Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss · First Trial of the Soul Tower

The sky was cold and gloomy, the black moon cast its light, and above the Silent Shadow of a thousand mountains outside the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, Ming Yuan personally led Qin Yu, Qian Ruishan, Zhou Yu, and Yao Wanqing into the sect's territory.

Beneath his feet lay black ashes, their array patterns chilling; above him, the Nether Abyss Illusory Firmament Grand Array enveloped him, obliterating starlight while preserving soul light.

Looking around, the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect is more than a hundred times larger than the Thousand Realms Sect. Its Soul Tower alone is as tall as 90,000 feet, and its top constantly breathes out death energy and soul tides. The "Soul-Sealing Stele Array" suspended on the mountaintop is even more equipped with ninety-nine soul pressure sensing nodes, which even True Soul Realm experts need to expend their energy to maintain.

"This is... the Underworld Sect?" Yao Wanqing murmured softly.

Ming Ye turned to look at her, smiling calmly, "This is just a corner of the outer realm; the Nether Tower has not yet revealed its full form."

Ming Yuan looked at the group, his tone somber. "The first test of the Underworld Sect is the 'Soul Suppression Tower' entrance examination. The four of you, come with me."

They followed the Ming Yuan into the "Soul Shadow Heavenly Stairway," a gray, chain-like Heavenly Road descending from the main peak, guiding newcomers directly to the "First Soul Step of the Soul Tower." This tower, named "Soul-Suppressing Initial Realm," has three levels, each suppressing different levels of soul-path anomalies; only those with extremely high resistance to pressure can step into it.

Before the Soul Tower, newly recruited disciples gathered, including direct descendants of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect and geniuses from its branches. There were more than sixty people in total, including three prodigies at or above the fourth level of the True Soul Realm.

Ming Yuan stood atop the high platform and announced, "Soul Tower Pressure Test, ten people per group. Those who can enter the third level will be included in the sect leader's list of core seeds."

When Qin Yu, Qian Ruishan, Zhou Yu, Yao Wanqing were grouped together, the other disciples immediately focused their attention and began whispering among themselves.

"I heard they're from the Thousand Realms Sect? Didn't that sect just repel the siege by the Shang Lineage and the Soul Hunting Army?"

"Qin Yu... could he be the second-ranked Soul Stele?"

Before the words were even finished, the first group of people to enter the tower were already coughing up blood from the suppressive aura of the Soul Tower.

It was Qin Yu's and the others' turn.

On the first level of the Soul Tower, the soul pressure roared like a deep abyss bell. Yao Wanqing gritted her teeth and persevered, while Zhou Yu's lightning flashed, having already activated the "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" to resist the pressure of the Soul Abyss.

Qian Ruishan's body was surrounded by ripples of soul flow from the convergence of her two souls, with her Second Soul, which had not yet awakened, appearing and disappearing, causing the Soul Tower to tremble.

The moment Qin Yu stepped into the tower, although there was a slight fluctuation in the Azure Ring within his body, it immediately subsided. He did not actively activate any spells, but relied solely on his own soul pressure to enter the third level, standing as firm as a rock!

Ming Yuan, observing from outside the tower, gleamed with a strange light in his eyes. "Without using combat techniques, relying solely on the stability of his Soul Sea... just how..."

After the test was completed, Qin Yu, Qian Ruishan, Zhou Yu, and Yao Wanqing were all included in the "Sect Master's Personal Evaluation List," and their names were engraved on the "Soul Rankings Preface" on the Soul Tower, causing a sensation throughout the venue.

Deep within the tower, a ghostly fluctuation quietly stirred, as if some kind of "ancient soul resonance" had been unintentionally triggered. Even the "Ancient Nether Hall," where the sect master, the Grand Venerable Mingxu, was in seclusion, showed a cracked light mark.

At this moment, Ming Ye's elder brother, Ming Zhen, suddenly opened his eyes in the "Nether Soul Nine Locks Ancient Grotto of the Underworld Sect's territory, and looked towards the Soul Tower, whispering:

"That woman... she can actually trigger the resonance of the Silent Soul Chain... but that boy, I can't sense him... it's as if Does Not Exist..."

