Netherworld wind slowly swept in from the Spirit Firmament Northern Domain, pale as mist, chilling to the bone.
As the teleportation array flashed, Qin Yu and his group of four stepped out from the spatial rift, and in an instant—the world changed dramatically.
What unfolded before them was a vast, ancient, and profound world!
High in the sky, the soul mist surged and rolled, layer upon layer like a hanging soul river. Ninety-nine dark mountain ranges surrounded the sect domain, like the spine of a giant spirit, stretching for thousands of miles. At the mountain peaks hung Soul Stele, the soul flames on them burning eternally, as if recording ten thousand years of bloody battles.
Its main domain is even more vast, stretching across countless realms, and is incomparably magnificent, more than a hundred times larger than the Thousand Realms Sect! The entire domain is like a huge ghostly array constructed between heaven and earth, with every step accompanied by soul-path runes rippling in the void.
The core of the sect is the "Nine Soul Lord Halls," each hall is a thousand feet high, with soul patterns covering the walls, like tombstones of the souls lying across the sky; in the center, there is a "Soulless Sacred Tower" floating, from which countless chains of soul light hang, connecting the entire land and the sky, as if sealing off the lifeline of the realm.
Qin Yu gazed at all this, his expression slightly shaken. "Such a grand display of sect formations suggests that more than one Realm Lord Realm is behind it..."
Ming Yuan stood in front, slowly turning around, his face cold and his tone low. "This is the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect —one of the nine ancient sects of the Soul Realm, inherited from the Silent Origin, wielding power over souls and entering all realms."
Zhou Yu's eyes widened. "This is more than a hundred times larger than the Thousand Realms Sect! My God, I never thought I, Zhou Yu, could enter such an ancient sect!"
Yao Wanqing couldn't help but whisper, "No wonder the Soul Stele records that all the Soul Master of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect were Venerable of the Silent Origin... If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed that such a world still existed in the Soul Realm."
Qian Ruishan gazed silently ahead, a faint resonance appearing deep within her eyes. "I... can sense some kind of soul power, as if it's responding to me."
Ming Yuan turned around calmly. "That is the core of the sect's Soul Stele. The dual soul essence within your physique has been initially recognized by the sect stele, and will respond in the future."
With a wave of his sleeve, an ancient soul gate slowly opened from the soul void, and the heavy sound of a soul bell resounded throughout the Nine Mountains and Soul Ridge.
"Everyone, please follow me. The Sect Master of the Underworld Sect is waiting in the Main Soul Hall."
A path of soul light rose, leading to the heart of the sect's domain.
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes and strode forward. Qian Ruishan followed closely behind, and Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing did not hesitate either.
At this moment, they finally stepped into this mysterious sect that truly belonged to the "Soul Dao Extreme Realm"—the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect.
Passing through the luminous path woven from soul power, Qin Yu and the others entered the core domain of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect — the Main Soul Hall.
This place is as vast as a boundary. The open space in front of the palace, which stretches for eight hundred miles, is paved with "Soul Abyss Crystals". Every inch of it contains soul-suppressing and shock-inducing patterns. The four soul pillars stand tall and upright, and their bodies are engraved with the soul scripts of all races and the marks of countless soul battles, as if narrating the glorious past of this ancient sect in suppressing turmoil and shattering enemy souls countless times.
The Main Soul Hall stands silently atop the sky, shaped like a Ghostly Realm Tower, constructed from billions of Soul Jade. In the center of the hall's entrance is a Soul Seal), from which flows an ancient torrent of Soul Power.
"This hall embodies the will of the eighteen generations of Soul Master of my sect." Ming Yuan stopped and spoke respectfully, "The person you are about to meet is the current Soul Master of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect — Grand Venerable Mingxu."
As soon as the words were spoken, the Main Soul Hall slowly opened.
An invisible wave of soul power seemed to cross countless realms, instantly enveloping the entire main domain. Qin Yu felt a sudden jolt in his mind as an aura that surpassed all the rules of the soul path rushed towards him, seemingly able to see through the life and death soul wheel with just a glance.
Inside the palace, a figure sat quietly on the throne.
He wore a dark, mysterious robe, his face half-concealed by dense soul mist, but his eyes alone seemed to be able to see through all the laws of heaven and earth and penetrate the cycle of reincarnation.
