The creature slowly came to a stop in mid-air.
The World-Breaking Slaughter Wind had dissipated, and the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains had once again fallen into an eerie and oppressive silence. The sky was like an old curtain that had been torn apart and then barely stitched back together; the folds of dimensions had not yet been completely smoothed out, and the air still carried the chill of broken rules. The faceless being hovered above the blood lake, its figure blurred and uncertain, as if it might be swallowed up by nothingness at any moment.
Qin Yu and Jin Hanyan stood side by side, refraining from making any rash moves. Their auras were taut to the Ultimate, their eyes fixed on each other's every change, and they dared not even relax their breathing.
At that very moment, a "thought" that was not a sound, yet clearer than any sound, directly penetrated the depths of their consciousness.
That thought had no oppressive force, but carried a sense of desolation and composure that came with the passage of time.
My name Qing Yunzheng.
Within the sea of consciousness, it was as if a long, sealed river of history was slowly unfolding. The thoughts continued to flow, without concealment or embellishment, as if handing over a past event that had long been prepared to meet its end.
Qing Yunzheng was one of the earliest Liu Yuan Practitioners in the Void Obliteration Domain Realm.
In the ancient times before the Void Obliteration Domain was completely eroded by chaos and demonic calamity, he had already embarked on the Path of the Liu Yuan, traversing various realms with the ambition to Realm Breaking. At that time, the Void Obliteration Domain was not as dilapidated as it is now; the boundary walls were stable, and the laws still existed. He was among the first to dare to step out of the existing world and Realm Splitting with his own Fate Soul.
His cultivation at the Realm Breaking Realm Initial Stage placed him in an extremely high position in that era.
He came to the Ancient Abyss of Severed Spirits, solely in search of a classic text.
That was neither an ordinary cultivation technique nor a method of killing, but a fragmented ancient book that recorded the "origin of the boundary." Legend has it that the book contains the answer to the question of the origin of the Liu Yuan Practitioners, and can even explain why some beings are destined to shatter the heavens and earth.
For the sake of this classic work, he ventured alone into the Ancient Abyss of Severed Spirits, fighting countless battles against demons and monsters along the way. Realms collapsed beneath his feet, and corpses piled up to form a road.
Until this lake.
That day, after a series of fierce battles, he took a short rest, only to be ambushed by the Blood Soul Fish lurking at the bottom of the lake. It was not a simple physical attack, but a devouring attack targeting the Fate Soul and karma. Even a powerful expert at the Realm Breaking Realm was dragged into the depths of the Blood Lake in that instant.
Unwilling to Annihilation, Qing Yunzheng forcibly reversed the course of his Fate Soul the instant he was devoured, tearing his own Fate Soul apart and preserving only the most core wisp of remnant soul, which he hid inside the Blood Soul Fish, using the Blood Soul Fish's Fate Soul as a shell to eke out a living.
This wait lasted for several eras.
Only today, after Qin Yu and Jin Hanyan broke through the Blood Lake and Soul Rend Domain, clearing the strange causal barrier that imprisoned his Fate Soul, was his remnant soul finally able to break free.
"Having exchanged several blows with you two just now," that thought echoed softly in my mind, "I have seen clearly that you two are of one mind. Although your killing intent is strong, it is not driven by personal desire. You are definitely not indiscriminate killers."
Therefore, I wish to reveal to you the traces of that classic work.
"I only ask that you fulfill this unfinished wish for me."
"Once this is all over, simply send this remnant of my soul to the Fallen Star Sword Sect in the southern part of the Void Obliteration Domain."
As the words fell from her mind, a monstrous storm surged within Jin Hanyan's heart.
Qing Yunzheng. This name was not unfamiliar to her.
When she was cultivating at the Source of Epochless · Upper Layer, she had heard this name in many ancient books and oral accounts from her predecessors—the sect leader of the Fallen Star Sword Sect, a top sect in the southern part of the Void Obliteration Domain. A legendary figure who had already become famous throughout the domains several eras ago.
She never imagined that this name, which should only exist in history, would appear before her eyes in this way.
Jin Hanyan slowly withdrew her aura, lowered all her guard, took a step forward, and looked solemn and dignified.
"Senior," she said softly, her tone filled with sincere respect, "I am Jin Hanyan, the direct disciple of the Silent Nothingness Divine Hall. I have long heard of your name, Senior. But... I never expected to see you today, only a wisp of your remnant soul remains."