Ming Zhen's cultivation level was at the initial stage of the Silent Source Realm, making him the youngest breakthrough cultivator in the Underworld Sect's thousands of years of history. Although he could sense Qian Ruishan's alien soul power, he was completely unaffected by the Azure Ring within Qin Yu's body, as if this person had never existed in the world.

A flash of fighting spirit crossed his eyes, then subsided, and he closed them again.

High above, Qin Yu stood atop the Soul Tower, gazing up at the abyss shrouded in dark clouds, and silently thought to himself:

"The Nether Firmament Underworld Sect... is just the beginning."

The Nether Firmament Underworld Sect, Northern Abyss Outer Region, in the Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss.

This place is perpetually shrouded in deathly aura. The mountain's fractured shape resembles the howling of a thousand ghosts and the mournful cries of ten thousand souls. In the lineage of the Underworld Sect, only those who have truly inherited the lineage are permitted to enter the trial.

Qin Yu and his group stood outside the Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss.

This is the oldest place in the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect for testing soul consciousness.

There was no wind, yet a soul's lament could be heard.

On the nearby Soul Rend Mountain wall, crisscrossing grooves, as if chiseled by an axe, seemed to represent the countless souls of the dead trying to crawl out of the rocks and tear apart the shackles of their own will.

Deep within the mountain abyss, a dark, ancient hall of soul stones stood silently, yet it exuded an ancient and oppressive aura. That was the "Severed Consciousness Ancient Hall," the core location of the Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss Trial.

At this moment, Qin Yu stood side by side with Qian Ruishan, Zhou Yu, Yao Wanqing, and Ming Ye, while Elder Ming Yuan behind them spoke with a steady gaze, "From here on, what you face is not an opponent, but yourself."

"Everyone who enters the Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss will fall into the [Soul Obsession Illusory Realm], where the enemies are those you have killed in the past, the sins you bear, and even the destructive will you will face in the future."

"If one's soul is not firm, one will forever fall into the Illusory Abyss, a fate worse than death."

Everyone's expression hardened.

Ming Ye said softly, "I was defeated here once, and it wasn't until five years later that I dared to step into this place again."

Yao Wanqing gripped her Soul Sword tightly, her expression solemn. Zhou Yu closed her eyes and exhaled, her Thunder Soul slightly shifting. Only Qian Ruishan looked at Qin Yu with a hint of worry. "Are you... really ready?"

Qin Yu's expression remained calm, but his eyes flickered slightly.

He did not answer, but simply took a step forward, facing the Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss.

The next instant, the Soul Abyss opened.

Boom--!

Behind the Soul Hall, ten thousand fragmented soul shadows suddenly rose up, and invisible soul power surged out from the depths of the mountain abyss, like the howl of an ancient forbidden soul.

The five people were simultaneously jolted, forcibly pulled into the [Soul Obsession Illusory Realm].

In the dim light, Qin Yu stood atop a shattered Soul Realm.

All around him were the enemies he had slain—a powerful expert at the Realm Consciousness Realm, the soul shadow of Shang Kui, the remnant soul of a Soul Splitter, and even the image of a boy who had perished in the remnant domain of the Soul Path.

They roared, howled, and questioned:

Why didn't you save me?

"Didn't you say you were going to protect everyone? Then why are we dead?"

"You too can fall into demonic possession; you are no savior spirit at all!"

In an instant, countless phantom souls transformed into a thousand arrows piercing Qin Yu's heart, attempting to penetrate his sea of consciousness. His expression remained unchanged, yet he felt an unprecedented pressure.

Soul pressure, hallucinations, memories, emotions—all intertwined...

Until--

Qin Yu.

A gentle voice rang out.

That's... Qian Ruishan's illusion? No, she's not here.

It was in his heart that her Soul Seal automatically materialized into a phantom, breaking the deadlock for him.

She walked slowly towards him and said softly, "You carry too much on your shoulders... but you are not alone."

Qin Yu trembled slightly; the Azure Ring within his body resonated softly, but did not materialize. He raised his head, his soul consciousness blazing forth, his body remaining as immovable as a mountain, and calmly uttered:

"You are not enemies I should fear—I, Qin Yu, will sever my ties to life and death, and shatter the illusionary realm!"

