The ancient hall was not the ruins one might imagine, but a deep and vast space. The dome seemed like a hollowed-out sky, with dim starlight hanging from it. The floor was covered with ancient and intricate patterns, each one like a narrative thread extending from ancient times to the present. A low and oppressive atmosphere permeated the surroundings, as if every step one took was on the edge of some slumbering will.
Ju Wanning's consciousness trembled slightly. She moved closer to Qin Yu and whispered, "Young Master Qin, they've followed us in."
Qin Yu kept his gaze fixed and scanned the area behind him with his divine sense. He saw Shangguan Lingxiao and Shangguan Xuanchen walking side by side not far away, their steps steady and their eyes cold. Behind them, in addition to the five cultivators who had broken through to the Realm Breaking Realm, there were also several other cultivators who had managed to squeeze in before the passage closed.
Qin Yu said calmly, "It's alright, they won't dare to do anything to us yet."
Ju Wanning slightly, her gaze sweeping over her disciples. "Everyone must be careful; Shangguan and his companion are always treacherous and cunning."
Ju Anran responded in a deep voice, "Yes, everyone should be on high alert."
The ten disciples of the Severed Thought Realm nodded in agreement. Their Fate Soul energy circulated quietly, but they did not release it outwards. The entire formation naturally tightened, subtly forming a defensive and offensive array that protected Qin Yu and Ju Wanning at the core.
On the other side, Shangguan Lingxiao's gaze remained fixed on Qin Yu, his coldness seeming to etch the other's back into his mind. He slightly turned his head and whispered to the five Realm Breaking Realm cultivators behind him, "Once we enter the depths of the ancient hall, find an opportunity to kill him. As for the Ju Lineage, the two of us will handle them."
The five men's expressions changed slightly. They understood that this was not an open space like the outside world, and that if they made a move, it could very likely trigger unforeseen changes. However, under Shangguan Lingxiao's pressure, they had no way out and could only nod in response.
Shangguan Xuanchen coldly added, "Don't even think about playing any other tricks; you know the consequences."
The five remained silent, offering no response, simply standing there, their Fate Soul force growing increasingly heavy, as if they were being suppressed by invisible chains.
Just as undercurrents were swirling between the two sides, a strange sound suddenly came from the end of the deep space ahead.
It was neither the sound of a bell nor the cry of a sword, but an extremely subtle yet piercing sound that seemed to tear the very Fate Soul, like an invisible page being ripped open, or like some kind of ancient seal being gently loosened.
The next instant, the starlight hanging above the dome trembled simultaneously, and a faint ripple of light appeared in the entire ancient palace space, spreading outward from the deepest part, like a stone thrown into a lake. However, the ripples did not spread outward, but rose upward, layer upon layer.
Immediately afterwards, a ray of dark golden light seeped out from the darkness ahead. The light was not dazzling, but it carried an indescribable weight, as if every inch of light compressed the sedimentation of countless years.
The air began to thicken, and everyone felt a dull ache in their chests. Their Fate Soul force vibrated slightly involuntarily, as if some supreme authority was awakening.
The strange sound rang out again, this time clearer, like two ancient metals gently colliding, or like some kind of huge gear slowly meshing, with a deep rumble echoing deep within the ancient hall.
The dark patterns on the ground lit up one by one, extending from afar to the feet of the group, forming a path of light leading into the depths.
"A priceless treasure..." someone couldn't help but murmur softly.
Qin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly. What he sensed was not just the aura of a treasure, but a fluctuation of a "core of authority." The strange sound was more like some kind of activated central device than a simple radiance of treasure.
A fierce light flashed in Shangguan Lingxiao's eyes, and Ju Wanning's expression also became solemn. At this moment, the entire ancient palace seemed to come alive, and the true core was calling out to all intruders.
The moment the strange sound echoed, one of the cultivators in the crowd could no longer contain himself. A greedy look flashed in his eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, his figure suddenly transformed into a streak of light, heading straight for the end of the light pattern. His Fate Soul power erupted without any concealment, leaving a long afterimage in the dim ancient hall.
