaking through the night sky like a comet.