Boom!!

One punch severs the soul's consciousness, shattering illusions.

The entire illusion collapsed in an instant, the ground beneath Qin Yu's feet was rebuilt, a bright blue soul radiance rose from his Soul Sea, and his soul consciousness rose another level, directly entering the fifth level of Soul Consciousness!

In the dim and gloomy illusionary realm, Qian Ruishan stood quietly.

All around her was an endless, icy blue soul mist, like a mirror world frozen for eternity, enveloping and swallowing her bit by bit, while the sound of her own heartbeat echoed in her ears.

"Thump... thump... thump..."

That wasn't her heartbeat.

Rather, it is a call from the depths of the soul...

--

A young girl slowly walked out of the mist.

Her face was exactly the same as Qian Ruishan's.

But his eyes were dark and lifeless, like a bottomless abyss, dead and cold.

Why are you so persistent?

"You shouldn't love Qin Yu, you shouldn't get close to him, you'll only drag him down."

"You... are merely my former self, my unawakened shadow spirit."

"You could have become a god, yet you willingly chose to be tormented by love..."

The girl's voice was as cold as a knife, like a prophecy from a mirror, severing every inch of Qian Ruishan's soul and every thought!

The next instant, the phantom girl raised her hand, and a ghostly moon appeared in her palm, sharp as a blade, slashing straight at Qian Ruishan's brow!

Boom--!

Soul consciousness shattered.

Qian Ruishan felt as if an invisible "Soul Realm rift" had been torn open. The intense pain caused her to kneel on the ground, coughing up blood, and her vision blurred!

But--

Just as the moon was about to pierce the depths of her soul.

A familiar voice echoed in her heart:

You are not weak.

"You are not her former self, but... your own soul."

It's Qin Yu's voice!

At that moment, another soul ring deep within her soul began to vibrate slightly!

The Second Soul, an unawakened soul core, spontaneously resonated for the first time!

"I am Qian Ruishan."

I will not lose, nor will I kneel.

I am not her shadow.

Qian Ruishan suddenly opened her eyes, her soul hair fluttering, her soul breath blooming like snow!

Boom!!

A pure white Soul Seal rose from his body, cleaving through the illusionary soul's body in mid-air and instantly annihilating the eerie girl.

At that moment, the fog dissipated, the sky cleared, and the illusion collapsed.

She emerged from the Illusory Abyss, her eyes colder, her aura purer. Her "Second Soul" had not yet awakened, yet within this illusion, the first self-soul cry resounded!

[Beyond the Illusion, at the Edge of the Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss]

"Ruishan!"

Yao Wanqing suddenly exclaimed in surprise, seeing Qian Ruishan stepping out of the Soul Hall, her body covered in cold sweat and her robes soaked.

She glanced coldly at the soul array high in the sky and whispered, "That figure... she will return again."

Ming Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, his heart trembling. "She... has reached the initial Threshold of 'dual soul fusion'? Could this be the legendary—the embryo of soul resonance?"

Meanwhile, in the distance, Qin Yu, who had not yet emerged from seclusion, was startled.

He sensed something—

But he just smiled silently.

"She, too, has embarked on her own path."

Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss, soul thunder at the bottom of the waterfall.

Zhou Yu stood quietly on a "soul consciousness platform" surrounded by billions of lightning patterns, his expression solemn, with purple lightning lines constantly flowing around him.

He closed his eyes, as if listening to the most primal pulse of thunder between heaven and earth.

"Call--"

With each breath, a bolt of soul lightning crashed down from the sky, slashing into his Soul Sea!

It wasn't physical pain, but a direct tearing apart of the soul!

This is one of the second soul trials in the Abyss of Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss — the Soul Lightning Meridian Shock Shocking the Meridians.

Only those who can withstand repeated lightning strikes to maintain their will and prevent their Soul Sea Thought Sea from collapsing are qualified to touch the "Ancient Lightning Soul Well".

"Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon... Third level, Profound Lightning Avatar, I haven't fully mastered it yet," Zhou Yu murmured to himself.

