The moment Qin Yu grasped the "Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl," the wisp of gray light within the pearl, eternally in a state of "Unborn nor death," suddenly trembled slightly, as if responding to his heartbeat, or as if confirming some preordained destiny. Then, everything began to unfold in reverse—
It wasn't spatial folding, nor teleportation, but a more bizarre kind of "recycling," as if the entire trial ground hadn't brought him here, but had always been suspended on a layer outside his consciousness. The moment the pearl recognized its master, that layer was quietly removed. The world was like a layer being pulled out from between the pages of a book—the lingering shadows of the Ancient City of Eternal Stillness, the afterglow of the five layers of illusion, and even the boundless stillness of "Stillness of True Nature tranquility."
All of them turned into countless tiny, imperceptible gray dust particles, flowing backward from all directions, slowly gathering along his brow, chest, and palms, like a silent star shower pouring into the night sky, until finally only a very thin gray line remained extending beneath his feet, and at the end of that gray line, the outline of the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace was gradually emerging from nothingness.
That wasn't "appearance," but rather "being allowed to exist again." The palace's dome appeared first, with star patterns and dragon shadows intertwining and wandering deep within the dome, as if the entire palace had been waiting for some opportunity to return; then came the pillars, the steps, and the floor where starlight flowed.
Finally, even the familiar and tranquil atmosphere in the air returned to Qin Yu's breath. His feet finally touched solid ground again. There was no roar, no burst of light, only an extremely solid sense of settlement, like returning to a temple with its lights still burning after a long journey.
Almost at the same instant his form solidified, a streak of azure light swept in from the side, and Azure Ring practically crashed into his arms, her voice filled with a clear sense of relief and undisguised excitement. "Oh my, Little Qinzi, you're finally back! I knew it! How could this little Ultimate trial possibly be difficult for you? -- But if you had been any later, I would have been tempted to rush in and tear down the city to save people!" She teased him, but her hand was already naturally placed on his wrist, confirming that the familiar Fate Soul rhythm was still stable before she truly felt relieved.
Immediately afterward, a gentle yet undeniably urgent figure stopped on his other side. Tangyi was no longer the little dragon coiled in the Star Palace, but stood there in human form, her robes flowing gracefully, her aura warm and gentle. Her gaze lingered on Qin Yu for a moment, as if to confirm his well-being, before she let out a soft sigh of relief. Her voice was low and clear, carrying a newly learned yet incredibly sincere emotional fluctuation. "Young Master... you're back. That's wonderful." It wasn't an exaggerated joy, but it warmed the heart more than any cheer.
Before Qin Yu could respond, two gazes simultaneously turned to the depths of the hall. The old woman who had been sitting quietly had slowly risen. Her movements were not fast, yet they possessed a power that silenced the entire space. Her gaze towards Qin Yu was no longer merely scrutinizing, but held the satisfaction and affirmation of an elder. Her voice, though aged, was gentle. "Young man, well done. Reaching this point shows that you are not someone led by power, but someone who can truly master the 'Dao.' You truly deserve this inheritance; you are a true dragon tamer."
Qin Yu's mind turned serious, and he immediately bowed respectfully, his tone calm and sincere. "This junior is extremely grateful to senior for bestowing this treasure. If it weren't for senior setting up this scheme, this junior would not have been able to truly see his own path."
The old woman smiled slightly, offering no further pleasantries. She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly touching the air. In that instant, the "Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl" in Qin Yu's palm suddenly floated up on its own, its gray aura slowly spreading throughout the hall, yet without any oppressive force.
Like a still, primordial chaos, her voice then became deep and clear, each word seemingly striking directly into the depths of Fate Soul: "Remember, this bead is not a 'shortcut' to directly leap into the Chaos Realm, but a bridge that will not lead you astray. Its true use is only one sentence—devour yourself."
Seeing Qin Yu's slightly tightened gaze, she continued, "The Silent Mystery Realm · Peak means you have reached the Limit of 'observation,' but the Chaos Realm does not need an observer; it needs—to become."
What you need to do is not just break through by borrowing the pearl, but at the moment of true Annihilation, to put your Dao fruit, divine soul, Dharma body, and even your entire understanding of the identity of 'Qin Yu' into the pearl.
