In the distance, the sky of the Void Obliteration Domain churned into a dark gray tide of stars, and space slowly shifted like layers of mirrors. An invisible rift quietly opened in the void, and Qin Yu stepped out first, followed by Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin.
What comes into view is the Chaos First Palace suspended atop a sea of clouds.
The main hall hangs upside down at the top of spacetime. The hall, forged from the intertwining of Chaos Sacred Gold and Void-Annihilating Light Stone, resembles a giant star core placed upside down between heaven and earth. Ninety-nine floating halls surround the Pillar of Return to the Abyss, with the pillar piercing through the clouds and the abyss, flowing with chaotic light patterns of gray and dark gold. The entire divine realm is silent and majestic, like the unchanging source of order throughout the ages.
When Zhou Wanning saw the Chaos First Palace for the first time, his chest tightened slightly. It wasn't oppression, but an instinctive awe of a supreme being.
Qin Yu walked with steady steps and restrained aura, as if returning home.
The protective array surrounding the temple naturally separated the moment he appeared, revealing two guards clad in gray-white mixed-elemental armor.
A rotating chaotic rune reading "Primordial Envoys" was branded between his brows.
Their gazes fell on Qin Yu, their expressions immediately turned solemn, and they all cupped their hands in greeting.
"Guest Elder Qin, you're back." The tone was respectful, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness.
Zhou Yujin's heart skipped a beat. "He really is a guest elder..."
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Yes. These two are my friends; they will be accompanying me into the hall."
Without any hesitation, the Primordial Envoys stepped aside to make way. "Okay, fine."
The array patterns receded to both sides like ripples on water, and the spatial barrier surrounding the temple automatically lowered its level. Zhou Yujin followed behind Qin Yu, her heart churning with turmoil.
"I knew Brother Qin was no ordinary person..."
When he first met him, he vaguely sensed that Qin Yu's demeanor was different from ordinary people, and now it seems that his intuition was indeed correct.
"It seems my judgment back then was indeed correct."
He smiled bitterly to himself, yet also felt a sense of relief that fate had connected him and his sister with this man.
The three stepped onto the light staircase extending from the Pillar of Return to the Abyss. The staircase stretched from the void all the way to the main hall. With each step, chaotic patterns bloomed beneath their feet, as if in response to some kind of recognition of their identities.
The moment you enter the main hall, it feels as if the world has turned upside down.
The interior space was far more expansive than it appeared from the outside. The dome displayed a rotating chaotic star map, with countless threads of law hanging like a galaxy. In the center floated a throne forged from Chaos Sacred Gold and annihilation crystal.
On the throne sat a man. Yun Yanwan, the Palace Master of the Chaos First Palace.
He wore a dark gray robe with gold patterns, the hem of which seemed to have a hidden flow of starlight. His brows were calm and his eyes were like two chaotic cores that had gathered the essence of countless ages. That aura was not deliberately released, but it made the spatial structure of the entire hall spontaneously maintain its most stable state.
At the Chaos Realm · Extremity, Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin almost simultaneously felt a tremor from the depths of their souls, instinctively lowering their gazes.
Qin Yu, however, remained neither humble nor arrogant, and bowed respectfully. "Hall Master Yun."
Yun Yanwan's gaze fell on Qin Yu, and after a moment, she smiled faintly. "Qin Yu, you're back."
The voice wasn't loud, yet it echoed throughout the main hall, forming layers of chaotic resonance. "You've returned from your journey... and your aura has become even more composed."
His gaze shifted slightly to Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin behind Qin Yu. His chaotic pupils flickered, as if he could see through the causal flow within them, but he did not reveal it.
"Who are these two?" The chaotic star map above the main hall's dome slowly rotated, and threads of law fell like the Milky Way, illuminating the entire hall as a deep and solemn cosmic center.
Qin Yu in the center of the hall, his expression calm and his tone unhurried.
"Hall Master Yun, these two are close friends I made while I was away. Now the entire Void Obliteration Domain is in turmoil, and their safe haven has been slaughtered by the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor."
