The Silent Hunt in the Void Obliteration Domain

Jin Hanyan walked alone above the Void Obliteration Domain, her figure like a white shadow sweeping across the shattered sky. The world, which should have gradually calmed down after the great battle, revealed a chilling stillness in her path. She suddenly stopped, her bare feet stepping on the void, her brow twitching almost imperceptibly.

For hundreds of miles ahead, cause and effect appeared as if cleaved by a sharp blade, revealing large, unnatural gaps. These were not chaotic traces left after a fierce battle, but rather a blankness "directly erased." Jin Hanyan slowly raised her hand, the Light of Stainlessness flowing gently from her fingertips as she shone forward. Wherever the light passed, the fragmented afterimages of cause and effect appeared briefly, like ashes scattered by the wind.

She saw the traces of one Void Emanation Realm cultivator after another—not fallen, not defeated, but their Fate Soul pierced through by a single blow. There was no pulling, no struggle, no echo of exchanging supernatural powers; those cultivators didn't even have time to form a complete thought of resistance before their very existence ceased. The causal thread was severed the instant they were born, and even the logic of "having fought before" failed to hold true.

The number was far greater than she had initially estimated.

Jin Hanyan's gaze gradually turned cold. She knew very well that those at the Void Emanation Realm · Supreme were not ants, and those who could act independently on this battlefield could not possibly be without any trump cards. But the traces before her eyes revealed a fact—the one who made the move did not need to test or suppress, but only needed a swift and decisive judgment to completely erase the Void Emanation Realm cultivator from cause and effect and narrative.

This is not the method of an ordinary demon beast.

It was certainly not the result of chaotic fighting.

A chill slowly spread through the depths of her Fate Soul. Jin Hanyan realized that Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng's actions were probably just a superficial hunt, while the real hunter had begun to selectively eliminate those at the "Void Emanation Realm" level. It was a highly targeted killing logic—precise, efficient, and making no attempt to conceal its purpose.

She didn't linger.

Her white robes suddenly lengthened in the void, Formless and formless, the Annihilation Other Shore, quietly unfolded. Her figure transformed into a line of Silent Void between existence and unequal existence, and her speed suddenly increased. The space along the way was gently swept over, but not even a ripple was left behind. She had to return to the Silent Nothingness Divine Hall as soon as possible and report everything truthfully.

Because she had already vaguely realized--

This round of direct elimination of those at the Void Emanation Realm likely signifies the formal initiation of a higher-level strategic plan.

Qin Yu and Wan He stood side by side in the void. The lingering crimson aura of the Shattered Luminary Wasteland Belt had not completely dissipated, and the world in the distance was still slowly healing. Wan He's figure solidified beside him, and the sharpness of the Void Ruins of Return had been subdued, but the sense of danger that seemed capable of erasing everything at any moment still quietly hovered at the edge of her existence.

Qin Yu spoke in a deep voice, his gaze never leaving the churning clouds ahead. "How is the temple?"

Wan He turned her head, her long, dark blue hair swaying slightly in the air, her tone as calm as ever. "There's nothing unusual. After I returned, the Palace Master ordered all the palaces to increase their troop deployment, including all disciples above the Void Emanation Realm, and all key areas are being guarded by Elders of the Silent Mystery Realm on rotation."

Qin Yu nodded slowly, but did not relax. Instead, the seriousness between his brows deepened. "Jin Hanyan and I went to the Soul-Sealing Abyss. We didn't find the Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng, but we encountered a Three Nether Yin Puppets from the side of the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor. That place was clearly a pre-laid Annihilation trap. If Hanyan hadn't been there, we probably wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed from that battle."

He paused slightly, then continued in a low voice, as if talking to himself, "But I still can't understand... how the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor knew in advance that she and I would be going to the Soul-Sealing Abyss."

Wan He's previously quiet expression finally showed a subtle change at this moment. She turned around, her light Azure Ring pupils slowly contracting, but her tone remained calm. "No, young master. Didn't you say before that you were going to the Northern Region of the Shattered Luminary Wasteland Belt to assist Miss Hanyan in besieging the Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng? Why did you suddenly turn to the Soul-Sealing Abyss?"

Qin Yu didn't feel questioned; instead, he patiently recounted the entire process. "I did go to the Northern Region. But when I arrived, I found no demonic spirits or divine beasts on the battlefield, not even the Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng. The cultivators there told me that they were still fighting, but in the blink of an eye, the Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng and tens of thousands of demonic spirits and divine beasts vanished simultaneously, leaving no trace."

Wan He's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "In an instant... all gone?"

"Yes." Qin Yu nodded. "I confirmed with more than one person; the descriptions of all the cultivators present were completely consistent. I felt something was amiss, so I had Jin Hanyan use her Boundless Nothingness - Gate of Finality to trace the final causal point, which pointed to the Soul-Sealing Abyss."

His tone turned noticeably somber as he said this, "But when we actually stepped into the Soul-Sealing Abyss, we discovered that it had already been transformed into an Annihilation trap designed to kill us. The Three Nether Yin Puppets were waiting for us there."

The void fell silent for a brief moment.

Wan He lowered her gaze, as if deducing some unseen trajectory. After a few breaths, she slowly raised her head and looked at Qin Yu, her tone more certain than before. "Young Master, you had Miss Hanyan perform the deduction at the original location of the Northern Region Battlefield, right?"

Qin Yu was slightly taken aback, then asked, "Yes, I'm still here. What's wrong?"

Wan He took a soft breath, her tone unusually calm. "That's right. I think I understand what happened."

Qin Yu's gaze sharpened instantly.

