Chapter 200: Protagonist Template
Chapter 200: Protagonist Template
“The chaos was boundless; I didn’t expect to meet another Daoist being here.”
A hazy silhouette emerged from the chaos. The moment this figure appeared, Zuo Meng recognized his origin.
A Daoist being!
Or perhaps the World Will of some realm. Behind him trailed several weaker auras, probably deities created under this being’s rules. When Zuo Meng noticed them, they also sensed his presence. Having once merged with the Yuan Wu World, Zuo Meng’s aura closely resembled that of a Daoist being, which explained their misunderstanding.
“Do you wish to replace this world’s Dao with your own?”
Zuo Meng didn’t explain himself. This was his first encounter with other living beings in the chaos, and reckless action seemed unwise. As Zuo Meng considered this, the Daoist being clearly shared similar thoughts. To this being, Zuo Meng’s ability to wander alone through chaos marked him as a supreme entity—someone best not provoked.
“Master?”
A youthful-looking deity beside the Daoist being spoke up.
“I’ve governed this world for thirty thousand years.”
The Daoist being silenced his disciple with a gesture, then addressed Zuo Meng.
“As a fellow Daoist being, you’ve earned the right to enter. But whether your Dao can overwrite heaven’s will… that depends on your methods.” Wary of Zuo Meng, the Daoist being retreated after this brief exchange. His followers hastily withdrew into the chaos too.
He agreed?
Zuo Meng frowned.
Logically, thirty thousand years of investment in this world should’ve made the Daoist being defensive against outsiders. Such intrusion usually sparked territorial wars. Zuo Meng himself would’ve demanded negotiations first. This easy acceptance puzzled him.
Unknown to Zuo Meng, his solo travels through chaos shocked other Daoist beings. Unlike Creators, Daoist beings were weaker entities requiring disciples’ combined powers to form protective small worlds for chaos navigation. Zuo Meng’s casual wandering defied all norms—making him someone no wise being would antagonize. The infinite chaos made any single world disposable. Moreover, Daoist beings as World Will incarnates lacked emotions like anger, acting only through cold logic.
“Convenient.”
Regardless of reasons, saved effort pleased Zuo Meng.
He approached the World Barrier.
Another Endless Sand World.
Such worlds littered the chaos like grains of sand. Great Worlds were rare, Celestial Realms rarer still, and Origin Worlds—like the one encompassing his Dream Realm—were best avoided entirely. Only during his World of Giants conquest had he risked nearing an Origin World’s sphere.
“Interesting barrier.”
Perhaps due to the Daoist being’s influence, the World Barrier didn’t repel Zuo Meng. Passing through transformed him into a thirty-something swordsman—unkempt hair, wine gourd, and all.
“Adaptation cost?”
Zuo Meng flexed fingers, feeling no discomfort. As a Great World Creator, he dwarfed this realm’s mightiest Sword Saints. Only the thirty-millennia-old Daoist being concerned him now.
“Priorities first.”
His consciousness blanketed the Entire World momentarily before withdrawing.
“Junior Sister’s scent… but not her?”
The trail led not to Zuo Qiu, but an unknown youth.
“Secondary objective anyway.”
His main goal remained devouring worlds for his Dream Realm. Finding his Junior Sister was merely incidental.
Xinghe Village.
Night.
Torrential rain.
A mud-caked boy gasped through clenched teeth. His bone-deep back wound bled into the storm-soaked earth, hiding his trail while inviting infection.
“Can’t die… Not yet…”
“Aunt Qiu… traitors… must kill…”
Delirious yet stubborn, he clung to consciousness. Blacking out meant death here.
Above him, Zuo Meng observed with amusement.
“Young lord betrayed, missing aunt, vengeance quest…”
Classic protagonist setup.
Just missing the obligatory broken engagement.
“Waiting for a ‘mentor’, perhaps?”
World conquest required subtlety—lessons learned from Yuan Wu World. Brute force caused backlash. Better to groom local pawns, like he’d done with enlightened beings last time.
But here? After thirty thousand years, the Daoist being controlled all high positions. Infiltration needed… fresher blood.
Zuo Meng smiled at the wounded youth.
The perfect revolutionary candidate.