He didn't speak, but his spirit had already entered everyone's consciousness:
"You are Qin Yu."
Qin Yu focused his mind, gave a slight bow, and said in a deep voice, "Junior Qin Yu greets Sect Master."
At that moment, the Grand Venerable Mingxu paused slightly, as if searching for some kind of profound soul resonance within Qin Yu.
"Within your body... is not a pure soul-path being. That aura... even I cannot fully perceive it."
After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
Ming Yuan stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Sect Master, this boy caused the core of the formation to tremble during the Soul Sealing Trial, which moved the Thousand Soul Stele, and..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Grand Venerable Mingxu raised his hand, signaling him to stop.
His gaze slowly shifted from Qin Yu to Qian Ruishan standing beside him.
"Your name is Qian Ruishan, you possess a dual-soul constitution and Soul Seal from an ancient realm."
"Yes." Qian Ruishan nodded, her eyes resolute and fearless, without taking a single step back.
The Grand Venerable Mingxu nodded slightly, a wisp of soul intent swirling around his finger, reaching towards her forehead. In that instant, Qian Ruishan's soul power surged, and a blurry phantom emerged from the depths of her consciousness, seemingly... a mysterious young girl whispering:
I finally... saw you again.
The Grand Venerable Mingxu's gaze turned grave as he murmured, "Indeed, she has awakened a sliver of her will."
A moment later, he withdrew his soul power and looked at the Ming Yuan.
"These four people may reside in the 'Fallen Soul Ancient Residence,' and you will personally escort and settle them in."
"I will see them one last time before the Soul Peak Ceremony begins."
As soon as he finished speaking, the palace doors slowly closed.
This meeting, like the calm before a storm, deeply moved everyone present.
Qin Yu was also unable to calm down.
He knew that this ruler of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, though seemingly not to have made a move, had in fact already tested his soul pressure, Fate Soul, and qi essence one by one—yet he neither became angry nor expelled him.
The phrase "I can't even see it clearly" seems to foreshadow that in the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, he will no longer be just an outsider, but... the focus of the future turbulent Fate Soul structure.
After receiving the Ming Yuan, Mingyuan personally led Qin Yu and his group away from the Main Soul Hall, through the Ninefold Nether Stairway, and to the Fallen Soul Ancient Residence, a place set up by the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect for its core guests and VIPs.
This abode, located above the "Nether Vein Soul Abyss," consists of ninety-nine floating palaces, each forming its own soul domain, floating on the vast sea of soul clouds. Amidst the swirling soul mist, floating islands occasionally rotate silently in the air, like wandering soul lamps, reflecting the trajectory of souls.
Qin Yu at the forefront, and the soul pressure from all directions responded. He carefully examined the void beneath his feet and found that ancient array patterns were engraved in every tile, seemingly in harmony with the origin of soul power, but without any sense of oppression.
"This is the only place in the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect outsiders are allowed to reside. Those who can live here are all key figures in the Underworld Sect's future plans," Ming Yuan said in a low voice, his gaze full of profound meaning.
A strange light also appeared in Ming Ye's eyes. He knew that Elder Ming Yuan was always strict and austere, and rarely made such arrangements personally. This time, not only did he welcome them to the Fallen Soul Ancient Residence, but he also personally led them throughout the entire journey. It was clear that the sect's higher-ups attached great importance to Qin Yu and his group.
Qian Ruishan walked beside Qin Yu, her gaze gentle as she looked at the picturesque Soul Island before her, where soul runes shimmered and rippled. She spoke softly:
"Compared to the Thousand Realms Sect, this place... is like a true 'Sacred Land of Souls'."
"But you've noticed it too, haven't you?" Qin Yu's tone lowered, "There are eyes watching us from all sides here."
Qian Ruishan nodded slightly. "It wasn't targeted, just a test."
Ming Yuan walked forward, lightly swiped his finger through the air, and a purple-gold Soul Seal appeared in the sky. Instantly, the four floating islands fell silent, and then a passage slowly opened.
"This residence is the 'Soul Diagram Residence,' where the soul patterns can automatically match your physical constitution."
"If any of you resonates with the Soul Diagram, you may obtain certain 'Soul Diagram Derivation Rights' within the sect in the future."
