When Qin Yu's consciousness was reconstructed, he was already suspended in a chaotic void.
Around him were layers of "boundary rings" that seemed to be composed of fragments of the laws of heaven, flowing with indescribable attribute laws such as lightning, fire, frost, death, and nothingness; these boundary rings were like "wounds" of the rules of heaven and earth, slowly healing, yet constantly cracking.
Below him stretched a pitch-black storm of lightning, like a bottomless abyss that swallowed everything; ahead, a blurry, distorted spatial staircase appeared, seemingly leading him to the distant "core secret domain."
"Where... is this?" Qin Yu murmured.
"The Spirit Firmament Great Realm... truly lives up to its reputation as a secret realm formed from the fragments of a realm beyond transcendence."
As he landed, hundreds of thousands of disciples in the sky were being distributed to different areas.
Zhou Yu was caught in a storm canyon sealed off by purple lightning.
Si Yao was teleported to the Black Bone Plain, a place filled with the aura of corpses.
Several powerful individuals were also sent to places like the Heavenly Fire Blazing Flame Mountain, the Illusory Mirror Pool, and the Spirit Transformation Quicksand Realm. Each of these places was extremely bizarre, as if they were strange spaces where one could be "stripped of their right to exist" at any moment!
⸻
Looking ahead, Qin Yu found himself in a bizarre and fantastical place: before him, the endless sky and the abyss on the ground were connected, but the two were upside down and disordered, as if the heavens and earth were being held in an invisible hand, constantly being torn apart and collapsed.
Beneath his feet lay fragmented stone tablets, broken traces of the soul scattered across the rough stone surface. Ancient characters, flowing like clouds and water, appeared on each tablet, seemingly recounting the destruction ritual of some distant world.
"Is this... the deeper part of a secret realm? Or some kind of remnant world?" He exhaled heavily, but could not sense the fragrance of grass and flowers; all he could hear was the sound of the wind and crisp sounds echoing in his ears.
At the same time, Zhou Yu was teleported to another location—where a fierce wind swept around him, and countless bolts of lightning fell from the void like chains of heaven and earth, striking a distant, collapsed ancient pillar and scattering dark rubble and light.
Other disciples either fell into icy rivers and abysses, plunged into scorching flames, or became entangled in ancient trees and spirit vines... In each place, the laws of space had collapsed.
At this moment, the entire secret realm is being divided into dozens of "misaligned smaller realms," each with extreme environments and significantly increased dangers.
⸻
The entire secret realm was layered upon layered, like a giant net that had been torn apart and pieced back together but was never fully connected. Above, lightning roared and the wind and clouds pressed down—there was no wind, yet a gale howled; there were no clouds, yet lightning flashed and thunder roared. Below, a black stone waterfall cascaded down, yet it was silent, as if it existed in another space governed by static laws.
Even more bizarrely, in addition to natural disasters, there are also "law phenomena" flickering randomly in the world: sometimes several fragments of space light up and dim down, as if they are being cut and repaired; sometimes an invisible "reverse current of order" emerges from under the ground, spinning the ruins into the air and then sinking them into the lower layers. Here, impermanence is the true law.
Within this space, the fragmented passages are interconnected yet unstable. Consciousnessless the aid of one's consciousness, merely walking or stepping on them could lead to eternal disappearance into the next broken rift.
⸻
Many disciples who entered the secret realm harbored ambitions for the trial, hoping to obtain the "Boundless Tribulation Heart Pearl" here. The sect's public description of this pearl is. "It can receive the ancient world's smoky soul, help one cross the five realms of the True Soul Realm, and even break through the Yuan cultivation stage to refine the body." This is the core obsession of this trial.
In addition, countless enhancement chests, ancient array dwellings, Soul Stele arrays, and creation well platforms are scattered throughout this shattered world. Disciples who successfully discover and enter these places have the opportunity to obtain extremely rare opportunities such as "Primordial Soul Consciousness Inscribed Token," "Immemorial Formation Fragmentary Scroll," and "Realm Origin Soul Core."