Let the Formless Return-to-Origin the origin first, protecting you from dissipation; let the Primordial Chaos Breath ignite the initial movement in absolute silence; finally, let the Return-to-Nothingness Dao Seed guide you to rebirth from 'Nameless'. That is not preservation, but complete forging; if there is even the slightest hesitation, the outcome will only be more complete than failure.
As soon as she finished speaking, the light and shadow in the hall suddenly changed, and the old woman's figure began to slowly transform.
It wasn't a rejuvenation, but rather as if some kind of covering was being peeled away layer by layer, the aged skin silently dissipating like weathered dust, the back straightening again, the breath changing from heavy to clear, and the originally murky eyes transforming into a clear and profound light, as if the concept of "age" had lost its meaning on her.
When the transformation was complete, the person standing in the hall was no longer an old woman, but an almost unreal, peerless figure. Her face was elegant and Kong Ling, her skin as white as jade reflected in snow, and her eyes held both gentle tranquility and a profound, all-encompassing wisdom. A jade-green radiance flickered between her clothes and hair, as if she did not belong to any concrete form. Her presence made it impossible to distinguish between reality and illusion; the clearer one saw, the harder it was to be certain whether she truly "existed."
Azure Ring subconsciously held her breath, while a sense of awe, stemming from the depths of her blood, appeared in Tangyi's eyes.
"The True Annihilation Realm · Supreme." She spoke calmly, her voice neither aged nor youthful, "True annihilation, the essence of reality vanishes. All truth, all illusion, become indistinguishable. Reaching this stage, the realm itself has no meaning."
Her gaze fell on Qin Yu again, with a rare hint of anticipation. "You're quite good. My name is Chi Tongyue. When you truly enter the upper echelons and reach your rightful place, we will meet again."
Before she finished speaking, her figure began to become transparent, not disappearing, but like a painting being gently absorbed into the Domain of the Unborn. The light and shadow receded, and her aura returned to stillness, as if she had always been a part of this palace. A moment later, only starlight remained in the palace, as if nothing had ever happened, yet everything had already happened.
Qin Yu stood still, retracting the "Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl" into his palm once more, his mind clearer than ever before.
The moment Chi Tongyue disappeared, Crabapple Shadow Star Palace seemed to truly enter into the meaning of "seclusion".
The Azure Ring landed on Qin Yu's right shoulder. The small figure, unusually, abandoned all playfulness. She patted Qin Yu's shoulder, her tone still light, but with an unprecedented seriousness. "Little Qinzi, alright, now let's officially devour and refine the Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl. The rest... we can deal with that slowly when you reach the upper levels. This step is no joke."
Qin Yu slowly exhaled, his gaze calm and unfathomable, and nodded, saying, "Yes, I'll go into seclusion here at the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward, and the core of the Star Palace slowly unfolded. Above the dome, thousands of star patterns rearranged, and the dragon shadows and star trails intertwined to form a closed structure covering the entire palace, as if isolating time, space, and cause and effect from the outside world. The palace doors closed silently, and all connections with the outside world were completely severed at this moment.
Tangyi stood on the other side of the palace, her clothes fluttering without wind. With a wave of her hand, a faint dragon essence flowed from her body, transforming into a warm yet indestructible protective domain that slowly covered the four sides of the star palace. It was not an offensive force, but a kind of "stability," ensuring that even if the entire Crabapple Shadow Star Palace was torn apart during Qin Yu's breakthrough, the core would not be disturbed in the slightest.
Azure Ring lightly leaped off Qin Yu's shoulder, hovering in mid-air. Her small figure appeared incredibly clear at this moment. She clasped her hands together, and cyan ring patterns unfolded behind her, layer upon layer, like countless Fate Soul- binding rings intertwined into an array. She said nothing more, simply guarding quietly, her gaze more focused than ever before.
Qin Yu sat cross-legged, with the Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl floating in front of him.
At that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. The initial changes were not significant.
There was no thunder, no unusual phenomena, not even a trace of energy fluctuation. Qin Yu's aura began to slowly recede, as if being smoothed out little by little by an invisible hand. His presence was diminishing, not disappearing, but "thinning," as if he were gradually retreating from a definite "existence" back to a state that was not yet defined.
The Silent Mystery Realm · Peak is one of utter Ji Ran and formlessness, boundless and mysterious.
