After the demon king's gray-white light completely dissipated, the last glimmer of light in the Thought Hall also went out like a candle flickering in the wind.
The glorious past, with its blazing lights, lofty preaching platform, and bustling crowds, has vanished. Only broken pillars remain.
Collapsed beams. The ground was covered in cracks and dust. A huge gap opened in the roof, and sunlight slanted down, illuminating the tiny dust particles floating in the air.
Faint traces of the divination marks could still be seen on the walls, but they had long since faded to death. The wind blew in through the empty hall door, making a low whistling sound.
Qin Yu stood in the center of the hall, the Silent Origin Stainless Sword slowly disappearing into the void. He did not linger. His gaze swept over the dark corridor deep within.
He took a step forward, his footsteps echoing in the empty palace. The Thought Hall was destroyed, but the Thoughtless Burial Domain was far from over.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ruins, eleven members of the Shangguan Lineage crossed a broken stone bridge and arrived at a completely different palace.
This palace—it has no eaves, no golden tiles, and even the complete door frame has collapsed.
The dark gray stone walls are covered with cracks, as if eroded by countless years.
The roof of the palace has mostly collapsed, with only a few sturdy stone pillars supporting the remaining structure.
The stone pillars are inscribed with ancient, blurred inscriptions, severely weathered, the characters appearing as if gnawed away by time.
The stone steps in front of the palace are broken and uneven, with several sections having collapsed into deep pits.
Thick dust piled up on the ground, and stepping on it would kick up grayish-white smoke.
There was no spiritual mist or radiance around, only a heavy, deathly stillness. It was as if this place had never been touched by "prosperity".
It is not a ruin after glory, but a remnant that has stubbornly survived countless eras of wind and frost.
Above the lintel, a nearly shattered stone plaque hangs askew.
The handwriting is barely legible, with only a few remaining strokes, as if deliberately erased.
There was a oppressive chill in the air.
Shangguan Xuanchen frowned. "Senior brother." "This Thoughtless Burial Domain is too dilapidated." His tone carried a hint of disdain.
Shangguan Lingxiao's gaze turned cold. "What do you know?" His voice was steady, yet carried an air of authority.
"The Thoughtless Burial Domain is the cultivation place of ancient powerful beings." "Don't be fooled by its current dilapidated state."
"Before countless eons ago," "this place was once one of the most magnificent temples in the Source of Epochless · Upper Layer."
The wind whistled through the broken beams, as if in response. Shangguan Lingxiao's gaze swept across the depths of the palace.
A hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes. He turned around and coldly said to the Severed Thought Realm · Supreme behind him:
"Everyone, be on your guard!" "There's opportunity here." "There's also danger." "Any Thought Realm could be fatal."
The nine disciples clasped their fists in unison. "Yes!" they replied in unison, instantly creating a chilling atmosphere.
Shangguan Lingxiao stepped into the desolate palace. Dust rose at his feet.
A dormant power seemed to be quietly awakening in the air. Deep within the dilapidated palace, a chilling current slowly surged.
Shangguan Lingxiao was the first to step into the palace. The dust under his feet was stirred up by the spiritual pressure, revealing the long-weathered stone slabs.
However, when everyone actually stepped into the center of the hall, they all stopped in their tracks.
The interior of the main hall was not Emptiness. Amidst the ruins, beside the collapsed stone pillars, and beneath the broken beams, a strangely shaped "Dao Fruit" was growing.
Those are not fruits in the ordinary sense. They are not rooted in the soil.
Instead, they are suspended in the air, each one about the size of a fist, yet each with a different shape.
Some exhibit a translucent crystalline structure, with black and white energies constantly intertwined within.
Some are like a twisted Möbius strip, with their edges overlapping in space, yet they can never close.
Some appear to be tiny boxes, with lids half-open and half-closed, their interiors shimmering with light and shadow, where reality and illusion alternate.
Others are merely faint rays of light, yet with each flash, they cause a slight collapse in the surrounding air.
They all share a single characteristic: they constantly flicker between "existence" and "Does Not Exist".