The faceless creature in the air trembled slightly.
The tremor wasn't a fluctuation of power, but rather like a gentle touch on an old memory. The tattered robes moved without wind, and the remaining boundary marks were faintly visible around them.
"The Silent Nothingness Divine Hall..."
For the first time, a clear emotional fluctuation appeared in that thought, "Feng Muheng is also an old friend of mine."
"How is he doing these days?"
Upon hearing this question, Jin Hanyan's gaze dimmed for a moment. She neither dodged the question nor tried to embellish it; she slowly exhaled, her voice low and restrained.
"Senior, the Void Obliteration Domain currently in turmoil. A demon spirit of the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor Severed Thought Realm, is leading a demon army to slaughter across various regions. Our ancestor... has already perished while fighting against one of the demon army's commanders."
The moment the words left his mouth, the world seemed to fall silent for a moment.
The faceless being remained silent, yet one could clearly sense that its robes were violently shaking at that moment. The remaining boundary marks seemed to be lifted by the wind, faintly revealing their shattered sharpness.
A long time.
A sigh, seemingly from the depths of time, resounded in their minds.
"Sigh..." "I never imagined that the Void Obliteration Domain would have fallen to this state."
"Feng Muheng... has finally become a heroic soul in the Void Obliteration Domain."
The air began to flow again, and an indescribable heaviness settled into the deathly silence of the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains.
Qing Yunzheng's figure leaned slightly forward in mid-air, his faceless outline seemingly "watching" Qin Yu and Jin Hanyan. The fluctuations of his remnant soul spread slowly in the deathly silence of the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains, like an undercurrent.
"Now that the Void Obliteration Domain is in such turmoil," his voice was low and resolute, carrying the calmness unique to those who have long held high positions, "I wonder why you two have ventured so deep into this place?"
Jin Hanyan stepped forward, her robes trailing behind her, her posture respectful and restrained, yet her tone unwavering. "Senior, we two came here following the six Devil Beast under the command of the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor. Their auras are extremely conspicuous in the Void Obliteration Domain, ultimately all pointing to this place. Moreover—this place is no longer the Ancient Abyss of Severed Spirits of the past; now, it is called the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains."
"The Ancient Plain of Dead Remains..."
Qing Yunzheng repeated the name in a low voice. The fluctuations of his remnant soul paused noticeably for a moment, as if some long-buried memories had been stirred. He remained silent for a few breaths, then suddenly seemed to think of something. His remnant soul's aura tightened abruptly, and for the first time, his telepathic communication revealed a clear urgency.
"You just mentioned a six-headed Devil Beast?" "Oh no."
These two words exploded in my mind like a cold thunderclap.
"That Thought Severance Devouring Emperor you mentioned—it's highly likely that it also knows of the existence of that classic text." Qing Yunzheng's thoughts suddenly sharpened. "That classic text is located in the deepest part of this Ancient Plain of Dead Remains, a hundred miles inward from here."
Before the words were even finished, the air seemed to grow colder.
"Those six Devil Beasts are most likely here for this reason." "Girl, this matter is urgent."
"If they were to find that classic text first... the entire Void Obliteration Domain would likely face an even more unbearable catastrophe than it is now."
Just as this heavy atmosphere seemed to press down on the heavens and earth, Qin Yu suddenly spoke.
His voice was not loud, but exceptionally clear, like a sword drawn from its sheath, cutting directly through the stagnant air.
"Senior," Qin Yu's gaze was calm yet sharp, "In that case, please tell me the exact location of that classic text. Hanyan and I will set off immediately. If we hesitate any longer, and that classic text falls into the hands of the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor, the consequences will be unimaginable."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Hanyan also spoke at the same time, her tone firm and without the slightest hesitation. "Senior, please tell us the location. We will both do our utmost in this matter."
Qing Yunzheng quietly "watched" them.
At that moment, the wind in the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains seemed to stand still. The aura of the remnant soul gently gathered around him, then slowly spread out, transforming into a scene that directly entered the sea of consciousness of the two.
In an instant--
Deep within Qin Yu and Jin Hanyan's consciousness, a clear and chilling three-dimensional map simultaneously appeared. The landscape of the wasteland unfolded like a giant skeleton, and a hundred miles away, an area shrouded in layers of shattered dimensions and ancient death energy was clearly marked.
It was as if there was a fissure that had sunk deep into the earth, and the surrounding space was unnaturally distorted, with even the flow of cause and effect appearing broken in that area.
"Right here."
Qing Yunzheng's telepathic message then rang out.
"But I must remind you—that area doesn't only contain that classic book."
"Back then, before I was devoured by the Blood Soul Fish, I heard that an extremely ancient demonic beast guarded this place. It was not part of the demonic army, nor was it controlled by the existing order of the Void Obliteration Domain; its very existence was a taboo."
As for now...
He paused slightly, "I can't be sure whether the monster was Annihilation by the six Devil Beasts, or whether—the six Devil Beasts were all killed by its claws."
This sentence made the area in the picture seem even darker.
"But no matter what," Qing Yunzheng's mind suddenly tightened, "The most crucial thing right now is only one thing—you must get your hands on that classic book before the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor does."
The fluctuations of the remnant soul slowly subsided, returning to its weakened state where it could dissipate at any moment.
"Go." "I will be here, waiting for your return."
Qin Yu and Jin Hanyan simultaneously bowed in the direction of Qing Yunzheng, without saying a word. The two then vanished into the void. The wind of the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains swept across the lingering mist of the Blood Lake, and the outline of the faceless remnant soul trembled slightly in the wind, as if gazing upon this world for the last time.
It then transformed into a silent, ethereal shadow, disappearing completely beneath the crimson lake's surface. The lake slowly returned to stillness, leaving only the stench of decay and ancient times.
In the next instant, Qin Yu and Jin Hanyan were walking side by side, their figures leaping continuously above the Ancient Plain of Dead Remains. The ground beneath their feet resembled a giant ancient skeleton, the broken mountain ridges like exposed spines, and gray dust swirled in the wind, carrying the resentment and deathly aura worn away by time.
As they ventured deeper, the colors of the sky and earth grew increasingly dark, as if the light was being devoured by some unseen force, and even the distant sky appeared unnaturally collapsed.
When they were less than a few dozen miles from the location indicated by Qing Yunzheng, the two of them suddenly stopped.
Without exchanging a single word, they stopped at the same instant.
The next instant, an extremely violent, still lingering echo of cause and effect, like an invisible giant wave, crashed heavily onto their senses.
That was not a simple energy fluctuation, but an "aftershock" left behind by a fierce battle that was still echoing repeatedly in the depths of heaven and earth.
The air ahead distorted slightly, as if invisible cracks were extending layer upon layer through space. Each breath seemed to inhale the still-warm fighting spirit and killing intent. The threads of cause and effect broke and rolled in the void, like a spider web torn apart by a tremendous force. The remaining fragments of cause and effect constantly collided with the surrounding spacetime, emitting a low and oppressive hum.
In Qin Yu's vision, the world before him seemed to be forcibly "replayed" for a moment—the shattered earth still had cracks that were not yet fully closed, and a dark light flickered deep within the cracks, as if a terrifying force had once directly pierced through the skeleton of the world. The spatial layers presented a strange dislocation, with distances disordered and heights reversed, as if that battle had briefly torn apart the dimensions themselves.
On a deeper level, there lingering anger, violence, and a kind of ancient and cold killing intent. That killing intent does not come from a single entity, but is the echo left behind after multiple distinct yet equally powerful wills collided and annihilated.
Each echo is like a silent roar, reverberating repeatedly on the level of cause and effect.
Jin Hanyan's aura tightened slightly. She clearly sensed that the causal flow in this area had been completely disrupted in a very short time and then forcibly "flattened" by some stronger force. This meant that a direct conflict of extremely high level, capable of affecting the entire Ancient Plain of Dead Remains, was inevitably taking place in front of them.
Qin Yu slowly raised his gaze, looking at the increasingly gloomy sky and earth ahead. He did not speak, but the Chaos True Aspect within his body was already operating on its own, faintly resonating with the remaining traces of the battle ahead, as if silently analyzing the outlines of the power that had appeared in that fight.
Not far ahead, the air trembled slightly, like a piece of iron that had been repeatedly hammered.
Clearly, a great battle that Cause Splitting and Annihilation logic is unfolding not far ahead of them.