There are also secret items such as the "Void Ark", the "Time-Reversing Dew", and the "Realm-Rending Talisman Gate", but all of them are extremely risky: they may be torn apart by Lightning Prison, have their souls eroded by wind, or be silently destroyed along the way.
⸻
Just as the disciples were carefully making their way forward, the ground suddenly shook.
A deafening roar, like the collapse of Mount Tai, came from afar. A towering beast shattered the heavens and earth, as if the earth's veins had materialized. Its name was "Realm-Severing Devouring-Wing Devil". It was more than ten feet tall, covered with chaotic scales as hard as metal, and had several pairs of wings on its back, the tips of which flickered with annihilation sparks - with each flap of its wings, the surrounding space seemed to collapse!
Several disciples tried to approach and observe, but were swept away by its tail and plunged into the shattered void, never to be seen again.
Even more terrifying is that this Devil Beast's aura actually defies the rules of heaven and earth: wherever it passes, the fiery patterns of the laws are smoothed out, the wind and flames turn into silent, ethereal things, and its afterimage even absorbs the energy of the void and condenses back into a physical form!
Legend has it that this strange beast existed in the "primordial chaos of heaven and earth," and once swept across star systems, devouring all "ordered existence." Its appearance at this moment filled everyone present with immense fear and utter despair.
⸻
Deep within the secret realm, an ancient bone altar composed of countless skeletons sits atop floating clouds.
Zhang Hao's somber figure stood atop it, his eyes slightly dark as he gazed at the ravaged world, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"The sect's so-called magnificent trials are nothing more than a trial of strength." A glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. "But if I can obtain that Heart Pearl... I will be qualified to personally enter the inner sect's steward ranks!"
Suddenly, he turned and knelt on the ground, pressing his hands onto the bone platform. In the silence, the sound of a dark gold spear piercing the air came from afar.
Zhang Hao stood up, and a Black Bone box had appeared at his waist, clearly premeditated. He flipped through the runes and put away a dark stone inside the box. The soul patterns sealed within the stone seemed to resonate with the secret realm space, emitting wisps of mysterious power.
"I don't need to kill them with my own hands; I can obtain the Ultimate benefit simply by luring out the 'Heart Pearl Core'," he muttered to himself. Two shadowy figures appeared in the void behind him, seemingly conspiring with others.
⸻
Qin Yu stepped into the Fractured Woodland shrouded in a thin mist.
The land beneath their feet was cleaved by sheer cliffs thousands of feet high, with the remains of withered ancient trees connecting to floating islands in the sky. These islands were covered with gnarled green vines, and deep within the vines, the "axis of the realm"—a conduit of laws leading straight to the unknown heavens—was exposed.
Fragments of shattered time shimmered hazily in the air, as if one could see the afterimages of past battlefields, intertwined with the bloodline aura of ancient emperors and masters.
Just as he stepped forward following the light source, there was a huge stone tablet engraved with ancient inscriptions, but the tablet was broken—the top and bottom were different, and the characters were upside down, as if it were a remnant of order left behind after the world had reversed its course.
On the tombstone was a dark purple, exquisite stone, shimmering slightly as if it were breathing. Qin Yu reached out and touched it, and his sea of consciousness trembled slightly. Meanwhile, a series of creaking sounds came from the ground—not from beasts, but from something like "empty entities" slowly gathering.
He quickly withdrew his hand, Azure Ring moved slightly. "This item should be the 'Dark Abyss Origin Mark,' which can be inserted into the core array of the Heart Bead, but it is extremely easy to suffer a backlash if one is not prepared."
Not far away, a whisper drifted like a murmur on the wind, "Has he arrived?"
Qin Yu immediately became alert. He looked up and saw a dark figure appear on one of the floating islands in the sky. It was like a phantom woven from the boundary, and he could not see its face, but a strong restrictive light wave spread towards him.
"Someone... is watching me."
He summoned the Pursuit of the Unseen Ring Seal, causing the realm to tremble slightly, a silent warning.
