The levels of Returning Light Heavenly City do not decrease from high to low; rather, the deeper one goes, the closer one gets to true danger and antiquity. Qin Yu walked down a staircase in the city, the crystal jade ground beneath his feet gradually turning into dark gray ancient stone, and the afterglow of the city lights was compressed into a cold, eerie blue glow.
The further down you go, the less noisy the streets become, replaced by a heavy, solemn atmosphere, as if the prosperity of the entire city is weighing down on you, and beneath your feet lies silent history.
Until he saw the Weapon Burial Tower of All Realms, which was no ordinary building.
It was a colossal tower built from countless ancient stone swords thrust upside down into the earth. Each stone sword was hundreds of feet long, with its blade pointing downwards and its hilt pointing upwards. The swords interlocked and interlocked to form layers upon layers of tower walls.
The sword was covered with ancient inscriptions, some of which had been weathered and blurred, while others still faintly flowed with dark red, Sha Qi patterns. The tower soared straight into the sky, almost piercing through the Returning Light Heavenly City, and the Sword Qi and malevolent intent condensed into a faint vortex around it.
The tower gate was enormous, consisting of two mottled bronze giant gates, on which were imprinted the outlines of countless weapons—swords, spears, halberds, bows, blades that slay the heavens, axes that Realm Severing... Each weapon shape seemed to have left its mark on a real battlefield.
There were no guards at the gate, but an invisible pressure covered all directions. Anyone whose cultivation was not at the Severed Thought Realm would be forced back by the heavy killing intent as soon as they got close.
Blue Ring Xiao Yue stood on Qin Yu's shoulder, her sapphire-like pupils slightly narrowed. "Little Qinzi... this place is not simple."
Qin Yu's gaze was calm. He could sense that this was not an ordinary place for displaying weapons; it was a burial ground.
The door slowly opened, as if guided by an invisible hand. Qin Yu stepped inside. The next instant...
The view suddenly opened up.
The interior of the Weapon Burial Tower is not a single-story structure, but an infinitely nested military domain space. The layers of space overlap each other, as if gathering weapons from all the heavens and myriad worlds in one place. The long corridor extends to an unseen end, and the weapon racks are as continuous as mountains.
Each weapon was individually sealed within the array patterns, and the Sha Qi was compressed into fine rays that wrapped around it.
The flashes of blades were like a galaxy stretching across the sky. The sharpness of swords was like a rift in the heavens. The giant axe hung in mid-air, as if it could cleave a dimension at any moment.
The spear was stuck in the sealing platform, and dried bloodstains with a dark purple sheen remained on its tip. The bloodstains were not ordinary blood, but the essence of some high-level being.
There were so many of these weapons that they were impossible to count.
By the standards of traditional fantasy worlds, any one of these items would be enough to suppress an entire era.
Even the most powerful beings from all realms are not qualified to offer their opinions here. The weapons here are not designed to be worn.
They were sealed here because of their excessive Sha Qi, because they had slaughtered Gods and Devils, and even destroyed the order of heaven. Around each weapon, there was a faint resentment swirling, which were the fragments of will left behind by the beings they had killed.
Qin Yu's gaze swept over an ancient sword. The blade was covered in cracks, and the hilt was broken, yet it still exuded a chilling pressure.
There was a line of faint writing next to the sealing array patterns.
"This sword once severed the order of the Three Realms, and is now buried here."
Further in, a giant sword hung horizontally in the void, its blade a hundred feet wide, its back inlaid with shattered stars.
"This sword once slaughtered five celestial realms and is now buried here."
The higher up the weaponry level, the more subdued it becomes; the deeper one goes, the more volatile it becomes.
At the very center of the building is a massive disintegration formation domain.
To take the divine weapon, one must step inside.
That was called the Weapon Dissolution Illusory Realm.
Those who step inside will be besieged by all the vengeful spirits that this divine weapon has slain. These are not ordinary remnant souls, but a re-enactment of the battlefield formed by the killing memories branded by the weapon. Only those who walk out alive can be considered recognized by the divine weapon.
Blue Ring gently raised her head. Towards the top of the tower, there emanated an even more ancient aura.
Qin Yu followed the aura and looked up. High in the sky at the top of the tower, a broken spear was stuck there.
The gun was covered in rust, yet it exuded an oppressive aura that was difficult to look directly at. Dark red blood was still dripping from the broken tip. The blood did not fall to the ground, but evaporated in mid-air, turning into wisps of crimson mist that blended into the murderous aura of the entire Weapon Burial Tower.
