Delusion Severance of the Path to Survival

The moment the three stepped through the Day Gate, the warm sun spread out, the world softened, and light flowed like water across the icy plains. It was as if all dangers had vanished, the seal had loosened, and the path ahead was about to open. The cultivator in the crimson-black battle robe stood at the forefront.

His expression was cold and tinged with contempt, while the two cultivators behind him, who Realm Breaking Realm, had already relaxed their minds and even unconsciously retracted their Fate Soul, as if they were truly about to escape the formation.

However—"Crack." With an extremely soft sound, a thin crack suddenly appeared in the ice beneath their feet. Before the two cultivators at the Realm Breaking Realm could react, their feet had barely touched the ground...

Boom!!! The entire ice field suddenly collapsed!

Beneath the ice surface lay neither water nor void, but a dense network of Realm Breaking rifts, like countless spatial blades tearing apart, erupting simultaneously and piercing upwards from below. The two cultivators didn't even have time to fully activate their protective powers.

His body was torn apart by the rift; flesh, bones, Fate Soul were instantly sliced into countless fragments, as if he had been "divided into multiple existences," only to be forcibly brought back together in the next instant.

"Pfft--!" Before the blood light could fully dissipate, it was compressed back into the body by the space.

Their figures twisted violently in place for a moment, then vanished—not by exploding, but by being "squeezed" into a dimensional rift, as if they had never existed.

The cultivator in the crimson-black battle robe suddenly contracted his pupils, his killing intent and horror erupting simultaneously. The power of Mystic Void surged within his body, and he abruptly stepped into the air, forcefully pulling himself up and managing to escape just before the rift closed!

The next moment, the world was silent, the warm sun was still shining, but the ice surface had returned to normal, as if what had just happened was just an illusion.

He knew it wasn't an illusion, but a dead end. However, before he could fully regain his footing, a deeper, more eerie power had already quietly seeped in.

In the warm sunlight, a wisp of "silence" fell silently into the depths of the Fate Soul.

His soul jolted, and he felt an extremely subtle yet irresistible numbing sensation spreading through him. It wasn't an attack, but a force that "makes you stop struggling," as if the heavens and earth were telling him—

"Give up." His consciousness went blank for a moment. This moment was extremely short but enough. "Boom--!" Beneath the icy plain, a colossal shadow slowly emerged.

The Black Tortoise Sovereign, its tortoise shell as solid as a mountain, as heavy as a boundary, is crisscrossed with cracks, each crack flowing with the power to Realm Breaking, as if it were not a shell, but an entire space layer that was collapsing. Behind the tortoise shell, a giant black snake slowly raised its head, its snake eyes cold and indifferent, locking onto him.

The cultivator in the crimson-black battle robe awoke instantly, roared, and unleashed his Mystic Void power, forcefully dispelling the "false silence power" that had invaded his Fate Soul. His aura surged like a raging tide, forcibly restoring his clarity.

"Get out of my way!" He unleashed a palm strike, his Mystic Void power transforming into a distorted domain that tore a gap in the space in front of him.

However, Xuanwu had already moved; countless ice spikes suddenly sprouted from its shell, hissing as they flew!

Ice spikes shot through the air, each carrying the power to Realm Breaking, piercing deep into space and blocking all paths, forcing him to confront them head-on. His gaze hardened, and he condensed his Mystic Void power in his palm, unleashing a palm strike that collided head-on with the ice spikes.

"Boom!!!" The ice spikes exploded, but in the next instant, the snake's tail was already there.

The pitch-black giant snake suddenly coiled around him, its speed almost beyond perception, directly locking onto his body. He snorted coldly, turned his body, and forcibly broke free from the snake's tail's trajectory. At the same time, he struck out with his backhand, knocking the snake's tail off course by several feet.

He didn't linger in the fight. Instead, he retreated, instantly seeing through the true nature of the situation. "This place... is a killing trap!"

He gave a low shout, and the Mystic Void source within his body suddenly ignited. His entire being was like a beam of light Realm Splitting, forcefully rushing towards the gate from which he had come.

The ice field cracked again, the Black Tortoise roared, snake shadows danced wildly, and countless ice spikes once again sealed off all directions.

But he no longer attempted to resist. Instead, using the power of Mystic Void Realm High Stage, he forcefully tore open a sliver of space, his entire being like a shadow against the current, squeezing a path to survival through the collapsing space and ice spikes.

"Boom!!!" After a shockwave, his figure suddenly burst out from the Day Gate.

He returned to the formation, his robes tattered, his aura disordered, and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The two cultivators who had Realm Breaking Realm were nowhere to be seen, as if they had never entered that gate at all.

The cultivator in the crimson-black battle robe forcibly tore his way back from the Day Gate, landing almost unsteadily. His robes were tattered, his aura chaotic, and his Fate Soul trembling violently, as if he had just barely escaped from the brink of being crushed.

His chest heaved violently, his eyes still brimming with lingering fear and rage. However, when he saw the Mystic Void Realm High Stage Kong Realm expert in the grey-white robe, that fear was forcibly suppressed, replaced by coldness and feigned composure. He spoke in a deep voice, slightly hoarse but striving to maintain his dignity. "A dead end... This Winter Season Domain is nothing but a dead end."

He slowly straightened up, forcibly suppressing the surging primal force within him. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his tone became resolute and heavy. "Those two gates— the Day Gate: Melting Warmth and Clearing Snow Realm, beneath the ice lies Realm Breaking rift; stepping into it results in dimensional annihilation, crushing both body and Fate Soul. The Night Gate: Profound Winter Return to Silent Formation, is an even deeper form of Annihilation; the chilling aura of the Mystic Void directly corrodes the soul, making even the 'thought of existence' impossible to maintain."

