The aftershocks of the great formation's collapse had not yet completely dissipated, and grayish-white dust slowly descended above the Heaven-Burning Flame Domain, like snow falling on the apocalypse.
Shangguan Xuanchen roared to the sky, "Charge! Shangguan disciples, follow me!" His voice tore through the air.
His aura, at the Mystic Void Realm · Supreme, erupted suddenly, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the fiery rock beneath his feet.
Nine Shangguan disciples followed closely behind, transforming into ten streaks of light that rushed straight towards the crack.
The crack resembled a gateway to the abyss below, with a greyish-white light flowing around its edges, as if countless broken mental patterns were whispering silently.
Shangguan Lingxiao did not move. He stood at the edge of the sea of fire, his robes billowing in the heat. His gaze fell coldly on Qin Yu.
That gaze was like a knife. Qin Yu remained calm. The air between them seemed to freeze. They stared at each other for a few moments, and then waves of fire surged.
Shangguan Lingxiao snorted coldly. "Hmph." He turned around and stepped into the air, his figure disappearing into the depths of the rift like a bolt of dark golden lightning.
The entire Shangguan Lineage entered. In an instant, the cultivators who had been observing from the outside completely lost control. "Charge!" "The treasure is inside!"
"The Thoughtless Burial Domain —that's the ruins of the Source of Absolute Thoughtlessness!" Tens of thousands of figures swarmed forward.
The air was torn apart by spiritual pressure. Volcanic rocks crumbled. Magma was compressed into a crimson storm by the air waves. The entire Heaven-Burning Flame Domain was as if it were submerged by a raging tide.
Qin Yu's gaze was calm. He was not impatient, but slowly walked towards the rift. At the same time Ju Lineage also set off.
Ju Wanning's figure was as cold and ethereal as flowing light. As she approached the crack, she glanced sideways at Qin Yu.
Her gaze was no longer cold, but carried a hint of warning. "Fellow Daoist," she said in a low but clear voice, "the Shangguan Lineage is vicious."
"Especially Shangguan Lingxiao," Qin Yu said, "Be careful once you go in." Qin Yu nodded slightly, his expression calm. "Thank you for the reminder," Ju Wanning lightly.
He then turned and stepped into the rift. Qin Yu also took a step forward. The gray-white light instantly engulfed him. The light was blinding.
Like countless shattered Thought Realm blooming simultaneously, the light was dazzling. Qin Yu closed his eyes, and all he could hear was the low sound of the wind and distant murmurs.
A voice seemed to whisper, "Where thoughts cease, dust arises..." A few breaths later, the light gradually faded. Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes.
He was standing atop a high cliff. The wind rose from the deep valley, and the sea of clouds churned. Below him lay a vast, breathtakingly large, ancient city of ruins.
The Thoughtless Burial Domain. The entire ruins are built against the mountain, with layers of palaces and pavilions perched on the mountainside.
The eaves are like swords. Towers stand tall. An ancient stone bridge spans a broken cliff. In the distance, peaks surround the area, shrouded in mist.
The main hall is majestic and towering, with dozens of layers of buildings rising up as if to pierce the sky.
However, that former glory has been shattered. The palaces are half-collapsed, the eaves are broken, and the huge towers are tilted with cracks running through their bodies.
The walls are mottled, etched with the marks of time. The stone steps have collapsed. The stone bridge is broken. The whole city looks as if it has been torn apart by some force.
A bottomless chasm appeared in the mountain. Some palaces were reduced to ruins. Countless symbols and runes appeared and disappeared in the air.
Grayish-white dust floated above the city, like a frozen storm. The wind blew through the dilapidated towers, producing a low, hollow sound. In the distance, above the main hall...
Thirty-six faint, ethereal shadows could be seen layer upon layer, resembling remnants of the former "Heaven of All Thoughts".
The entire landscape was both magnificent and desolate, both grand and deathly silent. Qin Yu stood on the edge of the cliff, his robes fluttering in the wind.
Below, several figures had already landed in the city. The battle was about to begin. And this ancient city, which buried "Ji Nian" and the Thirty-Six-Layer Thought Realm...
As if awaiting a true successor. The wind whispers. Dust swirls in the air. Deep within the main hall in the distance.
A faint, grayish-white light seemed to flash and disappear in an instant. High on the cliff, the wind howled.
Qin Yu didn't linger. With a stomp of his foot, his figure transformed into a streak of dark golden light and plummeted downwards.
The air tore through his ears, and the clouds were ripped apart, leaving a long trail. Moments later, he landed in a corner of the ruined city.
The stone bricks beneath his feet were mottled, with faint gray-white spiritual patterns emerging from the cracks. He looked up.
A dilapidated palace stood not far away. The palace doors were tilted, the eaves were broken, and the vermilion paint had long since peeled off.
The stone steps are covered with signs of wind erosion. However, the broken plaque above the temple gate still stands, with three ancient characters half-hidden in the dust.
