Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven

Chapter 550: Artifact: Jade Tree, Jade Emperor, more visions related to Chaos Emperor.

"Yes. The artifact is a jade tree with jade leaves," the Snow Empress said.

"We do not know where it came from. But these leaves hold the power to temporarily enhance the strength of a path, even without the formal ranks established."

"Oh?" Grey’s interest was piqued. This was genuinely surprising.

"Where did this jade tree come from?"

The Snow Empress shook her head upon hearing this. "We do not know its exact origins, because it was simply swept into our universe out of nowhere."

"Swept into our universe?" Grey frowned.

Something being swept into a universe was rarely a good thing. Technically, there was no such thing as aimlessly floating into a universe, because outside the various planes of existence lay the raw, destructive chaos. That meant most artifacts and ordinary materials would not even survive the journey.

But the fact that this tree survived meant it was either a true Chaos Treasure, like the one mentioned by the Origin Will, or an artifact powerful enough to withstand the immense pressure and absolute destruction of the outside void.

"Take me to the jade tree." Grey wanted to see it immediately.

The Snow Empress respectfully nodded.

Grey and the Snow Empress teleported out of her grand palace and arrived in an entirely empty, isolated spatial pocket.

In the dead center stood an emerald colored jade tree with dry, intricate branches.

"It bears leaves every thousand years or so. We got this Tree countless years ago and used up all the leaves to form the Army of Origin. But, it hasn’t sprouted leaves since then."

"If we are not wrong. The Jade Tree isn’t confined to the authority of time in our plane of existence and follows a higher world’s time authority."

"Hm." Grey gave a subtle nod as he stepped closer to examine it thoroughly.

Driven by curiosity, he reached forward and gently touched the ancient bark to analyze it.

However, as soon as his fingers made contact, his vision violently glitched.

Boom!

His vision blurred completely as the Chaos Source Codex within his Chaos Lotus began to act irregularly. He had inadvertently tapped into an unknown frequency that perfectly resonated with the jade tree.

The following moment, a glitching, holographic figure appeared standing on a grand jade platform.

"Chaos Emperor. Is this truly the right decision?" an ethereal voice echoed.

"I believe it is, Jade Emperor," a towering figure replied.

"We only have one chance."

"If we want to protect what we love, if we want to protect this world from the clutches of the Ascendancy Domain, we must sacrifice ourselves."

"Your corpse will act as the ultimate shield, even if the Paragons find a way into Earth."

...

Grey’s eyes widened.

’Was that the Chaos Emperor?’ Grey was completely stunned.

To think he would receive a direct vision here of all places. But at the same time, profound understanding flashed in his eyes.

He vividly remembered his grandfather Wilhelm’s words. Wilhelm had once mentioned that their home universe, the very universe that every major cosmic entity desperately wanted to enter, was in fact a massive cosmic graveyard containing terrifying, ancient existences. The vision he just witnessed featured the Jade Emperor. He was a prominent figure in the mythology back on his old world.

’The corpses there are not just lingering for no reason. It was the Chaos Emperor’s master plan to stop the Paragons?’ Grey blinked in realization.

He did not understand it all too well. The Chaos Emperor historically took no sides. He considered both the Paragons and the old Heavenly Dao to be his enemies. Yet, why did he harbor such deep enmity toward the Heavenly Dao? Perhaps he simply considered anyone who lusted after the core to be a common enemy.

In the end, be it Pangu, the old Heavenly Dao, or Little Hong, their ultimate goals were remarkably similar. They all wanted to reach the core, obtain it, and return it to their respective creator, the boundless expression from the Ascendancy Domain. Perhaps that was the root of the conflict.

Just as he processed those thoughts, the Chaos Source Codex triggered once again.

It projected the obscured, glitching figure of the Chaos Emperor once more.

"This is all for the purpose of his arrival."

"The Chaos Race from the Ascendancy Domain has already predicted it."

"A being capable of utilizing that specific energy will be born soon."

"Once he is born, our suffering will finally end."

"He will shine his boundless light across the endless reality, rewriting the fundamental laws across both this realm and the Ascendancy Domain."

"We, as the guardians and the most ancient race in the Ascendancy Domain, must perceive the true end and beginning of all things. We cannot let the core fall into the hands of heretics. The summit will soon shine with his light. That will be the moment the wheels of fate truly begin to turn."

"We just need to persist until he takes that final step." The ancient voice was filled with unwavering determination.

Grey wore an even more baffled expression.

’Is he talking about me?!’ Grey was completely stunned.

He did not know the full context of their ancient discussion. But one thing was abundantly clear: the Chaos Emperor possessed subtle knowledge about Nexus energy.

’Guardians and the most ancient race. I was right. This Chaos Emperor had deep ties to the Chaos Race, and the Chaos Race of this world must originally hail from the Ascendancy Domain.’

But they called themselves the guardians. Who exactly gave them that divine role? Or was it perhaps a sense of innate entitlement, feeling obligated to protect the core simply because they were one of the very first races birthed by it?

He did not know the answers. The only way to find out was to eventually ask the Chaos Emperor himself.

"He is not really dead, is he?" Grey muttered with a firm nod.

The Paragons had violently split the Chaos Emperor into several scattered parts. The Chaos Source Codex he currently possessed was the main, foundational piece.

The other remaining fragments had to be scattered across the endless reality. With the right guidance, he might be able to locate them soon.

Just as he formulated that thought, the Chaos Source Codex trembled once more.

New, encrypted information appeared in his mind. It was a precise set of coordinates for a distant universe, a destination he could immediately input into the reality ship.

Grey smiled upon seeing this. Was the unconscious lingering presence of the Chaos Emperor actively guiding him toward his other severed parts?

That had to be the case.

"Considering how much he has done for this world, and the immense sacrifices he made to protect the core..."

"...I should definitely help him piece himself back together." Grey nodded decisively.

It was simply the right thing to do.