Suddenly, an ancient thunderous roar, sounding like both weeping and howling, echoed from the void.

"Boom--"

Outside the floating platform, a deep, dark crack quietly opened up.

Beneath that crack, an ancient thunder well, entirely forged from thunder souls, slowly rose, inscribed with thirty-three ancient thunder totems.

At this moment, Zhou Yu's soul trembled violently, and the image of the Thunder Well was reflected in his pupils.

"Thunder Prison Mystic Gate... Lightning Soul Well?"

Is it... calling me?

The next moment--

Boom!!

The Thunder Well cracked open, and a gray-white ancient soul lightning shadow soared out, transforming into an old man clad in lightning armor, holding a lightning bone scepter, his eyes blazing with lightning!

"You called me?"

The old man stared at Zhou Yu, his voice deep and Nine Nether: "I am Lightning Ancestor Xiao Li, who once suppressed Lightning Prison for three thousand years. How dare you, a junior, inquire about the Ancient Path of Thunder Soul?"

Zhou Yu gritted his teeth and raised his head. "I am Zhou Yu, a Thunder Soul Resonance Awakener. I sought the path of the Thunder Soul—not for power, but solely for the sake of protecting righteousness."

The old man snorted coldly and shook his scepter:

"Protect? But you haven't even protected yourself."

Boom!!

The third trial begins!

Lightning Shadow Judgment Soul Trial: Lightning Prison Nine Questions!

Nine ancient Thunder Soul Palaces appeared in the void, each containing a "Shadow Soul of Zhou Yu".

Each question reflects his deepest fear.

The people he killed, the brothers he betrayed, the Dao Path he lost, the master he failed to protect...

Have you ever regretted it?

Have you ever been a coward?

"Do you... truly deserve the Thunder Soul inheritance?"

Nine questions resounded in unison, the Lightning Prison Soul Lamp ignited simultaneously, and the sea of consciousness was on the verge of collapse!

Blood trickled from the corner of Zhou Yu's mouth, and his soul was in disarray, but there was never a trace of retreat in his eyes.

"I am Zhou Yu, and I will not regret it."

"I only move forward."

Even if... I bear the brunt of ten thousand thunderbolts aimed at annihilating my soul.

Boom!

After the third question, the sixth Soul Lamp burst into flames, and he actually severed the Soul Abyss Shackles with his will, causing Lei Jinggu Ying to tremble slightly.

Lightning Ancestor Xiao Li stared at him for a long time again, then whispered:

"You... can inherit the third Soul Well."

"I will bestow upon you the Key of the Lightning Soul, to unlock the true inheritance of the Thunder Prison Mystic Gate."

The next moment, the Thunder Soul behind Zhou Yu trembled, and a Nine Lightning Soul Imprint slowly emerged, directly pressing into his Soul Source Core!

Boom--!!

The Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon within Zhou Yu's body resonated intensely, and the third level Abyss Lightning Soul Shaking, instantly reached its completion, with faint traces of the third level of soul thunder patterns already emerging!

He slowly opened his eyes. (Profound Lightning Avatar)

It draws external lightning to form a "lightning body illusion," which has a semi-solid protective function and can self-destruct to strike enemies during battle.

In his eyes, it was as if Thor had descended.

"In this battle, I am no longer a bystander."

Just as Zhou Yu opened his eyes and the Thunder Soul Seal trembled, a slender and graceful figure stepped onto the Soul Abyss Floating Platform from below.

She wore a dark blue battle suit with lightning patterns, her long hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes shone brightly; it was Yao Wanqing.

Zhou Yu!

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with barely suppressed anxiety and anger, "Why didn't you tell me before you came to face this challenge by yourself? Do you know that if you make even the slightest mistake in the Lightning Prison Soul Inquiry, at best your soul will be shattered, at worst your consciousness will be destroyed and your entire being will collapse!"

"Aren't you afraid I'll worry about you?"

Zhou Yu was taken aback, then a faint smile, still bearing the marks of lightning, appeared on her lips.

"I'm scared... but I'm even more scared that you'll be charging ahead with them while I can only hide in the back."