The inscription "Thought Hall" is written in a vigorous and powerful style, as if carved with divine inspiration. Even after countless eras of erosion, it still exudes a captivating power.
Qin Yu did not hesitate. He stepped onto the stone steps and pushed open the door. The door panel made a low scraping sound. The world suddenly turned upside down the moment he stepped across the threshold.
Boom! The ashes vanished. The broken walls and ruins disappeared. Before his eyes shone a brilliant light. Qin Yu found himself still standing outside the door.
But the Thought Hall before us has been completely renovated. The high platform and jade steps are as white as snow. The vermilion pillars are like divine trees supporting the sky, with golden patterns winding around them.
The eaves are upturned, and the glazed tiles reflect a rainbow of colors in the sunlight. Blue-gold lanterns hang on both sides of the palace gate, their lights burning quietly like stars.
The plaza in front of the hall was paved with white jade bricks. Water channels surrounded it, and spiritual mist swirled around it. The place was bustling with people, and cultivators came and went.
Some were dressed in fine robes, some held jade slips, and some sat on the ground discussing the Dao. In the distance, on a high seat in the hall, several powerful figures were giving a sermon.
The voice was deep and resonant. Faint patterns of the Thought Realm light appeared in the sky. The entire Thought Hall was prosperous, solemn, and magnificent.
It resembled the magnificent scene before the fall of Heaven of All Thoughts. Qin Yu's pupils contracted slightly. This glorious sight...
It was in no way inferior to the most magnificent main hall of Returning Light Heavenly City, and even surpassed it in some respects. The Spiritual Qi was so dense that it almost condensed into a thin mist.
The Daoist energy flowed and circulated. Mental power transformed into visible silver threads that intertwined in the air. Everything was so real, so real that it captivated the mind and spirit.
Qin Yu slowly moved forward, his footsteps landing on the jade, the texture feeling real.
He could even smell the sandalwood. Just then, a soft, fragrant breeze approached. "Oh dear—young master."
Her voice was sweet and alluring, with a languid ending. "Come, come, I've been waiting for you for so long."
Qin Yu glanced to the side and saw a woman standing beside him. She had a voluptuous and alluring figure.
Her skin was as white as snow. Her eyes were full of affection. Her red lips were slightly parted. A thin gauze dress outlined her curves.
Her waist swayed gently with each step. Strands of hair fell over her shoulders, and a jade pendant dangled from her ear. She reached out and gently took Qin Yu's hand in hers.
The touch was warm and real. She gently took his hand. "Young master, this way please." Qin Yu's expression faltered slightly.
It felt as if my soul was being gently enveloped by something soft. My thoughts slowed, and my gaze gradually lost focus.
My feet followed her involuntarily deeper into the hall. Laughter from the crowd, soft music—everything was as beautiful as a dream.
Just then, a voice suddenly shouted from the depths of his mind, "Little Qinzi, this is an illusion!" "Wake up!"
The sound was like thunder, shattering the mist. Qin Yu's soul trembled violently, and his pupils instantly cleared. He abruptly stopped.
The soft touch in his hand suddenly turned icy cold. Qin Yu abruptly flung the woman's hand away.
His figure retreated several feet. "You--" The air suddenly froze. The next moment, "Hehehe..." A piercing, eerie laugh rang out from all directions.
The laughter was no longer charming; instead, it was low and chilling, like rusty iron scraping against bones. The woman slowly stopped, her shoulders twitching strangely.
The neck turned slightly. A cracking sound—the friction of the joints—was clearly audible.
She turned her head almost completely behind her. Qin Yu finally saw clearly that it wasn't a seductive woman at all.
Her face began to melt. Her skin slumped like wax. Her eye sockets stretched. Her pupils split into vertical lines. Her mouth tore open to her ears.
Inside wasn't a tongue, but rather spiraling, black, fleshy veins. Several thin, long bone spurs grew from below her neck.
Her fingernails grew wildly long, like sharp blades. Her silk skirt transformed into grayish-white silk threads that wrapped around her entire body. Suddenly, a rift appeared on her back.
Several tiny Nen eyes opened from within. It was a humanoid demon king, half-human and half-Nen, with a chilling aura.
Surrounded by grayish-white "residues of longing." "Hehehe..." "Human..." "Since you've come—" "Then stay."
The magnificent scene began to distort. The pillars of the palace cracked. The crowd turned into gray smoke. The splendid palace collapsed rapidly.
Revealing its dilapidated reality, Qin Yu stood in the ruined Thought Hall. All that remained were broken pillars and dust. And the demon king...
He stood in the center of the hall, his gaze greedy.
With a low tremor, the dilapidated Thought Hall completely shed its last pretense. The crowds that had been coming and going, the elders preaching, and the servants serving tea and water were twisted and turned like a torn scroll.
Skin collapsed, robes melted, and bones burst forth from the phantom, instantly swelling and deforming into Devil Beast with gleaming scales, sharp claws, and exhaling grayish-white spiritual energy, their eyes flickering with cold, lingering flames of longing.