Wan He slowly said, "The Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng, along with those tens of thousands of demonic spirits and divine beasts, never truly left the Northern Region Battlefield from the very beginning. They didn't escape; rather, they were directly 'hidden' in a higher-level structure in their original locations by the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor in a way that transcends conventional cause and effect."

Her voice was soft, yet every word struck Qin Yu's heart. "When you and Miss Hanyan were deduce things in the Northern Region, what you touched was not the past, but a 'comparable causal cross-section' that was deliberately exposed. In other words—the moment you were deduce, it was already fully perceived by the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor."

Qin Yu's fist clenched unconsciously.

"The Soul-Sealing Abyss is merely the second layer of his trap," Wan He continued. "The true Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng remains stagnant. What they are waiting for is not that you have gone astray, but rather the choice you will inevitably make."

In the void, an invisible chill seemed to slowly spread out.

Qin Yu remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in a low voice, "In other words, from the moment I decided to let Hanyan deduce the future, our every move has been within his sight."

Wan He nodded without any hesitation.

In the distance, the remaining light and shadows of the Shattered Luminary Wasteland Belt faded completely, as if a war had ended, or as if the real hunt had just begun.

Qin Yu on the returning void track, his figure swept past by layers of Annihilation Void energy, yet he remained as steady as a rock. He did not move immediately, but instead fell into deep thought at that moment, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of dimensions, falling on the battlefield site in the Northern Region of the Shattered Luminary Wasteland Belt that was "already Emptiness".

"There's a problem," he suddenly said, his voice low but extremely certain.

Wan He slowed down and walked alongside him without interrupting, simply listening quietly.

Qin Yu continued, speaking slowly but clearly, "If the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor was only trying to hide the Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng, he could have simply targeted that calamity beast. Instead, he hid tens of thousands of demon spirits and divine beasts on the spot. Such a large-scale 'hiding on the spot' is not something done casually; it comes at an extremely heavy price."

His gaze darkened slightly, as if he were deducing an answer that had been deliberately concealed, "More importantly—I have now forcibly blocked the logical entry point for cultivators in the Void Emanation Realm. To him, the Void Emanation Realm is merely a 'disused pawn,' so why does he still maintain such a large number of demon spirit legions?"

The question remained unanswered, hanging in the air.

Qin Yu slowly exhaled, finally turning his gaze to Wan He: "I can't figure it out for the time being. But continuing to wander around won't make much sense."

His tone shifted, becoming crisp and decisive. "Let's go, Wan He. We'll return to the temple first and report to the temple master. The most important thing now is to find the true form of the Glazed Dao-Extinguishing Zheng as soon as possible and directly seize its causal link. Once we break its causal chain, the true purpose of this whole scheme will naturally come to light."

Wan He nodded slightly, without saying anything more.

In the next instant, the two figures simultaneously transformed into multiple overlapping shadows, tearing through the void and fleeing straight towards the Chaos First Palace, leaving only lingering spatial echoes in their original locations.

--

Meanwhile, in the Southern Region of the Void Obliteration Domain, the Nine Heavens Gate, under the jurisdiction of the Nine Alliances Gang.

This place is completely different from the blood-red battlefield of the Northern Region. Within the mountain gate, spiritual flowers bloom everywhere, clouds and mist swirl, and immortal vines climb the jade railings, with a faint spiritual fragrance permeating the air. In the garden in front of the main hall of the Nine Heavens Gate, a middle-aged man is reclining on a jade couch, looking content, holding a cup of spiritual tea in his hands, the tea steaming gently.

This person is none other than Xiao Lingtian, the leader of the Nine Heavens Gate Sect.

He deliberately concealed his aura Void Emanation Realm · Supreme, appearing gentle and refined with a smile in his eyes, like a carefree sect leader who had nothing to do with worldly affairs. Two alluring and beautiful women nestled on either side of him, their clothes thin and revealing glimpses of their skin. Their fingertips lightly caressed his arms, and their laughter was soft and gentle.

Xiao Lingtian raised his hand, picked up a spirit petal, casually tossed it into his mouth, and looked relaxed.

Just then, a figure strode across the flower path and stopped, bowing, a few feet away.

"Reporting to the Sect Leader," the disciple bowed respectfully, "the Asura Immortal Hall has sent another message, ordering my Nine Heavens Gate to dispatch one hundred Void Emanation Realm · Middle Stage disciples to guard their Immortal Palace."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the garden paused slightly.

Xiao Lingtian paused slightly in his teacup, then let out a cold laugh. He didn't get up, but simply leaned back lazily on the jade couch, a hint of undisguised disdain in his eyes.

"Hmph." He scoffed. "They've certainly got a good plan."

He turned his head, glanced at the two women beside him, and casually waved them aside before slowly saying, "My Nine Heavens Gate only has a few hundred people in total. The real main force consists of those hundred disciples at the Void Emanation Realm · Middle Stage. Now, the Asura Immortal Hall wants me to strip away my entire foundation and become their gatekeeper with just a word?"

Xiao Lingtian snorted coldly, his eyes turning completely icy. "That's utter nonsense."

He looked up at the disciple, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Ignore him. The Nine Heavens Gate only needs to guard its own gates. From this day forward, anyone not from our sect who dares to trespass into the Nine Heavens Gate Sect's territory—"

He paused, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of Xiao Lingtian's lips.

"Utter Annihilation."

The disciple's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, sir!"

The garden returned to tranquility, the spirit flowers swaying gently in the wind, as if nothing had happened. But beneath this surface peace, a far greater trap was quietly tightening in every corner of the Void Obliteration Domain.