So I brought them back with me." The voice echoed in the hall, but without a trace of arrogance.
Yun Yanwan sat upright on the throne, his gaze as deep as a chaotic starry sea. He nodded slightly, his eyes falling on Zhou Wanning.
In that instant, the laws of chaos swirled in his pupils, as if an invisible mirror swept across Zhou Wanning's Fate Soul and aura, but did not forcibly probe, but simply quietly sensed.
After a moment, he spoke calmly, "Hmm. Anything you bring back, I'll leave to your arrangements."
In short, crisp and direct. Zhou Yujin's heart skipped a beat. "I'll do whatever you say."
These words carried immense weight. Yun Yanwan's gaze lingered briefly on Zhou Wanning, her tone revealing a rare hint of approval.
"This girl is no ordinary person." "She should be under twenty-five years old," yet she has already entered the Chaos Realm. "Truly a rare sight."
Zhou Yujin was slightly taken aback. He knew his sister had amazing talent, but he didn't expect her to be evaluated in such a way by the Chaos First Palace Chaos Realm.
Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin stepped forward simultaneously and bowed respectfully.
"This junior thanks you, senior."
Yun Yanwan simply waved her sleeve, and a gentle stream of chaotic energy helped the two of them up. "Now that you've entered the Chaos First Palace, there's no need for further formalities."
The atmosphere was calm and composed. Qin Yu spoke again at this moment, "Ancestor, has he returned?"
Yun Yanwan's eyes flickered slightly. "Hmm." "The Ancestor returned a few days ago. He is currently in seclusion to recuperate."
A chaotic star map slowly rotated on the dome, and starlight-like radiance poured down from above, illuminating the entire main hall with solemnity and depth.
Yun Yanwan's gaze was calm, her tone even yet carrying an unyielding authority. "Qin Yu." "Let this disciple lead my two dear friends into the hall to rest first."
The voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to come from the depths of chaos. Qin Yu's eyes flickered slightly.
He could naturally tell that the Palace Master wanted to speak with him privately. Moreover, it was by no means an ordinary matter.
He nodded slightly. "Mm." Then he turned to look at Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin. "Wanning, Brother Zhou."
"You should go and rest for a bit; you must be tired after traveling all this way."
His tone was gentle, yet it subtly conveyed a reassuring calmness.
Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin exchanged a glance. Although they still had questions, this was, after all, the main hall of the Chaos First Palace, so they couldn't say anything more.
The two stepped forward simultaneously and bowed to Yun Yanwan and Qin Yu. "We take our leave."
A faint golden ripple appeared in the air beside the hall. A disciple clad in a Primordial Chaos robe stepped forward, his expression respectful. "Please follow me, gentlemen."
Zhou Wanning glanced back at Qin Yu. In that instant, her eyes showed both reassurance and respect.
Qin Yu nodded slightly to her. No further words were needed. The next moment, the spatial array gently unfolded, like a slowly blooming Flower of Chaos, enveloping the three figures.
With a flash of light, Zhou Wanning and Zhou Yujin disappeared from the main hall.
The hall fell silent instantly. The sound of the rotating star map on the dome seemed to become even clearer.
There was a sense of urgency in the air, as if a deep, unspoken issue was about to be revealed.
Yun Yanwan slowly raised her right hand. The power of chaos spread silently, and the space around the main hall folded slightly, completely isolating all external perception and spying.
The star map's radiance receded, leaving only two figures in the hall. Yun Yanwan's gaze fell upon Qin Yu, her expression as profound as eternity.
Inside the Chaos Main Hall, the star map slowly rotated. Yun Yanwan stood on the high platform, her gaze heavy.
"Qin Yu." "There's something I must tell you."
The tone was no longer that of a conversation between a palace master and a guest minister, but rather one of genuine solemnity. Qin Yu felt a chill run down his spine.
He could tell this was no ordinary matter. "Lord, please speak freely."
