In the First Multidimensional Universe of the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain Boundless Realm, the Skeleton Star Sea, a vast cosmic sea slowly churns in the endless depths of space, with billions of stars resembling wreckage floating within. These celestial bodies are not true stars, but rather the remnants of long-dead cosmic cores. They are broken and desolate, yet still emit an eerie glow, making the entire sea of stars resemble a massive graveyard spanning epochs, hence the name "Skeleton Star Sea." At the eastern end of this desolate sea of stars, an extremely magnificent city floats atop a towering crystal cliff—that is the eastern main city— Returning Light Heavenly City.
The entire city is built against the cliff, with layers upon layers of pavilions and palaces resembling towering mountains and seas, stretching from the bottom of the crystal cliff all the way to the sea of clouds. Tens of thousands of long bridges and suspended staircases connect the palace complexes at different heights, appearing from afar like silver rivers winding between the cliffs; but the most breathtaking feature is the enormous crystal dome that covers the entire city.
The dome was forged from 999 fragments of crystal walls from dead universes. Each fragment contained a scene of the universe's final moments before its destruction: some burned with the embers of collapsing stars, some held the lingering light of shattered galaxies, and some faintly reflected the magnificent cities at the end of civilizations. These fragments slowly circulated on the dome, refracting the dying glow of different universes day and night, keeping the entire Returning Light Heavenly City forever in a dreamlike state of light and shadow, radiant and never dark.
The city's streets crisscross like a net, with countless flying boats and star trails traversing the sky. Cultivators from various star regions and multidimensional universes trade, stay, and rest here, making it the most prosperous trading hub in the Skeleton Star Sea. On a suspended platform at the city's highest level, an extremely luxurious hotel palace stands there, with golden corridors extending into the air. Countless crystal lamps float around the palace, their light reflecting off the crystal walls of the dome and refracting into billions of light patterns, making the entire building seem to float in the center of a sea of starlight.
The interior of the palace was extremely luxurious, with long tables and jade desks arranged neatly, and the walls carved from single pieces of spirit crystal. Through the transparent crystal windows, one could overlook the entire Returning Light Heavenly City and the endless starry river of the distant Skeleton Star Sea. Cultivators from various regions sat in twos and threes in the hall, discussing news and exchanging information. At one table sat several cultivators with extraordinary auras. There were faint spatial patterns fluctuating around them, indicating that they were all at the Realm Breaking Realm Initial Stage.
One of the cultivators in Qingyi lowered his voice and said, "Have you heard? According to reliable sources, this year's election for the Lineage will be different from previous years."
Another person picked up the spirit wine and frowned. "How is it different? Aren't they all the same? Every hundred years, a new batch of young geniuses are selected."
The cultivator in Qingyi shook his head slightly, a mysterious look on his face. "You don't know this, do you? This year, the minimum cultivation level for participating cultivators must be the Severed Thought Realm · Supreme."
The people at the table were all taken aback.
"The Severed Thought Realm · Supreme?!" A black-robed cultivator couldn't help but exclaim, "In previous years, wasn't it just the Severed Thought Realm · Initial Stage that was enough to register?"
"Yes," the monk in Qingyi nodded and sighed, "The rules suddenly changed; it's said that it was a unanimous decision made by the higher-ups of the Lineage."
Another monk, holding a wine glass, said in a deep voice, "It seems this year's election will be anything but simple."
The cultivator in Qingyi lowered his voice and continued, "There's another matter, which you've probably already heard about: Shangguan Xuanchen of the Shangguan Lineage perished in the ancient ruins of the Thoughtless Burial Domain."
The expressions on the faces of the people at the table changed simultaneously. "What?!" "Really?"
"Absolutely true," the Qingyi cultivator said. "Not only did he perish, Severed Thought Realm · Supreme disciples of the Shangguan Lineage who accompanied him also died in those ruins."
A white-robed cultivator nearby immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, it wasn't just the Shangguan Lineage; the Ju Lineage also suffered heavy losses. I heard that only Ju Wanning and Ju Anran survived to return and report."
The people at the table fell silent for a moment.
Then someone shook their head with a wry smile, "Tsk tsk tsk, it seems that not getting involved in that mess was the right choice."
The other person nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, it's a good thing you didn't go. I heard that even Shangguan Lingxiao was severely injured. He's True Annihilation Realm · Supreme expert."
The group exchanged glances, a sense of lingering fear rising in their hearts.
Suddenly, the monk in Qingyi seemed to remember something and continued, "Oh, right, there's one more thing. The competition area this year is different from previous years."
"Oh?" someone looked up. "Where?"
The cultivator in Qingyi lowered his voice and said, word by word, "To the north— the Stele Forest Imperial City."
The people at the table fell silent again; clearly, the name of the place itself carried some unusual connotation.
Just as they were getting into their discussion, a man dressed in a dark black robe was sitting quietly at the next table.