Legend has it that the broken spear once pierced through the "Heavenly Path".
It has not dried up to this day. The entire Weapon Burial Tower seems to exist around it.
Qin Yu stood in the center of the military domain, feeling the echo of boundless military intent.
This is the graveyard of weapons from all realms, and also the true testing ground.
Deep within the Weapon Burial Tower, the intent of war surged like an undercurrent, and the aura of slaughter flowed slowly among countless sealing array patterns.
Qin Yu in the long corridor, his gaze sweeping over the rows of sealing platforms, when suddenly—an old yet gentle voice rang out beside him.
"Fellow Daoist, what kind of weapon would you like to choose?" The voice was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the intent of a warrior.
Qin Yu glanced sideways. An old man had appeared beside him at some point.
The old man was not tall, and he wore a gray-white cloth robe. The cloth seemed ordinary, but it faintly shimmered with a luster that was the same as that of the military domain.
His long, silver-white hair was half-tied up, falling to his shoulders. His face was aged but not withered; instead, it possessed a dignified and composed air. Most striking were his eyes.
Those were not the cloudy eyes of an ordinary old man. They were eyes that seemed to have witnessed countless killings and the changing of eras.
His gaze was calm, yet as deep as an abyss.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his aura extremely restrained, but Qin Yu felt a sense of oppressive "boundary dissolving" in just an instant.
It was as if an invisible wind was flowing around him. Boundary Collapse, and dimensions shattered.
This is not the Severed Thought Realm. This is the intent of Realm Breaking. Qin Yu's heart trembled slightly.
This old man's cultivation level is definitely no lower than the Realm Breaking Realm. In fact, it might even be higher.
But the other party did not reveal its strength; it simply stood there calmly, as if it were part of the Weapon Burial Tower.
Qin Yu cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Excuse me, I was just passing by and came out of curiosity."
The old man smiled slightly, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out. "Oh, feel free to look around."
"Some of the weapons here have been dormant for too long; they need to be checked out from time to time."
His tone was casual, yet carried a hint of something indescribable. Qin Yu nodded.
The old man said no more, slowly turned around, and walked lightly into the depths, his figure seemingly merging with the surrounding military intent, gradually fading away.
Qin Yu continued to wander through the Weapon Burial Tower. One after another, sealed divine weapons floated silently.
Some radiated a pale golden holy glow, some were filled with dark red Sha Qi, some were like cold stars and a cold moon, and some were like flowing lava.
Each one of them is enough to easily suppress those top-tier powerhouses who are True Immortal Great Emperor across dimensions.
Each and every one of them has been stained with blood throughout history.
Blue Ring Xiao Yue hovered quietly beside Qin Yu's shoulder, its sapphire-like pupils shimmering slightly.
"The weapons here... are all very powerful." Qin Yu's gaze remained calm. "Powerful doesn't necessarily mean suitable."
He slowly stopped in front of a longsword that was entirely dark silver. The blade was as bright as the moon, and sealing array patterns flowed around it.
In that instant, the sword intent seemed to tremble slightly, as if testing the waters.
Qin Yu glanced at it, then turned away. It wasn't that he didn't have something handy.
Rather, he doesn't need it now. The Silent Origin Stainless Sword is the weapon that best suits his Fate Soul and his Dao foundation.
The way of weaponry lies not in quantity, but in compatibility and uniqueness. No matter how powerful the myriad divine weapons of the Weapon Burial Tower may be, they are merely external objects.
He already had his own sword; there was no need to replace it. Qin Yu walked out of the Weapon Burial Tower, a heavy military aura slowly gathering behind him.
The outside world's radiance shone forth once more. The clamor of Returning Light Heavenly City once more filled the air.
He looked up at the sky. It was almost time.
High in the distance, a colossal palace floats atop the crystal dome.
That is -- Taotie· Myriad Worlds Remains Hall Hotel.
The entire palace floats in the air, held in place by nine rusted starship chains. The chains are as thick as mountains, inlaid with fragments of ancient, abandoned starships, and extend into the depths of the void, as if connecting to some unseen ancient battlefield.
The palace itself is made entirely of dark gold and deep blue, with a huge Taotie beast head relief carved on the dome, its eyes like stars, overlooking the entire Returning Light Heavenly City. The palace gate is wide, and the spirit boat slowly lands in front of it, with a continuous stream of people.