Appearing in an instant, vanishing in an instant. It's as if logic itself is hesitating.
The main hall contained an enormous number of these objects, densely packed together, like a "sea of logic" suspended in the ruins.
Shangguan Xuanchen's pupils dilated suddenly, his breathing became rapid. "This... this... could this be the legendary— the Logic Dao Fruit, the Heart of Paradox!"
His voice almost trembled. "Its essence is a crystal composed of pure logical contradictions!"
"It's not a physical entity, but a manifestation of the point of logical collapse!" Shangguan Lingxiao's gaze was deep, and he did not refute it.
Shangguan Xuanchen continued in a low voice, "After all the rules of the world are blown away by the Wind of Realm Breaking..."
"Only paradoxes remain." "It is and it is not; it is both born and it is dead; it is both within and outside of cause and effect."
Inside the main hall, a Heart of Paradox suddenly flickered. In an instant, it transformed into an unclosable halo.
The next instant, it collapsed into a semi-transparent box. The instant after that, it disappeared completely, only to reappear on the ruins on the other side.
Its very existence is a mockery of logic. Shangguan Xuanchen's Adam's apple bobbed.
"Most importantly—" "It can enhance the power of primordial divine abilities between the Severed Thought Realm and the Realm Breaking Realm! And it can also strengthen the Fate Soul essence of cultivators above the Breakthrough Realm."
The air grew heavy. Shangguan Lingxiao's eyes flickered slightly. Of course he knew. The truly terrifying thing about the Heart of Paradox was...
It is its fundamental attribute. Logical Fission. First level: the breeding of paradox. If a Heart of Paradox is contained, a logical fissure will be torn open in the origin.
The fissure is not a wound, but a port. Through this port, the cultivator can access a place that "Does Not Exist"—
Drawing upon the primal force of chaos, seeds of paradox will precipitate within the fissures. These seeds will grow on their own, giving rise to new logical contradictions. The more paradoxes there are...
The faster it grows, the richer its origin.
The second layer: Resonance of contradictions. When three or more paradoxes are interconnected, they form a resonance network, with the contradictions tearing each other apart.
The tension is amplified infinitely, releasing a primordial force that grows exponentially.
No arduous cultivation is needed. Its inherent nature expands on its own, like two strings that cancel each other out yet collide to produce the loudest roar.
The third level: self-referential perpetual motion.
If the number of paradoxes exceeds Threshold, the cultivator can even incorporate the "Heart of Paradox itself" into the origin.
"This Dao Fruit is both me and not me." "It both increases my origin and consumes my origin."
A perfect self-referential closed loop is formed. Growth and consumption mutually reinforce each other. The ouroboros swallows its own tail.
Perpetual motion. Eternal improvement. A perpetual motion machine of the source that requires no external resources.
Inside the main hall, the number of Heart of Paradox far exceeded expectations—at least tens of thousands, perhaps even more.
They float among the ruins, subtly resonating with each other, a delicate logical tension permeating the air.
It was as if the slightest misstep would tear the entire palace apart with logic.
The nine disciples at the Severed Thought Realm · Supreme were breathing rapidly. They naturally understood—if they could obtain even a few of them...
The accumulation of origin power to break through the Realm of the Realm Breaking Realm will be achieved much earlier. Shangguan Xuanchen's eyes were filled with greed.
"Senior brother—" "This quantity... is too much!"
Shangguan Lingxiao slowly raised his hand. "Don't rush."
His gaze was steady. "The Heart of Paradox" is not something anyone can touch. The air was thick with tension.
A paradox suddenly flashed intensely, as if awaiting some kind of choice. A sea of logic emerged from the ruins of the entire dilapidated palace.
Inside the dilapidated palace, dust floated. Hundreds of Heart of Paradox flickered and vibrated in the air, like a sea of logic.
The nine disciples at the Severed Thought Realm · Supreme breathed heavily, their eyes filled with greed. They could clearly sense the primal tension contained within those Heart of Paradox.
By absorbing just a few, the origin can multiply. If a resonance network is formed, the gate to Realm Breaking will be within reach.
One of the disciples couldn't contain his excitement. "Steward Ling Xiao!" "This is an incredible opportunity for our Shangguan Lineage!"
"If we could retrieve all these Heart of Paradox— "
"The Fate Soul essence of our junior brothers in Lineage Severed Thought Realm and Realm Breaking Realm will receive a qualitative improvement!"
His voice trembled. Shangguan Xuanchen's gaze burned. "Yes, Senior Brother." "What are you waiting for?" "Hurry up and have the disciples pick them!"
A flicker of emotion flashed in Shangguan Lingxiao's eyes. He naturally understood. Such a quantity...
This was enough to change the Lineage's fortunes. After a few moments of silence, he spoke in a deep voice, "Alright. Pick them quickly."
In an instant, the nine disciples of the Severed Thought Realm · Supreme made their move simultaneously. They used their divine power to construct a sealing barrier, carefully encasing each Heart of Paradox.
With each touch, the air undergoes a subtle distortion, and some Heart of Paradox suddenly vanish.
Then they appeared on the other side. Some split into two in the palm, then merged back into one. Logical cracks spread through space.
Shangguan Xuanchen directly used his Heart of Paradox into the storage crystal core.
The grayish-white light flickered continuously, its quantity rapidly decreasing. Shangguan Lingxiao also joined in. He used the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme to suppress space and forcibly stabilize the paradoxical oscillation.
The tension within the palace grew increasingly intense. The air became oppressive. The ruined stone pillars began to emit faint cracking sounds.
Just as everyone was frantically picking the fruit Shangguan Lingxiao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
The ripples spread from behind. He abruptly stopped. "Stop, all of you." His voice was deep. Shangguan Xuanchen and his nine disciples froze instantly.
The air froze. The Heart of Paradox hovered motionless. Shangguan Xuanchen was about to speak.
"Senior brother—" But then he saw the pupils of the nine disciples dilate, their gazes fixed on what was behind him.
Completely shocked, Shangguan Lingxiao slowly raised his head, his gaze becoming extremely solemn. He quietly gestured for Shangguan Xuanchen not to move, Shangguan Xuanchen's body stiffened.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He finally sensed something behind him—an extremely heavy, ancient, and primal aura.
It pressed down on him, like a mountain, like night, like an abyss. He dared not turn around. The air grew thick. In the ruins, the dust stopped moving.
The next moment, a deep breathing sound rang out. "Buzz--" in the darkness.
A pair of beastly eyes, burning with eerie golden flames, slowly opened. Then a second pair, a third pair, a fourth pair, and dozens of other beastly eyes lit up in the shadows.
Deep within the palace, the crumbling walls were shrouded in a massive shadow. They slowly emerged. The first divine beast stepped out of the ruins.
Its body was as large as a mountain, covered in jet-black scales as thick as cold iron. Its two horns were thick and curved, their surfaces covered with ancient runes that resembled cracks.
A greyish-white mist swirled around the beast's body, flowing slowly like the lingering smoke of a soul. Its tail was thick, long, and powerful. Its sharp claws pounded on the stone slabs.
The stone slab shattered instantly. Every step it took caused the hall to tremble. Then, a second, a third, and dozens of other divine beasts emerged one after another.
They come in all shapes and sizes. Some resemble dragons but are not dragons. Some resemble qilin but have empty eyes. Some are covered in black scales and have bone spurs on their backs. Their bodies are shrouded in gray-white smoke.
It seemed to be formed from a "remnant soul from the Thought Realm." Its beastly eyes were cold, and its aura was heavy.
Cultivation level— Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme. Dozens of them coexisted simultaneously. The ruined palace now resembled a beast prison.
Shangguan Xuanchen stood at the very front. The largest divine beast slowly lowered its head, its breath exhaling white mist that almost touched the back of his neck.
The air froze. No one dared to move. The Heart of Paradox stood still in the air. The cosmos of logic suddenly fell silent.
The next instant, the black-scaled divine beast slowly opened its blood-red maw.