This movement was like throwing a stone into a lake; dozens of cultivators followed almost simultaneously, fearing that being even half a step slower would mean missing the opportunity.
Ju Anran's gaze sharpened slightly, and she asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister, shall we follow?"
Ju Wanning took a deep breath, her expression solemn. "Yes, but be careful not to get separated. This secondary hall of the Thoughtless Burial Domain is no ordinary ancient hall."
Her tone wasn't exaggerated; it was an instinctive reverence for this ancient forbidden land.
Qin Yu remained silent.
His gaze remained fixed on the end of the light patterns ahead. The underlying tensions behind that strange sound were far more complex than anyone else could perceive. He knew in his heart that this was not the so-called secondary hall, but with hearts churning, he hesitated to voice his judgment prematurely.
Not only would it arouse unnecessary suspicion, but it might even make Ju Wanning doubt him. In such a place where chance and life and death intertwine, trust is inherently fragile.
He could trust Ju Wanning, but he couldn't guarantee that Ju Anran and those ten disciples of the Severed Thought Realm wouldn't have any ulterior motives when faced with a true treasure.
He simply remained silent. Ju Wanning whispered, "Let's go."
The next moment, the Ju Lineage family transformed into several streaks of light, swiftly moving deeper along the light path spread out by the mysterious patterns on the ground. Qin Yu moved unhurriedly, yet remained firmly in the formation, his divine sense already spread out, secretly sensing the changes around him.
Behind them, Shangguan Lingxiao's gaze was icy, a faint smile playing on his lips, "Follow them. As long as they separate from the crowd, things will be easier."
Shangguan Xuanchen and the five cultivators at the Realm Breaking Realm almost simultaneously leaped up and blended into the pursuing crowd, like hunting beasts secretly following behind.
In less than a few dozen breaths, the group had passed through several broken stone pillars and collapsed corridors, and their view suddenly opened up, revealing an extremely eerie ruined palace before them.
The palace was not a complete building, but rather appeared to have been torn apart by some force. The massive dome slanted downwards, half-suspended in mid-air, as if it might collapse at any moment. The surrounding ruins were riddled with bottomless cracks, and these cracks were not simply signs of damage.
It resembled a scar left after space itself had been torn apart, with a faint, dark purple light emanating from within the cracks, as if the abyss were breathing slowly behind it.
Even more bizarrely, the entire ruins were shrouded in a thick, viscous fog.
The mist was no ordinary mist, but rather a mixture of pale gray and deep blue, slowly swirling in mid-air as if some living thing was moving. Occasionally, fragmented images would flash through the mist, one moment revealing the entirety of an ancient palace illuminated by countless divine lights, the next a desolate ruin like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. The images constantly shifted and overlapped, as if a torn narrative was flashing back and forth.
The air became cold and damp, and with each breath felt as if countless tiny ice needles were piercing the depths of Fate Soul.
The source of the strange noise in the distance was faintly coming from the center of the mist. A dark golden light was faintly visible in the mist, as if some kind of core was slowly rotating. With each slight tremor, a barely perceptible ripple appeared on the ground.
The mysterious patterns beneath their feet had now fully illuminated, forming a circular array that enveloped the entire ruined palace.
"Something's not right here," someone murmured.
A sudden gust of cold wind swept by, causing the mist to churn even more violently. Several stone fragments suddenly fell from the ruins of the dome, only to be swallowed up by the mist in mid-air and turned into silent ashes.
The entire space was like a sleeping giant beast, slowly opening its eyes.
Amidst the swirling mist, before the group could take even a single step, a blood-curdling scream suddenly echoed through the air.
The sound didn't come from the front, but exploded from some unseen corner deep in the mist, sharp and desperate, like the last cry of someone being dragged into an abyss.
"Help--!!!"
The sound was stretched and distorted in the fog, as if it had passed through several layers of space before reaching everyone's ears.
The crowd was suddenly jolted.