Yun Yanwan closed her eyes slightly, as if considering her words. After a moment, she said, "You know Elder Ling Liangyan of my Bright Zither Hall, right?"
The moment the name was uttered, Qin Yu's pupils contracted slightly. The air seemed to freeze for a split second.
"Yes." "Palace Master... what happened to Elder Liangyan?" Yun Yanwan sighed softly. "Ten days ago."
"Liangyan led many disciples to wipe out a gathering place of Remnants Lord's soul." "They have not returned to this day."
As soon as the words were spoken, the brilliance of the star map within the hall seemed to dim slightly.
Qin Yu's fingertips slowly tightened. Yun Yanwan raised her right hand. The void gently cracked open, and a circular ball of light slowly emerged.
That was no ordinary magical artifact. It was like a suspended miniature universe, with swirling galaxies inside and countless tiny points of light flickering like flames of Fate Soul.
At the center of the sphere of light are layers of interwoven Fate Soul patterns, much like a star web formed by cause and effect.
"This is the Fate Soul Observation Crystal Core of my Chaos First Palace." "The Fate Soul of all the disciples and elders within the palace are reflected within it."
The sphere of light slowly rotated. Yun Yanwan raised her finger and pointed. A bright spot in the star map was magnified.
The point of light, which should have been as bright as a star, was now as dim as a flickering lamp in the wind, its flame extremely unstable.
It flickered on and off, as if it would be extinguished completely at any moment. "That is the reflection of Liangyan's Fate Soul." Qin Yu's eyes instantly turned icy cold. "Her Fate Soul is not extinguished."
He spoke slowly. "But he has already suffered heavy losses." Yun Yanwan nodded. "What's even more serious is..."
His tone turned somber. "We dispatched numerous elders and disciples to search." "To no avail." "Not even a trace of the cause could be found."
These words are even more terrifying than a weak Fate Soul. A chill suddenly ran through Qin Yu's heart.
Cause and effect leave no trace. He knew all too well what that meant.
Or
The opponent has mastered a very high level of causal concealment techniques.
Or
Ling Liangyan has been dragged into a region that transcends the current spacetime structure.
It was even forcibly stripped from the causal coordinate system of the Chaos First Palace.
Within the star chart, the dim point of Fate Soul suddenly trembled slightly.
It felt like some kind of shock had occurred in a very distant place.
Qin Yu's pupils contracted. "She's still persisting." His voice was extremely low. Yun Yanwan was silent for a moment. "Qin Yu."
"I didn't want to put this on your shoulders." "But now..."
His gaze was deep. "You are the only guest minister of my Chaos First Palace." "And you and Liangyan— " He didn't finish his sentence.
But the meaning was clear. Qin Yu looked up. At that moment, his gaze was as calm as an abyss.
"Palace Master." "The final location." Two simple words, yet they carried a sense of decisiveness.
Yun Yanwan looked at him. "Should I send a few elders to accompany us?"
Qin Yu didn't hesitate. "I'm enough on my own." "She's from my Chaos First Palace." "She's also my ally."
"Besides, I have a past relationship with Elder Liangyan," he said, his voice turning cold.
"The remnant soul of the Remnants Lord should not exist in the first place." In the Chaos Main Hall, the star map suddenly lit up.
It was as if I sensed some kind of impending battle intent.
Yun Yanwan slowly. "Alright." "In that case, I will give you all the records of the last spatial fluctuations in that area."
Within the sphere of light, a chaotic ray of light separated and slowly flew towards Qin Yu. It was a fragment of Ling Liangyan's spatial coordinates before she disappeared.
However, those coordinates... were unstable, as if they had been forcibly torn apart by some higher-dimensional force.
Qin Yu took the light. His brow twitched slightly. The next moment, he suddenly realized that within the fragment of the coordinates...
A faint, extremely familiar aura lingered, but it wasn't Liangyan's. Rather... it was the high-level core fluctuation of the Logic Remnants Lord under the command of the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor.
Qin Yu's eyes turned completely cold. The matter was far more complicated than simply eliminating the remaining souls.