The vast starry sky, the night as dark as ink, the Thousand Realms Sect, its spiritual light faint, silent as the sea.
On this day, the eighty-one inner peaks above the sect trembled simultaneously. The entire sect seemed to sense the return of some strange phenomenon. Even the elders who had been asleep for thousands of years opened their eyes from their cultivation, and their divine thoughts pierced through the void, locking onto the same direction.
--Qin Yu, return.
For several days, Qian Ruishan used countless methods to search for him, but to no avail. She even asked an inner sect elder to use his divine sense to sweep across thousands of miles, but there was no response whatsoever.
"Could he... already...?"
This was a thought she had once dared not contemplate yet could not shake off, a deep-seated anxiety surging within her like a tidal wave. She considered herself usually calm, but Qin Yu's disappearance had completely shattered her emotional boundaries. She had even decided that if it was truly Shang Kui who had made the move, she, Qian Ruishan, would personally step into the Shang Lineage, even if it meant violating the sect's rules, to bring the true culprit to justice!
At that moment, when she sensed that all-too-familiar aura stepping into the sect's grand formation, she almost instantly tore through the void, her figure rushing straight to the sect's teleportation hall.
--
"You're finally back!"
Before the teleportation array, Qian Ruishan's figure suddenly descended, her long hair flowing like a waterfall, her spirit robe fluttering in the wind, but her eyes held an unusual urgency.
Qin Yu was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you."
"Worried?" Qian Ruishan gritted her teeth. "Do you know what I've been through these past few days? After you went missing, I suspected Shang Kui had secretly intervened and had already asked Elder Xue Bing to prepare to take action against the Shang Lineage family! And you, you've disappeared without a word for so many days, and even my divine sense couldn't detect where you are." At this time, Qian Ruishan's strength had reached the Realm Consciousness Realm First Stage Perfection (the extreme of Spiritual Sense surge) [the true level far exceeds the outward appearance]. Although Shang Kui was only ranked fifth on the Soul Stele, he relied on his Lineage behind him, not his own true strength. Qian Ruishan did not yet have the ability to independently confront his Lineage's power. Therefore, she was extremely anxious.
Qin Yu's expression shifted slightly, and he was about to explain when Qian Ruishan suddenly grabbed his arm and stared intently at him.
Tell me, are you hurt?
"No," Qin Yu said with a faint smile, "On the contrary, I gained something."
Qian Ruishan finally let go, but glared at him fiercely again. "If you disappear like this again, I'll cripple you."
Although her tone carried anger, her eyes held a mixture of barely suppressed joy and worry. Qin Yu nodded silently, knowing that this woman, seemingly cold but warm-hearted, genuinely cared about him.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Qian Ruishan turned to Qin Yu, "Tomorrow, the sect's [Heavenly Chasm Formation Trial Qualification Token], held once every three months, will begin."
"Heavenly Chasm Formation Trial?" Qin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly.
Just then, Zhou Yu strode over and said with a smile, "I knew you'd be back today! Perfect timing, just in time for the Heavenly Chasm Formation Trial. Come on, let's sign up together."
"What are the contents of the trial formation?" Qin Yu asked.
Zhou Yu scratched his head, about to explain, when Qian Ruishan spoke up, "This formation is an ancient remnant of the sect, rumored to have been personally set up by the previous Realm Master. It connects the void and shattered realms. The test content varies Cause Realm spirit, and the environment faced each time it is opened is different, but there is one core principle—to survive inside the formation for one to ten seconds and obtain a 'Spirit Seal Stone'."
"Spirit Seal Stone?" Qin Yu murmured.
"This is the key to unlocking the Heavenly Chasm Secret Realm; only the one who obtains it can enter the realm for higher-level cultivation," Qian Ruishan said solemnly. "And what you need to know is—this time, Shang Kui has already laid a trap."
"Who did he arrange?" Qin Yu's eyes turned slightly cold.
"Zhang Hao, ranked eightyth on the Soul Stele." Zhou Yu's expression was solemn. "True Soul Realm Third Stage Perfection, and it's said he's very likely he's recently broken through to the fourth stage!"
"With your current strength, facing him head-on..." Qian Ruishan paused, "... it would be extremely difficult for you to win."
"Then I will meet him."
Qin Yu responded calmly, his figure as upright as a spear, his sharpness restrained yet impossible to conceal.
--
The night is deep.
Behind the sect's mountain, the Milky Way stretched for thousands of miles, and silver light spilled across the earth, resembling a silver staircase from the heavens.
