In the Initial Realm Holy Land, the light of heaven was reversed, and the vital energy was completely destroyed.
The entire secret realm, seemingly transcending time, was collapsing and dissolving inch by inch in a way that reversed time and space. From the dome down, even the void was broken into thousands of black lines, as if an invisible hand was slowly gathering the whole world together.
In the distance, many lords of great realms stood uneasily.
They should have been as calm and composed as an ancient well, but at this moment, they all changed color. Their gazes converged on the gradually fading sacred land at the end of the void, their eyes reflecting the slowly disappearing purple-gold radiance—the original light of the sacred land, and also the light of the Realm Evolution Soul Flower!
"How could it collapse prematurely on the eighth day..."
A Realm Master spoke in a deep voice, his tone unusually solemn.
Streams of divine sense pierced through the Heavenly Abyss, attempting to forcefully probe the inner landscape of the sacred land. However, without exception, they were all repelled by an invisible light barrier, which stretched endlessly, seemingly sealed off by some unfathomable supreme will.
"This is... the rules of the Realm Master have been locked ahead of schedule!"
At the other end, Ling Jingxi stood at the edge of the abyss.
Her expression was unusually frozen, her trench coat fluttering behind her, yet unable to conceal the slight tremor in her palms. Since the Initial Realm Holy Land was sealed off, she had not left. Even though the various Realm Master had long since turned and left, she alone remained standing in the same spot, her gaze fixed on the holy land that was about to disappear completely.
"We can't detect anything... even the connection with the Soul Boundary has been severed."
Ling Jingxi clenched her slender fingers tightly. Normally, she would never let her emotions fluctuate like this, but at this moment, she even felt a slight tightness in her chest.
The last thing she saw was the moment when that colossal purple-gold dragon, powerful enough to crush an era, opened its eyes!
"Qin Yu... you mustn't get hurt... otherwise..."
I will regret it for the rest of my life.
Just a moment before the holy land's glory was about to fade.
The heavens and earth trembled slightly, and a crack quietly appeared in the void.
A young man, covered in blood and wearing shattered armor, emerged from the rift. His aura remained calm and composed, yet his eyes were deep and unfathomable. He had one hand behind his back and the other holding a divine flower wreathed in purple-gold flames.
"It's you..."
Ling Jingxi was suddenly taken aback.
The next moment, she darted out like the wind, her figure flashing, and before the radiance had completely faded, she pounced into that familiar figure and hugged him tightly.
"You... you're insane..." Her voice trembled, tears silently streaming down her face, her voice barely concealing her emotional breakdown, "Do you know that if you had been even a moment later... I..."
Qin Yu stood there stunned, feeling the trembling softness in his arms, and for a moment he was at a loss for what to do.
He spoke softly, "Actually... whether or not I go in is my own choice, you... don't need to blame yourself so much."
Ling Jingxi slowly raised her head, a hint of red appearing in her eyes, her usual aloofness and nonchalance gone. "Do you know how afraid I was when I saw the purple-gold dragon open its eyes that you would end up like them, never to come out again?"
Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly opened his right palm.
"However... I got it." His voice was calm, yet it seemed to strike deep into her heart.
On the palm of his hand, a purple-gold divine flower, seemingly flowing from the core of the Nine Realms, bloomed quietly. The entire flower was entwined with countless strands of Dao radiance, and the divine light floated slowly, as if it could reflect the beginning and end of the entire Spirit Firmament Era.
Realm Evolution Soul Flower!
Ling Jingxi's breath caught in her throat, her beautiful eyes narrowing sharply. "You... you really got it? How is that possible... that's the Purple-Gold Divine Dragon... you..."
Her words were incoherent.
Qin Yu smiled gently and handed over the flower.
"To me, it's not of much use." His gaze was calm, yet it concealed an indescribable vastness. "Since you worry about me, you deserve this in return."
The moment Ling Jingxi received the divine flower, her fingertips trembled slightly, as if she couldn't believe it at all.
She looked up at Qin Yu, her gaze no longer able to conceal anything—shock, emotion, and a nascent stirring of first love quietly beginning to sprout within her...
Qin Yu gently handed over the Realm Evolution Soul Flower, the divine light from his palm shining through his fingers and falling between the two of them, as if even the surrounding world fell silent.
"To me, its value is far less than the words you waited for me." He spoke calmly, yet his words were like starlight reflected in a long river.
Ling Jingxi accepted the divine flower in a daze, her fingertips trembling slightly, and remained silent for a long time.
The purple-gold radiance reflected in her eyes, giving her originally flawless pupils a sacred glow, but her gaze remained fixed on the young man before her, unwavering for a long time.
"Qin Yu..." she said softly, her voice gentler than ever before, carrying an emotion she herself was unaware of.
The next moment, she suddenly turned around, her clothes fluttering, and gently took his hand in hers, her tone calm and matter-of-fact:
"Come back with me. Your injuries haven't healed yet, so it's time for me, your... 'elder,' to prepare some recovery medicine for you."
"Go back where?" Qin Yu asked hesitantly.
"The Heavenly Cosmos Auction House, the Immortal Pavilion." She turned and smiled, her beauty seemingly radiating divine grace, "Is also my boudoir."