Immediately afterward, one of the cultivators' expressions changed drastically. He turned around abruptly, his gaze frantically scanning the crowd. "Junior Brother... where is Junior Brother?!"
He rushed to where they had been standing side by side, his hands flailing as if trying to grab onto someone who had just been there, his voice trembling. "Junior brother! You were just next to me! Junior brother!"
He spun around in place as if he had lost his soul, breathing rapidly, veins bulging on his forehead, and bloodshot eyes. His panic was not feigned; he genuinely felt that the person beside him had been "pulled away."
"Just now... he was right next to me!" he almost roared, "He also said there was something wrong with the fog!"
But all that remained to his right was swirling, grayish-white mist.
Just then, an even more piercing cry came from the depths of the mist.
"Senior brother--save me--!"
The voice seemed to come from all directions at once, sometimes near, sometimes far, and sometimes whispered in everyone's ears.
"Senior sister! Senior sister! Where are you?!"
"No... don't come any closer--!"
In an instant, cries for help rose and fell from the mist, each sound so clear it was chilling. But when everyone looked in the direction of the sound, they could only see the swirling mist, without a single figure in sight.
Someone suddenly turned around and realized...
The crowd had thinned out at some point, and the once dense array of cultivators now had large gaps.
There were no explosions, no bloodshed, no signs of battle. It was as if those people had been gently wiped away by an invisible hand, leaving not even a trace.
The cultivator at the forefront reached out to touch his companion's shoulder, but before his hand could even touch him, his companion's body faded and distorted like ink being wiped away, then vanished before his very eyes.
It didn't turn into dust, but rather it was like a corner of a painting being pulled away, abruptly missing.
The cultivator stood frozen in place, mouth agape, but no sound came out; the mist churned even more violently.
The air seemed to be compressed and stretched, and the dark patterns on the ground flickered, as if the entire ruins were being restructured.
Shangguan Lingxiao's consciousness jolted violently, and he abruptly turned his head: "Xuanchen-- "
Shangguan Xuanchen, who had been standing beside him, was nowhere to be seen.
Without any warning, only a wisp of lingering Fate Soul remained at that location, which was quickly swallowed up by the fog.
Shangguan Lingxiao's pupils contracted sharply, revealing genuine shock for the first time.
On the other side, Ju Wanning suddenly turned around, her face instantly turning pale. Of the ten disciples of the Severed Thought Realm, only five remained.
The empty space was completely silent, not even a sound of footsteps. "Anran?" Her voice trembled.
There was no response. Ju Anran was also gone, as if she had never been standing behind her.
Qin Yu's pupils suddenly narrowed. He frantically expanded his divine sense, only to find that the mist seemed to have the ability to devour his senses. His divine sense was stretched, torn, and misaligned within it, as if he had fallen into a maze without up, down, left, or right.
"Quickly, back up!" he shouted sternly.
But before he could finish speaking, an extremely terrifying pulling sensation suddenly erupted from the depths of his Fate Soul.
It didn't come from the front, but from "the structure itself," causing space to distort violently at that moment.
The mysterious patterns on the ground suddenly began to spin as if they had come alive, and the mist transformed into countless thin threads that coiled around the crowd from all directions.
Qin Yu felt as if his Fate Soul was being pulled away from the "narrative level" by something, as if his existence was being separated from the current scene.
Ju Wanning reached out to grab him, but her arm began to twist in mid-air, like a reflection being pulled into water.
Everything around us began to lose its three-dimensionality; the dome tilted, the stone pillars lengthened, and the mist flowed backward.
Qin Yu and Ju Wanning's figures began to blur and stretch in Shangguan Lingxiao's vision, then suddenly disappeared as if they had been pulled from the screen.
There was no explosion. There was no afterimage. It simply vanished on the spot. Shangguan Lingxiao's eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat.
Within the entire ruined palace, the mist churned like a tide, and more and more empty spaces appeared. Screams rose and fell from the unseen depths, yet no one could be certain of where those sounds came from.
It was as if the entire ancient temple was being "disassembled" layer by layer from those who entered.