A sky bridge extends like star trails to the palace gate. Inside, the palace is brightly lit, as if gathering delicacies from five multidimensional universes.
Qin Yu's figure slowly rose into the air. He stepped onto the floating bridge and headed towards the Taotie Myriad Worlds Remains Hall.
At the end of the high-altitude floating bridge, Qin Yu finally arrived at the colossal palace suspended above the crystal dome: the Taotie Myriad Worlds Remains Hall.
Only when he actually stood outside the hall did he understand what "the last ray of light that devoured the universe" meant.
The entire palace is not merely a building, but rather resembles an ancient behemoth slowly breathing. The palace is pieced together from the remnants of countless dead universes, with faint glimpses of starlight appearing on the walls, as if each brick and stone was once the final chapter of a civilization.
Nine gleaming starship chains descended from the depths of the void, holding the entire palace in place. Each chain was as thick as a mountain, inlaid with broken starship wreckage and ancient runes. When the chains vibrated, they emitted a deep metallic resonance, like the echoes of a distant cosmic battlefield.
In front of the palace gate was a plaza paved with fragments of crystal walls. The fragments reflected aurora-like colors underfoot, and iridescent brilliance intertwined in the air, reflecting the figures of the guests coming and going. Spirit boats landed one after another, and cultivators from all sides arrived in an endless stream. Some were clad in divine beast scale armor, some had a calm and abyss-like aura, and some led entire escort teams. Clearly, none of them were ordinary people.
Blue Ring Xiao Yue hovered beside Qin Yu's shoulder, her eyes wide open, starlight swirling in her sapphire-like pupils.
"Wow... Little Qinzi." "This place is... amazing."
Above the palace gate, a relief of a taotie beast's head opens its massive mouth, which contains not darkness, but a churning chaotic nebula, as if it could truly swallow the entire sky. Two huge light screens hang on either side of the gate, displaying today's menu slowly.
"The Singularity Soup of World Creation."
Within the light screen, a bowl of chaotic liquid slowly rotates. With each stirring, a miniature universe emerges from the surface of the soup—a burst of light, the expansion of nebulae, the budding of civilization, the outbreak of war, the arrival of the end, and finally, the return to darkness. And then the cycle repeats itself.
"Crystal-walled crisps."
The scene shifts, and fragments of the crystal dome are polished into transparent flakes, which are then dipped in the bone marrow oil of a giant star beast. The moment they enter the mouth, an aurora bursts forth, and the celestial realms of different universes intertwine and flash within the senses of taste and consciousness.
Blue Ring couldn't help but swallow hard. "This isn't eating, it's eating the world."
Qin Yu couldn't help but smile slightly. Just then, "Hey, Brother Qin, you've arrived at just the right time!"
A hearty laugh echoed from afar.
Ye Wuhen strode over, followed by dozens of disciples of the Boundless Realm Divine Sect, including Gu Linfeng, who looked relaxed, indicating that the goods had been successfully delivered.
"Brother Qin!" Gu Linfeng waved. Qin Yu turned around, cupped his hands, and smiled, "Senior Ye, Brother Gu."
Ye Wuhen looked up at the massive hall and laughed heartily, "Brother Qin, wasn't Returning Light Heavenly City?"
Qin Yu nodded. "Indeed. It's more than a thousand times larger than the eight major cities of the Void Obliteration Domain combined."
"Hahahaha!" Ye Wuhen laughed loudly, "Come on, Brother Qin, let's drink until we drop today!"
Gu Linfeng suddenly noticed the Blue Ring Xiao Yue on Qin Yu's right shoulder, and his eyes lit up. "Brother Qin, is this your soul beast?"
Qin Yu shook his head slightly, his tone humble. "No, no, no, this is my close friend. She's just a little petite."
Blue Ring put her hands on her hips, her sapphire-like eyes glaring. "Hey, hey, hey, where am I petite?"
His serious yet arrogant tone startled Gu Linfeng and Ye Wuhen for a moment before they burst into laughter.
"Hahaha--" "Alright, alright, we were blind." Ye Wuhen waved his hand with a laugh, "Come, come, let's go inside and talk."
The group stepped onto the Crystal Wall Plaza and passed through the palace gate, which resembled the gaping maw of a glutton. The chaotic nebula slowly closed behind them.
The hall was brightly lit, with starlight shimmering.