His consciousness began to fall into a stillness that could not be measured by time. Time no longer flowed, nor did it stand still; instead, it lost all meaning. The previous moment and the next moment were indistinguishable. The chain of cause and effect collapsed on its own here, and all concepts of "before," "after," "cause," and "effect" vanished silently, like fragments thrown into a bottomless abyss.
Space itself vanished.
It wasn't a collapse, nor a shattering, but rather an "exit." The boundaries of up and down, near and far, inside and outside simultaneously became invalid. Qin Yu was no longer "sitting" in the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace, but rather sharing the same unnamed state with the Star Palace, with the void, and with all the possibilities yet to be born.
At that very moment, the Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl moved.
The pearl, shrouded in a gray halo, suddenly transformed into an invisible liquid, no longer possessing the form of a "pearl," but rather like a boundless, primordial sea, slowly opening up towards Qin Yu. It did not devour his physical body, but directly enveloped his "definition"—who Qin Yu was, why he existed, and how he was remembered by the world.
The Formless Return-to-Origin was activated first, and Qin Yu's Dao Fruit began to disintegrate.
It wasn't destruction, but rather "encompassing". All his cultivation, all his realms, all his knowledge, were as if gently dismantled, turning into countless unformed fragments of light, which were then drawn into that Domain of the Unborn. Even the most core Fate Soul imprint lost its fixed form at this moment, leaving only a state of "still existing, but not yet determined how to exist".
Following closely behind was the Primordial Chaos Breath. In absolute silence, the first wisp of "movement" was born.
It wasn't an explosion of energy, but rather an indescribable "intention." It was as if something trembled slightly in the endless darkness. There was no light, no sound, yet it caused an irreversible change in the entire Domain of the Unborn.
In the Chaos's First Birth. Before the distinction between yin and yang, there was no fixed order.
In that instant, the dome of the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace suddenly lit up—not illuminated, but "rewritten." The star patterns no longer followed any predetermined trajectory, and the dragon shadows merged with each other in the starry sky, transforming into a chaotic vortex that was constantly evolving on its own. Space was stretched, folded, and smoothed out again like a soft fabric, and all laws temporarily lost their dominance here.
Qin Yu's "self" ceased to exist at this moment.
But it did not perish. The Return-to-Nothingness Dao Seed was activated at this moment.
At the core of the primordial chaos, an extremely clear "trajectory" emerged. It was not a path, but an inevitability—the only possibility of returning from the Silent Profundity Observation State to the Chaos Origin State. Qin Yu's consciousness slid down along this trajectory, not forward, but "back," back to before everything had differentiated.
Heaven and Earth Undetermined, there was a unified primordial chaos.
Tangyi's protective domain trembled violently at that moment, and her expression changed for the first time. It wasn't an external impact, but rather Qin Yu's level of existence was undergoing a leap, almost erasing even the concept of "protector" itself. The rings behind Azure Ring spun wildly, but she didn't make a move. She knew very well that any intervention at this moment would be superfluous.
Then, a sudden change occurred. There was no explosion, yet it was more shocking than any explosion.
A light, indescribable in color, slowly spread from Qin Yu's body. It was not light, but "primordial manifestation." Wherever it passed, the structure of the Star Palace was temporarily "ignored," not destroyed, but regarded as something that did not yet need to exist. At this moment, the entire Crabapple Shadow Star Palace seemed to be placed in a model of the beginning of chaos.
Qin Yu's figure solidified again.
He remained seated, yet seemed to exist nowhere. His aura no longer belonged to "existence," nor entirely to "non-existence," but rather to a state between the two— Unborn born nor fully extinguished.
Chaos Realm · Initial Stage.
When the last wisp of primordial chaos subsided, the Stillness Chaos Return-to-Origin Pearl vanished completely.
It did not shatter, nor was it exhausted; rather, it completed its sole mission—it was no longer an external object, but had become part of Qin Yu's origin.
The star patterns on the Crabapple Shadow Star Palace gradually stabilized, and the chaotic vortex above the dome slowly dissipated, giving time and space renewed meaning. Azure Ring let out a long sigh of relief as the ring patterns quietly closed. She clapped her hands, a relieved smile on her face, "Phew... Alright, it's really stable now."
Tangyi looked at Qin Yu, her eyes filled with sincere respect and reassurance.
In the center of the Star Palace, Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes. At that moment, there was no oppressive aura, no strange phenomena. But the entire world was no longer the same.