After he finished speaking, his gaze swept over Qin Yu, then swept over Qian Ruishan, but he did not say anything more.
As the group stepped into the Soul Diagram Residence, the surroundings shattered as if a mirror had been broken, and in an instant they arrived at a world of light and sea.
Ninety-nine ancient soul scrolls floated overhead, each scroll forming its own world, some engulfing the heavens and earth with lightning, others with boundless corpse energy, some with souls scorched by netherfire, and others with locks that sever boundaries. Each scroll represented a reflection of a certain ancient "soul authority".
"This is one of the most unique layouts of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect," Ming Yuan's voice echoed from the sky. "If the Soul Diagram responds, all powers will manifest."
A moment later--
Suddenly!
Among the ninety-nine soul diagrams, the thirty-seventh one, the "Silent Fire Soul Diagram," flickered slightly, a hint of gold shining through its light.
Qian Ruishan's heart trembled slightly, and her two souls within her body suddenly stirred. The wisp of soul pattern between her brows seemed to be drawn by ancient soul power, and it began to glow faintly!
Ming Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he murmured to himself, "As expected, she has begun to resonate with the Soul Diagram..."
However, just as everyone's attention was focused on Qian Ruishan, Qin Yu stood beside her, his expression unchanged, motionless and silent in the light.
Deep within his sea of consciousness, the Azure Ring let out a soft cry, but he sealed it away with his Soul Sea, making it neither visible nor visible, nor moving.
But no one present noticed this subtle change in Qin Yu.
Half an incense stick later, the resonance of the soul diagram ceased, and the space slowly returned to normal.
The Ming Yuan announced softly:
"The Soul Map has been activated. You may rest and recuperate tonight. Tomorrow I will take you to the 'Soul Severing Pavilion' to receive your qualification for the Soul Path inheritance of the Underworld Sect."
He paused, staring intently at Qin Yu:
"Although the sect leader didn't say it explicitly, he has tacitly approved your cultivation here. If you can reach the True Soul Extreme Realm, or even a higher realm, your status in the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect will no longer be that of an 'outsider'."
These words struck like a thunderbolt, sending a jolt through everyone present.
As night fell, outside the Soul Diagram Residence, a layer of purple soul light curtain slowly descended, announcing the end of today's discussion.
Ming Ye slowly stood atop the sect's mountain peak, his gaze fixed on the deep and vast Yin Soul Ancient Palace. As if sensing something, he said in a deep voice, "He's here."
"Who's here?" Qian Ruishan asked with slight suspicion.
As soon as he finished speaking, a black and gold soul mist slowly surged from the deepest part of the Underworld Sect, and a tall figure slowly walked out from the depths of the ancient hall. He was wearing a golden robe with Netherworld patterns, his eyes were as deep as an abyss, and his aura was faint yet suppressed in all directions.
Ming Ye bowed respectfully and called out softly, "Brother."
"Ming Zhen." Ming Yuan nodded solemnly, a hint of respect in his eyes.
This person is none other than Ming Zhen, one of the prodigies of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect and Ming Zhen Ming Ye's elder brother, a true soul path expert who has already stepped into the Initial Stage of the Silent Source Realm.
He merely glanced at Qin Yu without saying a word, but lingered on Qian Ruishan for a long time, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and pondered, "Her soul is not in the World Record... yet there is a hidden resonance of two meridians?"
Ming Yuan nodded. "She possesses a dual-soul body, making it highly likely that she transcends the realm of the Soul Path."
Ming Zhen pondered for a moment, then said softly, "Her existence will change the fate of You Qiong."
However, just as he was sensing Qian Ruishan, his perception seemed to collide with an endless void when it came to Qin Yu —there was nothing there.
There was no trace of soul source energy, no fluctuation of secret power, and even the aura that an ordinary soul cultivator should possess seemed to have been "erased."
"This is... Emptiness?"
Ming Zhen frowned slightly, but ultimately said nothing, only nodding faintly, the trace of doubt in his eyes fading away.
He had never encountered such a "nothingness" before, but at this moment he had already made up his mind:
That's not "hidden," it's "undetectable."
"From now on, follow me to the main peak of the sect." He left only these words before his figure slowly disappeared into the depths of the ancient hall.
Ming Yuan gazed at Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan's retreating figures and sighed softly, "From this day forward, they are truly a member of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect."