The space of the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain returned to its original position amidst an extremely slight tremor that reached the depths of Qin Yu's Fate Soul, as if the trials that had just occurred had never truly taken place, yet they left an indelible mark on the depths of Qin Yu's consciousness.
Qin Yu's figure was slowly "spit out" from the void. When his footsteps returned to the frosted obsidian-like ground, the pale mist was silently parted and then quietly closed up behind him, as if no one had ever passed by.
Jin Hanyan took a step closer almost the instant his form solidified. She didn't rush to check his aura or probe his Fate Soul fluctuations; instead, she spoke softly, her voice sounding exceptionally real and gentle in this silent forbidden area.
"... Is it difficult? Was there ever a moment when you really felt like you could never come back?"
That wasn't a tone of inquiry about the outcome, but pure worry, as if what she cared about wasn't whether the trial was successful, but whether Qin Yu had endured too much in it.
Qin Yu paused slightly, then shook his head with a wry smile. He didn't mention the tearing apart of the Causal Loop, nor the almost obliterated edge within the Sea of Seven Emotions Fire; he simply looked at her calmly and sincerely.
His voice was low and gentle. "There was a moment when it was hard to walk, but the thought of you waiting here told me I wouldn't disappear. Don't worry, I'm back."
At this moment, the weariness of the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain, a feeling of the end of all things, seemed to be subtly diluted.
At that moment, the entire space suddenly trembled. It wasn't a collapse, but rather a higher-level "announcement."
The background of the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain suddenly deepened, and the profound darkness beyond black seemed to be slowly pulled open by an invisible hand, revealing extremely ancient traces of light in the void. These traces of light were not words, but rather "poetic forms" woven together from fragments of rules, remnants of causality, and dimensional cracks.
They appear stroke by stroke, and the formation of each character causes a subtle collapse and reorganization of space, as if this forbidden area itself is making way for these words.
The broken shadows of the track stretch over a thousand miles
As the words fell, countless broken timelines appeared and then collapsed on the dome, as if thousands of unfinished paths of destiny were being crossed simultaneously.
Standing amidst chaos, distinguishing the turbid from the clear.
In the second line, the vague conceptual remnants in the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain suddenly separated, and the clear and the turbid, the existent and the void, were forcibly divided in an instant, and then quickly returned to mixing.
Humans view cause and effect as the same.
The lines of cause and effect fall like a shower of stars, but no longer point to any result; they simply weave together in the air into a still net.
With a focused mind, one can express one's thoughts through words.
All sounds were completely swallowed up at this moment, even the concept of "language" was briefly stripped away, leaving only the pure echo of will.
War fades into nothingness and life arises naturally.
The moment the last line took shape, the entire Void Abyss Forbidden Domain seemed to breathe softly, as if witnessing the end of countless battles, and then returning to its own silence.
When the poem was completed, each word floated in mid-air, then transformed into silent dust of light, merging into the forbidden realm itself.
Silent Origin Caihuang's voice then rang out, no longer grand, but carrying an undeniable calm and scrutiny. "To have come this far already proves you are qualified to be tested further. But the trials to come will offer no room for understanding or hesitation. If you are not careful, your very existence will be completely erased."
As soon as he finished speaking, the central area of Void Abyss Forbidden Domain suddenly collapsed into a deeper layer of void.
In that void, ten beams of light slowly rose.
They are not arranged neatly, but each occupies a spatial node, forming a delicate and dangerous balance with each other, as if if one of them were to lose control, the entire forbidden area would be torn apart again.
The first item is a broken halberd that still drips starlight. The halberd is covered with cracks eroded by time, and each crack contains a fragment of a battlefield that was forcibly ended. Its divine power lies in the "End-of-War Decree," which can forcibly declare all struggles to enter an irreversible end.
The second item is a frameless mirror. The mirror does not reflect the outside world, but rather reflects the viewer's "possibilities that should not exist." Its power can cause the target to be devoured by their own unchosen life.
The third item is a slowly rotating black crown. It is unclaimed beneath the crown, yet it constantly exudes an aura of dominance, capable of temporarily seizing all "control of will," making the judgment of the one covered completely obedient to the wearer.
The fourth item is a chain made up of broken time scales, each link flowing in reverse. Its power lies in sealing off the "past," causing the target to lose all its accumulated achievements.
The fifth item is a bladeless short sword, its form Ultimate simple, yet it can directly slash at "conceptual definitions," and anything pierced by it will temporarily lose its qualification to be recognized by the world.
The sixth item is a suspended grayish-white seed whose surface constantly peels away and regenerates. Its power is not destruction, but "forced germination," which can plant uncontrollable evolutionary results within any being.
The seventh item is a blank book that turns on its own; its pages are never written on, yet it can devour all existing narratives, turning them into something that "never happened."
The eighth item is a miniature Inverted Mountains whose weight is not in matter, but in cause and effect. Any existence suppressed by it will be dragged down by countless consequences at the same time.
The ninth item is a golden seal that is slowly melting. With each fraction of the seal melting, it erases a default rule of the world.
The tenth item was an extremely quiet light, without form or fluctuation, as if it were nothing at all, yet Qin Yu instinctively felt a sense of danger—it was a "termination permit," which, once triggered, would allow even the trial itself to end.
The ten divine artifacts floated silently, the forbidden area was silent, yet more oppressive than any killing intent.
The voice of Silent Origin Caihuang echoed once more within the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain, this time no longer as cold and hard as a judgment, but rather carrying an almost ritualistic solemnity.
"These ten divine artifacts are all 'interference authorities' left behind by the forbidden domain. You can choose any one of them to use in the upcoming trials."
But remember, you only get one chance like this. Choosing the wrong option won't help; it will only hasten your elimination. Whether to use it is your decision.
As soon as he finished speaking, the void around the ten divine artifacts contracted slightly, as if awaiting a final direction.
At this moment, Jin Hanyan slowly stepped forward, her Stainless Realm · Supreme quietly circulating within her body, without releasing any pressure.
It was an extremely restrained "view," as if transforming oneself into a spotless mirror, solely to reflect the truth.
Her gaze fell on the ten divine artifacts one by one, and with each pause, extremely subtle causal fluctuations unfolded, disintegrated, and reassembled deep within her pupils.
The End-of-War Decree on the broken halberd transformed into countless unfinished afterimages of slaughter in her eyes;
In the frameless mirror, she negated one by one those "possibilities that shouldn't exist";
Before the Black Crown's will to rule could even get close, it was naturally isolated by the Stainless Origin;
The reverse flow of the time chains manifested before her consciousness, yet it could not bind her in the slightest;
The sharp edge of the concept of a bladeless dagger was calmly labeled by her as "high-risk."
The evolutionary impulses of the gray-white seeds, in her view, were more like an out-of-control gamble;
She judged the narrative devouring within the blank book to be the most dangerous unknown.
The weight of cause and effect, Inverted Mountains, caused her brow to furrow almost imperceptibly.
The melting golden rune made her linger the longest, clearly weighing the consequences;
She glanced at that last glimmer of light that was "nothing at all," then quickly looked away.
She did all of this with utmost seriousness, so serious that she even slowed down her breathing.
Qin Yu stood behind her, watching this scene, his heart churning with emotion.
He knew very well that this was not something she should have to bear. The trial belonged to him alone, and the risks should be borne by him alone.
Yet Jin Hanyan still stepped forward, using the calmest and most prudent method to filter out all possible choices that could lead to his destruction. It wasn't a duty, nor an exchange based on rational judgment, but an almost instinctive act of protection.
She is walking a path for me that she shouldn't have walked.
The moment this thought formed in Qin Yu's mind, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. The chill of the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain, the pressure of the divine artifact, and the upcoming deeper trials all seemed to be pushed far away at that moment.
He took a step forward, raised his hand, and gently patted Jin Hanyan's shoulder.
The movement was neither hurried nor did it interrupt her thoughts; it was merely a gentle yet firm gesture.
"Alright, Hanyan," Qin Yu's voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear, "There's no need to dwell on these divine artifacts anymore."
Jin Hanyan was slightly taken aback and subconsciously turned to look at him.
Qin Yu raised his palm, and in the void, a familiar and serene sword shadow slowly emerged. The Silent Origin Stainless Sword hung quietly in his palm, its blade clear and flawless, without any exposed sharpness, yet it possessed a sense of stability that silenced all noise.
It did not resonate with the ten divine artifacts at all; on the contrary, it seemed to maintain a natural distance from the entire Void Abyss Forbidden Domain.
"I won't choose any of them," Qin Yu said gently, his tone calm and almost resolute. "This is enough."
Jin Hanyan looked at the sword, then at Qin Yu, her lips slightly pursed. It was a very subtle expression, as if she was suppressing worry, or as if she was sorting out all her emotions. After a moment, she nodded, her gaze becoming firm and clear again.
"Yes," she said earnestly, "I believe you will pass all the trials smoothly."
She paused, her voice lower but more earnest. "We still need to work together to annihilate the remaining six Main Soul Commander, and that Thought Severance Devouring Emperor Annihilation. Qin Yu, I will wait for you here."
The Void Abyss Forbidden Domain remained silent, the ten divine artifacts floating in place, as if they had never been truly chosen. But at this moment, the course of the trial had been redefined.
Qin Yu stood in the center of the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain, with ten divine artifacts suspended in the void, each radiating a different divine light, yet none of them could stir the slightest ripple in his eyes.
He looked up, his gaze calm and resolute, his voice slowly echoing through the silent place.
"Senior, I don't need any of them."
As soon as the words fell, the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain fell into an even deeper silence, as if even the slowly collapsing star reflections paused for a moment.
A few breaths later, Silent Origin Caihuang's voice rang out again, this time without any hint of testing, but rather an almost sigh-like approval.
"Alright, since you've made up your mind, I won't force you."
The sound echoed in the space, layer upon layer, as if it came simultaneously from the depths of countless fractured dimensions.
"But I must remind you—starting from the sixth level, the trials will no longer just test your understanding and will, but will truly touch upon 'existence itself.' If, after passing one level, you sense that the next level is beyond your capacity, then immediately withdraw. Do not attempt it with a trial-and-error mentality."
His tone suddenly turned low and somber, as if an invisible boulder were pressing down on the void.
"Once you step into the next trial, there is no turning back. There is only passing or being completely wiped out. Does Not Exist room for regret."
Qin Yu's expression slightly changed, and he solemnly cupped his hands in a salute, his movements neither hurried nor sloppy.
"Thank you for the reminder, senior," his voice was steady and clear, "I will keep it in mind."
The moment those words were spoken, the Void Abyss Forbidden Domain trembled violently.
The ten divine artifacts that were originally suspended in the void dimmed at the same time, as if their existence had been erased by an invisible hand, and then turned into countless pieces of light, which were swept back into the depths of the forbidden domain.
The underlying tone of the space began to change; the silence that transcended black was no longer uniform, but rather showed signs of peeling away layer by layer, as if the "shell" of the world was being forcibly torn open.
Silent Origin Caihuang's voice rang out again, majestic and unyielding:
"The sixth trial— the Battle of Self-Stripping —begins."
In an instant, the entire Void Abyss Forbidden Domain resembled a giant magic array that had been ignited. The pale white mist on the ground was lifted up by the violent force, stretching and tearing in the air, turning into countless mirror-like fragments.
Within each fragment, a blurry human figure was reflected, each with a different posture, yet all vaguely resembling Qin Yu. The deathly star rain above the dome suddenly accelerated its descent, the ash-turned trajectories of the stars intertwining in the air to form the Realm Wheel.
The light and shadow rapidly collapsed, and the space emitted a deep rumble, as if some ancient order was being forcibly rewritten.
The next instant, a rift composed of pure nothingness unfolded before Qin Yu. The interior of the rift was not dark, but a blank space without direction or scale, like a primordial land that had not yet been given a "self".
Qin Yu did not hesitate at all.
He took a step forward, his figure swallowed by the rift. The barrier rapidly closed behind him, obliterating all light and shadow.
The fog and the shattered star trails both fell silent, as if nothing had ever happened.
The sixth trial has officially begun.