⸻
The ruined secret realm continued to spread, the wind caressed the ancient monument, and lightning flashed; strange beasts emerged in the trembling space, Zhang Hao made a mysterious move, while Qin Yu had already steadied himself.
He looked up at the fault line in the sky and took a deep breath:
"No matter what lies ahead, whether it be wind or thunder, death or opportunity... I, Qin Yu, will traverse these fragments of the secret realm, find the Permeating Abyss Heart Pearl, and take away my victory in this trial."
In the darkness, the Azure Ring pattern emerged, responding to his will. There were no words, only a faint light bursting forth from the deep vortex.
Shadows churned, and black light appeared.
The sea of thunder roared, and the laws intertwined like electric wires.
In a secluded spot in the western part of the secret realm, a pitch-black figure silently appeared amidst the storm of lightning, like a wisp of ink falling into the void. He possessed no life force, yet instilled a strange chill in all who beheld him. He was not a native being of this realm, but rather a Realm Consciousness Realm expert—one of the Shang Lineage's "deacons"—whom Shang Kui had summoned from his Lineage, codenamed [The Ember Sealer].
"He's trapped in the secret realm, unable to escape." The Corpse-Patterned Guest's voice was hoarse and raspy, as if tearing through iron sheet, echoing in the still air. "We only need to wait for him to reveal his true power; then... killing him won't be difficult."
Zhang Hao stood behind the Corpse-Patterned Guest, his expression sinister, his eyes filled with an almost insane obsession. "He will ultimately die before me."
The "Boundless Tribulation Heart Pearl" deep within the secret realm was never mentioned, but their actions had already quietly drawn a massive storm towards the ruined land where Qin Yu was located...
In the eastern part of the secret realm, within the Stormy Sea.
Zhou Yu fell from the chaotic teleportation, his body crashing into a stone cliff, covered in bloody scratches, but without any fatal injuries.
He looked up and saw an ancient tower standing quietly amidst the chaos ahead.
It was a naturally formed nine-story tower, each level shrouded in endless lightning and storms, as if forged by the Thunder God and supported by the Heavenly Dao. The tower was dark black, engraved with countless incantations and seals, as if it had once sealed away Anomalous Spirit from all realms, or buried the Tribulation Lord.
"Where... is this place?" Zhou Yu murmured, a strange tremor running through her heart.
Lightning slid down from the top of the tower, but it did not destroy Zhou Yu. Instead, it left a deep, dark path in front of him, as if some unseen force was guiding him closer.
At that moment, several figures arrived on the wind—the other disciples who had been teleported nearby, three of whom possessed considerable cultivation, all at the True Soul Realm Initial Stage.
"That's the Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower?" A female disciple's pupils constricted, her expression complex. "I've heard that the sect has records stating that this tower rarely appears in the world, and each appearance triggers a bloody battle and the exchange of inheritance."
"There must be a great opportunity within this tower!" Another young man sneered. He wore a silver-gray battle robe and was named Si Yao, the 193rd outer disciple. He possessed extraordinary talent and was skilled in illusion magic and spiritual incantations. He glanced at Zhou Yu, his eyes shifting, and smiled:
"Brother, seeing you teleported here just now, it seems to be fate. I, Si Yao, have always loved making friends. How about we join forces to enter the tower? If we find any opportunities... we can share them, what do you say?"
Si Yao smiled gently, his words full of sincerity, seemingly treating everyone with utmost honesty. But behind him, a disciple following him whispered, "Senior brother, this boy came alone, and his cultivation is not weak; he's quite a good scapegoat."
"Shut up." Si Yao's expression remained unchanged as he coldly transmitted his voice, "When an opportunity arises, it will be put to good use."
Zhou Yu frowned slightly, but did not refuse. He sensed that this person harbored ill intentions, but he also understood that not everyone could survive smoothly in the secret realm alone.
"Okay." He nodded lightly, his expression unchanged.
He had already grasped the fragment of the sword technique given to him by Qin Yu, and faintly, Sword Qi flowed endlessly within his sea of consciousness.
The Tower of Thunder, with storms as its gate, the mysterious path of inheritance is about to open before this ancient and enigmatic door.