Upon hearing this, Qin Yu slowly composed himself, took a step forward, and bowed respectfully. His voice was not loud, but extremely clear, echoing naturally beneath the spacious dome of the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace.
"Senior, what is the connection between this treasure you speak of and me? I am indeed curious; could you... perhaps reveal a little about it?"
The old woman gazed at him silently, her seemingly cloudy eyes holding within them the slow, swirling passage of time. She did not answer immediately, but instead raised her hand and gently brushed away the lingering starlight in the hall, as if searching for the most fitting place to deliver her words. After a moment, she spoke slowly, her voice low and resolute, each word like an echo resonating deep within the Fate Soul.
"You have now Silent Mystery Realm · Peak."
These words were spoken so softly, yet they made Qin Yu's breath catch in his throat.
"You should know better than anyone else," the old woman continued, "the Silent Profundity to Supreme cannot be reached through cultivation; the Supreme to chaos cannot be crossed by willpower alone. It is not a matter of time, nor a matter of accumulation, but rather—a matter of 'rank'."
Without a true object that allows you to return to your origin, no matter how talented you are, you can only go so far.
Her gaze was fixed on Qin Yu, as if she could see through the barrier in his body that had been forcibly suppressed but could never be closed.
"And this supreme treasure in my possession," the old woman paused slightly, then uttered those words calmly, "Can allow you to directly cross this gap—from the Silent Mystery Realm · Peak directly to the Chaos Realm · Initial Stage."
At this moment, Qin Yu's pupils finally trembled slightly, as if he couldn't help but react.
It wasn't a loss of composure, but an instinctive tremor originating from the depths of his Fate Soul. It was a path he had deduced and tried countless times but could never reach, and now, it was being laid out before him in such a calm tone.
In his mind, almost instantly, the outline of another treasure appeared— the Chaos Shadow Core, which had been quietly sleeping in an unknown world.
It was a true primordial Chaos Origin, yet it was a forbidden fruit that he could never touch due to his insufficient cultivation level. If he could reach the Chaos Realm · Initial Stage... just one step, just one true opportunity for refinement— the Chaos Shadow Core —would be enough to fully unlock its potential.
At that time, those at the Chaos Realm · Initial Stage can directly advance and break through to the Chaos Realm · Supreme.
This is not a matter of chance, it is... fate bowing down at this moment.
Qin Yu forcibly suppressed the surging emotions within him, bowed again, his tone still respectful, but now tinged with an undisguised solemnity.
"Thank you for your kind instruction, senior. This junior—"
Before he could finish speaking, the old woman gently raised her hand, interrupting him.
"Don't rush."
Her voice remained steady, but at this moment it carried a hint of genuine seriousness.
"I never give away karma for nothing."
She said slowly, "If you want to obtain that supreme treasure—the 'Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl' —you must pass the test I personally set."
Inside the palace, light and shadow seemed to freeze in that instant.
"That test is for you to go alone."
"No external force may be carried, and no protection may be sought."
"Pass, the Return-to-Origin Pearl is yours; Fail—"
The old woman paused slightly, and that brief silence was heavier than any oppressive force.
"Failure means the end."
She looked up at Qin Yu, her gaze deep and direct, devoid of any probing, only pure scrutiny.
"Would you be willing?"
The palace was completely silent.
Azure Ring's smile had vanished at some point, and Tangyi stood quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on Qin Yu, but she didn't utter a sound. They both knew that at this moment, any words would be superfluous.
Qin Yu did not hesitate.
Without even thinking.
He raised his head, his gaze steady and firm, as if he had already confirmed this answer countless times on the brink of life and death.
"Senior," his voice was deep, yet incredibly clear, "I have never retreated along the way."
A very faint smile finally appeared at the corners of the old woman's mouth.
"Good."
"So, are you ready?"
Qin Yu took a deep breath, turned to look at Azure Ring and Tangyi, his tone gentle yet authoritative.
"Azure Ring, Tangyi, wait for me here."
Azure Ring blinked, then gave a meaningful smile, but said nothing more; Tangyi nodded gently, her eyes full of trust.
The next moment, the old woman raised her hand.
An ancient ring had appeared in her palm without her noticing. The ring was dull and lifeless, but the moment it appeared, all the light in the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace began to converge on it, as if the brilliance of the stars in the heavens was being silently drawn away.
The ring slowly rotated, and indescribable patterns of light rippled out from its surface, causing the space to collapse layer by layer, only to reassemble itself within the collapse.
A sudden burst of light erupted.
It wasn't a blinding light, but a white that covered everything—as if the world had been smoothed out and rewritten.
Qin Yu's figure gradually became transparent in the light, his robes, aura, and Fate Soul fluctuations were successively swallowed by the light. He did not struggle or turn around, but simply stood there calmly, letting the power released from the ring completely envelop him.
As the light slowly faded, Qin Yu was nowhere to be seen in the palace.
Only the ring, after being gently turned on the old woman's finger, returned to silence, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred.
The instant the light faded completely from the depths of his consciousness, Qin Yu felt as if an invisible hand had gently pulled him from reality. There was no tearing, no falling, and no sign of spatial tremors. When his vision refocused...
He stood before a city suspended above an endless sea of clouds. The world seemed to have been rewritten, the sky hanging low and close at hand, and layers of clouds like solidified white waves slowly surging beneath his feet. The city stood in the heart of the sea of clouds, majestic, silent, and ancient, so much so that time lost its meaning here.
