Chapter 1: The Awakening of the Primordial Ancient Snake
"What's going on here? Where is this place? Why is everything so gray, without any sunlight?"
Furukawa opened his eyes. His surroundings were nothing but a vast, chaotic void. A thick gray mist swirled in the emptiness, stretching endlessly in every direction. There was no land, no sky—just an infinite abyss of swirling energy.
Panic surged through him. He looked around but found no reference points. There was no up or down, no east or west. It was as if he was floating in a boundless vacuum.
"Wait… Is this the Chaotic World?"
Suddenly, a powerful stream of information flooded his consciousness. It wasn't something he learned—it was an instinct, an inheritance etched into his very being.
This was the beginning of the universe. The place where chaos was first born.
And he… he was one of its first creatures.
"I… I have become a snake. The first snake of Chaos—the Primordial Ancient Snake."
Furukawa was stunned. He turned his gaze toward himself and saw a massive, dark golden serpent. His body stretched for 10,000 kilometers, its scales radiating a deep, luminous glow.
If he had seen such a creature in his previous life, he would have thought it was a colossus. But here, in the vastness of chaos, he was insignificant, just a speck in the void.
Memories rushed back.
His past life. A world of cities, cars, and people. He remembered the accident—the blinding headlights, the screeching tires, and the sudden impact that took his life.
And now, he was here.
Just as panic threatened to take over, a chilling sensation spread from the depths of his consciousness. It was an unnatural calmness, as if all fear and anxiety were washed away in an instant.
Then, he understood.
Snakes are cold-blooded creatures. Their emotions are not like those of humans. This body… it had changed him.
"Wait… if this is the primordial era, then wouldn't beings like Pangu, Hongjun, Luohu, Taiyi, and Sanqing exist? But the chaos has only just begun… Pangu has yet to split the heavens. That means none of those legendary figures have been born yet."
A sense of urgency gripped him.
In later eras, the Golden Immortals would roam the world, and only Saints would stand supreme. If he did not cultivate and grow stronger, he would be nothing more than a footnote in history—just another creature swallowed by the tides of time.
Like the Black Tortoise of the North Sea—a peaceful being that did nothing to provoke anyone. Yet, Nuwa sacrificed it to mend the heavens, cutting off its limbs to serve as the pillars of the world. It died not because of any sin, but simply because it was weak.
"Weakness is the original sin. The weak are prey to the strong."
Even though he was born as a creature of Chaos with an immense starting advantage, it meant nothing. The three thousand Chaos Gods and Demons who were born alongside the universe all perished when Pangu split the heavens.
"If I don't change, I will meet the same fate."
A fire ignited within him.
He had to survive. He had to become stronger.
But how?
In his previous life, he was an ordinary person. He had no experience in cultivation or divine arts. The world he came from had long since entered the Dharma-ending age, where no one knew how to cultivate anymore.
"Wait… The Tao Te Ching!"
A realization struck him.
Back in his past life, he had once studied the Tao Te Ching, the great work of Laozi, one of the most revered sages. It was said to contain profound insights into the laws of the universe and the Dao.
Unlike other cultivators who guarded their knowledge, Laozi freely shared his wisdom, believing that enlightenment was a path only those with the talent to understand could walk.
Even if a person was given the greatest teachings, it would be useless without the ability to comprehend them.
At first, he thought he had long forgotten the verses of the Tao Te Ching. But the soul never forgets. The knowledge was still imprinted within him, buried deep in his consciousness.
And now, with his new body and enhanced mind, he could recall everything with perfect clarity.
"This… this might be my chance!"
For the first time since awakening, a sense of hope filled him.
The chaotic void stretched endlessly around him. A primordial force pulsed through his massive body, waiting to be harnessed.
The path to survival was clear.
He would cultivate the Dao.
He would seize power.
And he would ensure that this time, he would not fall.