Qin Yu sat cross-legged on a rocky platform, his black robe fluttering slightly in the wind. He closed his eyes and exhaled, and in his sea of consciousness, the Azure Ring floated like an ancient divine pattern. At this moment, the Azure Ring trembled slightly, as if it had sensed some kind of Limit.
[Advanced Threshold.]
Qin Yu murmured, his mind sinking into his body. Within his dantian, spiritual energy surged, and the five primordial spiritual rivers swirled and surged, seemingly about to merge.
Right now--
The heavens and earth suddenly trembled!
Outside the Thousand Realms Sect, the Nine Heavens suddenly changed. Countless starlight fell, turning into a rain of light that rushed into the sky above the sect, as if billions of Realm Spirit had gathered together to construct a celestial map.
"Who... is undergoing tribulation?"
"No, it's a promotion!"
Such a sight is no ordinary person!
The Elders' Hall, the Mission Hall, the Pill Hall, the Weapon Pavilion... countless eyes converged on the back mountain, even Elder Xue Bing opened his eyes and gazed at the starry sky.
"This strange phenomenon... could it be him?"
"Initial Yuan Realm Fifth Stage Perfection..."
Boom!!
A thunderous roar echoed throughout the mountains and the world.
The Azure Ring radiated a vast divine light, completely enveloping Qin Yu. The ten layers of patterns that appeared on it were like a seal of destiny, each layer containing the principles of all laws!
"Lift--!"
Qin Yu exhaled sharply, and the torrent of spiritual energy within his body instantly flowed through all his bones and orifices. The five spiritual seals in his sea of consciousness burst forth with boundless light, and the Azure Ring Divine Power covered his entire body.
He broke through.
--[Initial Yuan Realm Fifth Stage Perfection]!
At that moment, the starry sky was silent, all things were still, and there was only one person, as if standing in the center of a sea of stars, looking down on all living beings.
Ling Jingxi stood quietly outside the sky, gazing into the direction of the sect.
"As expected of you..." A soft light appeared in her beautiful eyes. With a gentle wave of her hand, a golden radiance transformed into the power of ten billion Realm Spirit, quietly merging into the Star Sea.
"Qin Yu, this is an aid bestowed upon me by Ling Jingxi."
Qin Yu sensed the arrival of this vast divine power and looked up at the distant sky, saying softly and sincerely:
Thank you.
The moment Qin Yu completed his breakthrough, the galaxy receded, and the world gradually returned to calm.
Yet, deep within his consciousness, lingering ripples still remained.
It was a clarity he had never experienced before. In the sea of his soul, the soul lamps ignited without wind, and the nine soul palaces seemed to be awakened, trembling slightly. A sense of the Dao from the depths of an unknown world quietly seeped into his spiritual origin.
"This is... Azure Ring's feedback?"
Qin Yu stood still, sensing the indescribable, divine fluctuations. His soul seemed to detach from his body, piercing through nine layers of consciousness in that instant, seeing projections of future destinies. Although it was only for a moment, it was enough to startle him.
At the same time, within the boundary seal, the billion Realm Spirit continued to radiate brilliant light, piled up heavily.
"Miss Ling..." Qin Yu looked into the distance, a rare complex emotion appearing in his eyes.
Such a massive amount of Realm Spirit would be a gift from the heavens to any cultivator at the Initial Yuan Realm. Yet she... bestowed it upon them without uttering a word.
"She... gave so much."
He murmured to himself, then with a slight thought, he temporarily sealed the ten billion Realm Spirit within the seal of his sea of consciousness, refraining from making any rash moves.
"However, since we are about to participate in the Heavenly Chasm Formation Trial, we should make some preparations."
He looked up into the distance, his mind racing.
"Although Zhou Yu's injuries have fully recovered, he cannot be allowed to face the danger alone again in the upcoming trials. We can take this opportunity to go to the main city to find some spiritual herbs and pill ingredients to refine a few auxiliary pills suitable for breaking through the barrier in the True Soul Realm. Perhaps this will allow his combat strength to advance further."
Thinking of this, Qin Yu stood up, his figure like light, and soared into the sky.
In the Spirit Firmament Great Realm, the main city will once again welcome this young man back. This time, however, he will not come with a test, but with the cultivation of the Initial Yuan Realm Fifth Stage Perfection, the resources of ten billion Realm Spirit, and that... invisible determination that will soon reveal his destiny, he will step into the center of that deeper and more vast storm.