After an incense stick has burned.
Night had fallen, Firmament Vault Heavenly City Cloud Palace shimmered with light. The Heavenly Cosmos Auction House sphere lapped atop that towering pavilion, amidst the swirling clouds and mist. A pristine and sacred palace floated beneath the night sky, bathed in rosy light—this was Ling Jingxi's celestial abode.
She personally led him through the cloud platform and into the building that resembled a private palace in a celestial realm.
A red veil flutters gently, and a jade lamp hangs low, creating a simple yet Wenwan atmosphere. The room is sparsely furnished, with an elegant and antique feel, but every detail is exquisitely crafted. This is not the hall of power for the head of the merchant guild, but the softest place in her heart.
"Please sit down, I'll go get the pill." She smiled slightly, turned and walked into the inner hall.
At this moment, Qin Yu stood quietly before the bed, a gentle breeze of purple night behind him. He gazed at every blade of grass and every tree in the room, yet his heart was once again stirred with emotion—
He had thought that the Realm Evolution Soul Flower was already the pinnacle of Spirit Firmament, but he never expected that what truly shook his heart was the barely concealed tremor in the depths of her gaze.
Perhaps, the true starting point of the Spirit Firmament Great Realm lies not in sects, nor in the Soul Stele.
Before long, Ling Jingxi emerged from the inner hall, her jade-like fingers gently holding a crystal-clear pill wreathed in divine light, its delicate fragrance instantly filling the entire Immortal Pavilion.
"This is the highest-grade healing elixir of the Spirit Firmament, the [Supreme Unity Spirit Source Pill]. It takes three thousand years to condense one batch, and each batch contains no more than three pills."
She said softly, her eyes filled with a hint of solemnity, "Even Middle Stage of the Realm Lord Realm would recover from an injury in just three days. I am usually reluctant to give this pill to others, but I am willing to make an exception for you."
The pill hovered in her palm, like a dazzling starlight solidifying, its patterns flowing, as if it were formed from the very origin of the Great Dao.
Qin Yu reached out and took it, glancing at it for a moment, his gaze utterly calm.
In this Spirit Firmament Great Realm, it could indeed be considered the pinnacle, but within his sea of consciousness, the elixir condensed from the Azure Ring had already transcended the limits of rules—it was a true "divine elixir."
He didn't reveal his true intentions, but simply nodded his thanks and slowly put the pill away.
After a moment of silence, Qin Yu looked up at Ling Jingxi, his voice gentle yet firm:
"I... have been away from the sect for many days."
"It's time to go back."
Ling Jingxi was taken aback, as if she hadn't expected him to say goodbye so quickly.
"Aren't you going to stay another day?" she asked softly, a hint of reluctance in her eyes.
Qin Yu smiled slightly and said, "I am very grateful for Miss Ling's care on this trip. Whether it's the elixirs or the Qin Yu Pavilion, I will remember it in my heart."
But I still have my own path to walk.
Ling Jingxi remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded slightly.
"Very well, if you have time another day, the Immortal Pavilion will always be open to you."
"If you encounter any difficulties, the Heavenly Cosmos Auction House, and that will be the strength behind you."
Just as Qin Yu turned to leave, Ling Jingxi suddenly called out softly, "Qin Yu, wait a moment."
With a flick of her slender hand, a dark purple jade tablet flew out and hovered in front of Qin Yu, surrounded by the unique Spiritual Qi Heavenly Cosmos Auction House.
"This token is called the [Cosmos Venerable Token], one of the highest-level tokens in our Heavenly Cosmos Auction House." Her expression was calm, yet serious. "With this token, one can freely enter and exit all Heavenly Cosmos Auction House without restriction, and enjoy a 50% discount on all auctioned items."
"This order is unique in the entire Spirit Firmament Great Realm."
"Now it's yours."
Qin Yu was slightly taken aback. He reached out and took the Cosmos Venerable Token. The token felt cool to the touch, yet it exuded an aura of authority that could not be faked.
He looked up at Ling Jingxi, only to see that she still had her usual calm expression, but a hint of unprecedented seriousness flashed in her eyes.
"I already owe you a Realm Evolution Soul Flower." Ling Jingxi's voice softened slightly, tinged with a hint of a sigh. "And this token is part of my return gift. If you ever need anything in the future, you may always come to the Heavenly Cosmos to find me."
Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded solemnly:
"Okay, I'll remember that."
Without another word, he flicked his sleeves, turned, and rode away on the wind.
Under the starlight, his figure stood tall and straight like a halberd, gradually disappearing into the distance.
Ling Jingxi watched his figure disappear into the night, as if watching a fateful tide sweep her into an irreversible orbit.
A gust of wind rose in the sky, and the token spun gently in her palm, emitting a faint light, but there was no echo.
--This night is as still as an eternal night, with only the lingering warmth remaining.
Above the sky, the stars shone brightly, and his figure, tall and straight, grew ever more Steady as a Mountain.
He did not turn around.
She remained in the palace, gazing at the closed door for a long time, until the night deepened and her heart pounded with unspoken emotions.