Dozens of Devil Beast surrounded the hall, their auras unified and oppressive. They were all at the Severed Thought Realm · Initial Stage, their mental power turning into gray mist that swirled around them, as if they were a group of monsters crawling out of the "Thought Realm Corpses," connected to each other by invisible threads of thought.
The humanoid demon king stood in the center, half of its face twisted in a savage grin. Its cultivation had reached the Severed Thought Realm · Middle Stage, and the mental patterns around its body surged like living things. It raised its arm, and bone spikes drew an arc in the air, emitting a piercing "heh heh" laugh, "Tear him apart."
In the next instant, all the Devil Beast roared simultaneously, and gray-white spiritual energy surged forth like waves, shattering the stone bricks on the ground. The air inside the hall was compressed into a violent vortex, and sharp claws, fangs, and spiritual blades all descended upon Qin Yu, like a moving storm of Annihilation.
Qin Yu's expression was indifferent. He did not take a single step back. He lightly raised his right hand, Silent Origin Stainless Sword appeared from the void.
The sword's blade resembled a pure, Annihilation galaxy; its edge had no sharpness, yet it seemed capable of severing all definitions of existence. The air fell silent for a moment as the sword was drawn.
Even the raging spiritual energy momentarily paused. Qin Yu casually waved his sword. The Silent Origin Stainless Sword – No-Thought Absolute Silence Sword
The sword light was not dazzling. It was like a pure "nothingness" spreading from the blade.
A ring of transparent and profound Annihilation ripples swept out instantly, silencing the space, causing spiritual energy to lose its color, and halting the claws in mid-air.
The scales vanished as if wiped away, and before the Devil Beast's roar had even subsided, its body began to disintegrate into grayish-white dust.
There was no explosion. There was no bloodshed. Only an extremely quiet "disappearance".
Dozens of Severed Thought Realm · Initial Stage Devil Beast were completely wiped out by the thoughtless sword wave in the blink of an eye, leaving not even a trace. The threads of thought broke, the air returned to clarity, and the dilapidated hall revealed its original appearance once more.
Inside the hall, only Qin Yu and the demon king remained, facing off.
The demon king's pupils contracted sharply, followed by a surge of rage. Grayish-white runes writhed wildly on its face. It spread its arms, and its mental eye on its chest opened simultaneously. It growled, "Hmph, you think you can take me?"
It suddenly formed a hand seal. Supernatural Power— Thought Abyss Soul-Eroding Realm.
Using "residual thoughts" as a starting point, a realm of thoughts that erodes the soul is constructed, pulling Qin Yu's sea of consciousness into the abyss of "unbroken thoughts," causing it to collapse on its own amidst endless recollections.
Grayish-white spiritual patterns spread wildly from the ground, walls, and air, like countless tiny tentacles climbing up. The sky instantly darkened, and a massive phantom of the Thought Realm unfolded on the ceiling. A vortex-like abyss appeared beneath Qin Yu's feet, and countless whispers echoed in his ears.
Past sounds, unfulfilled obsessions, and fragmented images flashed by, as if trying to drag him into an endless quagmire of thoughts.
The entire Thought Hall was submerged in a gray- Thought Sea thoughts. The Demon King stood coldly in place, a grin spreading across his face. "Sink into the Abyss of Longing."
However— Qin Yu's gaze remained calm. His mind was as clear as a mirror. The next instant, he slightly turned his sword.
Heavenly Cause Judgment Sequence, Six Severances Seal, Master Book Seal Severance, Naming Reconstruction
An invisible light condensed on the sword's edge, like an unseen brushstroke falling from the void, erasing the four characters "Thought Abyss Soul-Eroding Realm" from the page of cause and effect and rewriting them as "Ineffective Thought."
The gray-white domain trembled violently. The mental patterns instantly shattered.
The abyssal phantom collapsed as if its foundation had been removed, the whispering stopped abruptly, and the soul-corroding power dissipated into fragments of light in the air.
The Demon King's pupils dilated violently. "How is this possible—" Qin Yu had already taken a step forward.
The sword tip fell. The Silent Origin Stainless Sword – The Undefined Destruction Sword– this strike did not sever its form, but rather severed its very "qualification to exist."
The sword light descended like a colorless curtain, and wherever it passed, the mantra patterns around the demon king shattered inch by inch. Its body began to disappear from the edges inward, its bone spurs turned to dust, its mantra eyes closed, and a mournful roar came from the corner of its cracked mouth.
"I was born of longing—" He didn't finish his sentence.
The sword light completely covered the area. Grayish-white dust exploded in the air, only to be completely wiped away in the next instant.
The Severed Thought Realm · Middle Stage was completely Annihilation.
Silence returned to the Thought Hall. Only the wind blew in through the broken door, stirring up dust.
The Demon King was forcibly shattered and completely Annihilation by Qin Yu.