The entire city is dominated by pure white and gilded colors. The enormous dome resembles a divine crown, and the golden domes gleam with a warm yet cold luster under the sunlight. The straight, towering pillars pierce the depths of the clouds, like the spine connecting heaven and earth. Countless arches nest and extend to form a long, red avenue that runs through the entire city.
The road seemed paved with solidified blood and the passage of time, stretching from the city gates all the way to the unseen depths of the core. Above, a massive cloud ring slowly rotated, like a wheel of fate spanning the heavens.
The clouds and mist were stretched, crushed, and reassembled at its edges, emitting a silent yet heart-pounding rhythm, as if the entire city itself were a living treasure, breathing, watching, and waiting.
Qin Yu stood still, his robes fluttering gently in the high-altitude winds, yet he felt no chill. Instead, a heavy, oppressive feeling, as if being scrutinized by an invisible gaze, surged from all directions. There were no array patterns, restrictions, or manifested pressure here.
Everything was so quiet it was almost sacred, but it was precisely this "unguarded" tranquility that made one instinctively realize that this was not a testing ground for challenges, but a city that screened those qualified to exist.
Meanwhile, within the core space of the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace, the palace remained as tranquil as ever, as if Qin Yu's disappearance had left no trace. Azure Ring sat leisurely in the spot where Qin Yu had once been, her legs swinging, her long, dark blue hair swaying gently in the dim light. She squinted at the depths of the palace, then suddenly spoke with a grin.
His tone was full of teasing and self-satisfied pride, "Little Qinzi has really had a stroke of luck this time, hahaha, being thrown into a place like that, that old guy really went all out, this kid really stepped in dog poop."
After she finished speaking, she deliberately shook the thin chain on her ankle, and the cracked bell emitted a very faint echo, as if tolling off her joke. Tangyi stood to the side, her aura not yet fully composed even though she had completely transformed into human form, her clear eyes reflecting the light of the palace.
But she felt more worried and earnest. As she listened to Azure Ring's words, she felt that she couldn't fully understand many of the phrases. Things like "opportunity" and "luck" seemed somewhat vague in her understanding.
All she knew was that the light had taken Qin Yu away, and with it, the unknown and the danger. So she pursed her lips slightly, her hands unconsciously clenching the hem of her dress, and spoke in a low, solemn voice...
Her voice was so soft it almost blended into the silence of the hall, "Young Master... you must pass the test." These words contained no power, nor the grandeur of a vow, yet they were like an invisible thread, traversing space and city, quietly binding her heart to the trial city suspended above the sea of clouds.
Qin Yu's figure slowly descended from the sky, like a shadow gently cradled by a sea of clouds. There was no weightlessness of falling, nor the roar of space being torn apart; only the wind flowing softly in his ears and his robes swaying gently. The moment his feet truly touched the city...
What he felt beneath his feet was not cold or hard, but a warm and real touch, as if the city was not suspended in the void, but rooted in the heavens and earth itself. His vision opened up completely at this moment, and what came into view was not a desolate or majestic scene, but a scene completely different from what he had expected—people.
An endless stream of people stretched along the wide, winding streets, their crimson avenues densely packed together. Between the layers of platinum buildings, the flow of people moved slowly like a tide. As far as the eye could see, they were all ordinary figures, devoid of any spiritual aura or cultivation.
Does Not Exist even the slightest fluctuation of elemental energy. The people here were all ordinary people, breathing, walking, talking, laughing—real and vibrant. The population was so large that it was impossible to measure it with numbers.
It was as if the entire city was a world that contained trillions of living beings, and the sounds gathered into a warm and noisy ocean, but it was not noisy or harsh. Instead, it made people feel relaxed without them even realizing it.
The market stretched out along the main street, its colors appearing exceptionally soft under the sunlight. Stalls, a mix of wood and metal, lined the street, offering everything from fabrics and pottery to food, flowers, and handmade ornaments. The calls of vendors rose and fell, carrying a unique rhythm of life.
"Freshly baked cloud wheat cakes--" "Just picked floating fruits, so sweet--" "Come and take a look, little girls will look beautiful wearing them--", the voices were not impatient, only warm and expectant. Children chased and weaved through the crowd.
A crisp laugh filled the air as an old man sat in the shadows of a street corner, slowly fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. His gaze was kind and gentle. Young men and women walked side by side, talking in hushed tones, occasionally exchanging a smile. Their emotions flowed through the city like a gentle stream.
A warm atmosphere filled the air, the aroma of food, the sweet scent of flowers and herbs, and the textures of metal and wood blending together to create a feeling almost like home. A towering dome stood silently in the distance.
The gilded outline gleamed softly between the sea of clouds and the sunlight, yet it did not feel oppressive; rather, it resembled a vast dome guarding everything. The clouds slowly churned at the edge of the city, but were tamed by an invisible force, neither encroaching on the streets nor obscuring the view, allowing the city to always be bathed in just the right amount of light.
Qin Yu stood on the crimson path, his gaze slowly sweeping over everything, a strange unease stirring within him. Here, there was no danger, no killing intent, no supreme judgment, only the most ordinary...
The most authentic portrayal of all living beings, so heartwarming that it almost makes one forget where they are. He could clearly sense that this city did not use force to intimidate or select anything, but rather used "life" itself as the standard. Behind this seemingly beautiful yet unreal prosperity, there was a deeper consideration, quietly waiting for him to step in.