Yao Wanqing's breath hitched slightly. Looking at Zhou Yu's Soul Sea still reverberating with thunder, her nose tingled. She bit her red lips and silently took out a "Breath-Retracing Lightning Essence Pill" from her soul storage bag, transforming it into a thread of soul breath, and gently pushed it into his chest.

I don't want you to be brave; I just want you to live.

Zhou Yu reached out and gently took the hand that was offered to her, and whispered:

"Okay... I promise you, I'll take you with me next time, no matter when."

Yao Wanqing's eyes reddened slightly, but she finally managed a relieved smile.

At this moment, the two of them stood on the Thunder Pattern Floating Platform, their souls intertwined. A strange phenomenon appeared in the ancient Thunder Diagram Array Lightning Soul Well: a resonance between male and female thunder souls. Even Lightning Ancestor Xiao Li fell silent for a moment, muttering:

"... Dual Lightning Soul Consciousness? It's been a long time."

This unusual phenomenon quietly imprinted itself on the Soul Platform, causing the higher-ups of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect to be secretly moved when they examined the traces of the trial, regarding the relationship between Yao Wanqing and Zhou Yu as a glimmer of hope for the future of the "Dual Pact Lightning Vein".

As Qian Ruishan's soul illusion faded into silence, and Qin Yu and Zhou Yu both completed their trials, Yao Wanqing finally stepped onto the illusory stone platform where soul mist had already begun to surge.

Her Qingyi fluttered in the wind, yet her eyes held a calm and resolute quality. Beneath the floating platform, the mist of souls surged like a tide, the soul bell remained silent, Severed Consciousness Mountain Abyss was as still as death.

But the moment she landed, the entire Soul Platform suddenly trembled violently.

Thump--!

A faint sound of a soul bell resounded through the Heavenly Abyss amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd. The soul bell, which normally only responded to the thoughts of those undergoing the trial, now rang automatically!

"Her soul consciousness... actually awakened the original soul of the Mountain Abyss?" A Soul-Holding Elder of the Nether Firmament Underworld Sect whispered in astonishment.

In the next instant, Yao Wanqing's figure was instantly enveloped in the Soul Shadow Illusion.

[In the Illusion - Blood Shadow Returns to the Soul]

This is a part of her past that she doesn't want to recall:

In the illusion, the young Zhou Yu's soul shattered, lying in her arms, his fate unknown. Heaven and earth collapsed, her sect was wiped out, and she was forced to carry Zhou Yu's body through the Nine Realms of Souls, enduring relentless pursuit, betrayal by all, and even...

"It's my fault for not being able to protect you... it's my fault..."

"If I could do it all over again, I would not fear any soul tribulation."

The illusion was like a blade, tearing her mind apart. But a resolute and unwavering light shone in Yao Wanqing's eyes.

"Who are you?" The ghostly figures transformed into countless undead obsessions, sweeping across the sky and earth.

Yao Wanqing looked up, and a dark light burst forth from between her brows.

"My name is Yao Wanqing, and I am his life partner—I will not back down, and I will have no regrets!"

In an instant, the illusion collapsed, and all souls knelt in submission!

That wisp of "Resolute Heart Soul Imprint" from the depths of her soul quietly awakened. This Soul Seal was silent and unnoticed, yet it left a comment on the sect's Soul Rankings that shocked all the elders:

"Soul Consciousness: Unwavering in heart, steadfast even across severing boundaries. Rating: Celestial Vein - Shared Commitment."

--This is the only Soul Seal form in the entire Nether Firmament Underworld Sect's Soul Tower, second only to "Reversal Soul," and known as "Soul Companions' Shared Dao."

[Back to Reality]

Yao Wanqing awoke from the illusion, her long hair brushing against her shoulders, her eyes still wet with tears, yet incredibly clear.

She stepped down from the soul platform, glanced at Zhou Yu who had just been looking over in the distance, and chuckled softly:

"I've accomplished it... and I finally understand that coming to your side was the path I chose."

Zhou Yu's lips twitched, but he didn't say anything. He simply held her hand quietly.

Meanwhile, Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan, who were some distance away, exchanged a tacit glance. They both sensed the unshakable "consensus and protection" from the oppressive force of the soul bell vibrating in Yao Wanqing's illusion.