The man's expression was calm, as if he were just an ordinary passerby. In front of him was a cup of warm spiritual tea, and the steam rising slowly under the illumination of the crystal lamp reflected his deep eyes.
He didn't participate in any conversation; he simply picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
However, every word, every name, and every detail spoken by those cultivators had already been clearly etched into his perception.
A very faint light flashed deep in the man's eyes.
He is none other than Qin Yu.
He put down his teacup, his expression still calm, but he had memorized every single piece of information about the election of the Lineage, the fall of the Thoughtless Burial Domain, and the Stele Forest Imperial City.
The light reflected from the crystal dome continued to flow slowly, and the aroma of wine and spiritual tea mingled within the hotel palace. Cultivators from various star regions were still conversing in hushed tones, the atmosphere seemingly leisurely yet rife with undercurrents.
Just then, a rough and impatient voice suddenly rang out from the doorway.
"Waiter! Where's the waiter?"
The voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried an extremely domineering aura, as if the entire palace was obliged to obey his call. The waiter, who was busy in the hall, suddenly froze and hurried over.
"Here it comes, here it comes--"
The waiter had just reached the door when his expression changed drastically. His previously hurried steps became cautious, even bordering on obsequious.
"Oh my... Uncle Hua, it's you."
A man was standing at the door.
He was tall and slender, yet exuded an oppressive aura. He wore a dark gold robe embroidered with extremely ornate star patterns and designs. These patterns were not ordinary decorations, but an ancient Lineage mark, faintly revealing fluctuations of laws.
The man had a handsome face but a hint of arrogance. His brow bones were sharp, and his eyes were deep and cold, like a blade hidden in its sheath. What was most striking was a faint purple mark on his forehead, which resembled a half-open, ethereal flower, appearing and disappearing in the light of the crystal lamp.
He stood there like a volcano about to erupt.
Although the aura of the Mystic Void Realm · Middle Stage was deliberately concealed, the oppressive aura still made the air in the hall feel slightly heavy.
He glanced around, his tone impatient. "Enough with the nonsense. Find me a private room."
The waiter nodded repeatedly, almost bowing, and said, "Alright, alright, sir, this way please."
Behind the man stood five other people.
The five people didn't speak, but just standing there was enough to make many cultivators in the hall subconsciously hold their breath.
They were dressed uniformly in black and gold battle robes, with the Hua Family Lineage's emblem embroidered on their chests and various magical artifacts hanging from their waists. The five of them exuded an extremely calm aura, like five immovable mountains. Space around them was slightly distorted, and the shattered spatial patterns could be vaguely seen slowly closing around them.
Five people Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme.
One of them carried a long spear on his back, the tip of which was enveloped in a layer of dark light; another had long, slender fingers with several spatial rifts wrapped between them; yet another had a faint scar on his face and cold, iron-like eyes; the remaining two stood guard on either side of the man behind him, like two silent protectors.
Their presence made the air in the entire hall heavy.
Hua Jingmeng seemed to have long been used to such gazes. He didn't even bother to look at the cultivators in the hall. With a flick of his sleeve, he followed the waiter up the crystal steps to the second-floor private room.
Five guards at the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme followed silently behind him, their steps synchronized and steady.
Before long, the group disappeared into the depths of the corridor leading to the private room upstairs.
Only after they had completely disappeared from sight did the previously oppressive atmosphere in the hall ease slightly.
The cultivators at the corner table exchanged glances, and one of them lowered his voice and said:
"Did you see that person clearly just now...?"
The other person swallowed a sip of wine and whispered, "Isn't that Hua Jingmeng from the Hua Family Lineage?"
A nearby cultivator's expression changed slightly: "It's him." "I've heard he's incredibly arrogant and has a terrible temper."
The other person frowned and said, "That's right... But I remember he only broke through to the Mystic Void Realm not long ago, right? It's only been a few days, and he's already at the mid-level?"
Another cultivator at the table leaned closer and said mysteriously:
"I heard... he obtained a Hongmeng Dao Medicine in the Nine Nether Cold Pool."
"What?!"
The group was immediately taken aback.
The man continued in a low voice, "If it weren't for that Dao herb, with his limited resources, he wouldn't even have a chance to break through to the middle stage."
The people at the table suddenly realized. "So that's how it is..." "No wonder this guy was so arrogant."
They whispered amongst themselves, unaware that at another table not far away, the man dressed in a dark robe remained quietly seated.
Qin Yu gently picked up the teacup, and the surface of the tea reflected the flowing light of the dome, the Hua Jingmeng, and the Hongmeng Dao Medicine.
The Nine Nether Cold Pool, the Stele Forest Imperial City. All the information quietly arranged and combined in his mind, like a chessboard gradually becoming clear.
He remained expressionless, simply placing the teacup back on the table.
It was as if everything was irrelevant to him. But Xiao Yue chuckled softly in his mind's eye.
"It seems this election among the Lineage is going to be quite a spectacle."
Qin Yu did not answer, but simply raised his gaze slightly, looking towards the direction of the elegant pavilion upstairs.