"I personally went to investigate, and both doors offered no way out." He paused here, deliberately slowing his tone, as if every word had been carefully chosen, for fear of revealing the slightest flaw. "No matter which path you take, the end result is... annihilation."

Upon hearing this, the man in the grey-white robe frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on the other man like a knife for a fleeting moment. That instant seemed to scrutinize every fluctuation of his aura, as if judging its authenticity. However, the Realm Breaking rifts and backlash from the Mystic Void on the other man's body were undeniable, and he finally nodded slowly.

His expression turned serious. "It seems this formation is indeed no ordinary Realm Breaking setup." He raised his hand and gently waved it, sending a wisp of gentle yet profound primal power onto the other person, stabilizing their chaotic aura. "Sit down first, regulate your breathing and restore your primal energy. This place... cannot be used for any more mistakes."

At that moment, the Four Seasons Light Domain fluctuated once again.

The light screens of the Summer Domain and Autumn Domain trembled simultaneously, and two figures tumbled out. One's robes were charred black, half his body was almost burned to a charred shell, and his aura was as weak as a flickering candle.

The other person was covered in cracks, as if he had been cut countless times by invisible blades, and even his Fate Soul was showing an unstable and trembling state. As soon as they landed, they knelt down and gasped for breath, their eyes filled with the fear of surviving a disaster.

The crowd erupted in uproar. "Even Mystic Void Realm expert nearly perished... Is this formation... truly a death formation?"

"We die in spring, we die in summer, we die in autumn, and we die in winter... So aren't we trapped here and destined to die?"

Discussions began to rise, fear started to spread among the crowd, the Fate Soul became restless, and some even had the idea of retreating, only to find that there was no way to retreat.

Qin Yu in the crowd, his appearance still disguised, his aura concealed as usual. He did not speak or make any move, but simply watched everything quietly. His gaze swept over the returning cultivators and then lingered between the Four Seasons Light Domain, as if he were deducing something.

Just then, the Mystic Void Realm High Stage in the grey-white robe spoke slowly, his voice low but clear enough to drown out all the noise, "Since all four domains are perilous, then we must try even more. There must be one domain that offers a chance of survival." He glanced at the crowd, "Who is willing to join me in Spring Domain again?"

For a moment, no one responded.

Everyone had witnessed the fates of the previous victims; the near-certain death traps made no one dare to take another step.

A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the man in the grey robe, his tone turning icy, "If no one dares to move, then they can only wait to exhaust their life force and die from the depletion of their Fate Soul."

Upon hearing this, the crowd trembled slightly. Finally, two figures stepped forward. "Yes."

A cultivator at the Mystic Void Realm Initial Stage gritted his teeth and spoke, a resolute glint in his eyes, "Rather than sit and wait to die, we might as well take a gamble."

Another person said in a deep voice, "Being on the brink of life and death is better than waiting to die." The man in the gray robe nodded, "Alright." The next moment, the three of them stepped forward at the same time.

The light curtain of the Spring Domain trembled, and three figures disappeared into it before re-entering the Spring Realm, where heaven and earth were reconstructed.

The sky was clear and cloudless, the soft light like water, and a sea of pink and white flowers fluttered in the air, petals falling like rain to form an endless, beautiful path. The air was filled with Spiritual Qi energy, the vegetation was lush, and in the distance, even a spiritual spring could be seen flowing.

The celestial birds flapped their wings, and everything looked peaceful and serene, as if this was the true "path to escape." The warm sunlight gently enveloped the three Fate Soul, causing them to unconsciously lower their guard.

Beside this magnificent scene, another gate stands quietly, the Night Gate - Secluded Still Spring Court.

Dark purple patterns entwined the doorway like vines, revealing a deep night within. Though no stars or moon were visible, the space was not dark, but rather exuded an Ultimate tranquility. Ancient vines hung down, their branches swaying silently, and pale blue fireflies floated among the trees, creating the impression of a secluded retreat far from strife. Quiet yet not cold, secluded yet not menacing, it stood in stark contrast to the bright and radiant realm.

One was bright, the other dark; one seemed like a divinely granted path to life, the other like a death trap. The three stood before the two gates, their Fate Soul trembling slightly, their fates hanging in the balance.

Two cultivators at the Mystic Void Realm Initial Stage stood between the two gates, their Fate Soul trembling uncontrollably. One of them couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Senior... how should we choose in this situation? Which of these two barrier gates is the path to survival?" His voice was exceptionally clear in this tranquil spring realm, yet it also carried an undisguised sense of oppression and unease.

The Mystic Void Realm High Stage expert in the gray-white robe stood with his hands behind his back, his expression calm. His gaze slowly shifted between the two boundary gates. He did not answer immediately, but gently closed his eyes. His divine sense suddenly spread out, and wisps of divine thoughts, like silk or mist, escaped from between his eyebrows, transforming into invisible ripples that probed towards the two boundary gates.

The moment the divine sense touched the edge of the boundary gate, the void trembled slightly.

Above the Day Gate, the light remained warm and gentle. However, when divine sense attempted to penetrate it, the light seemed to instantly transform into an invisible wall. The divine sense dissipated upon contact, like a drop of water falling into the void, leaving not even a trace of echo.

The Night Gate is even more mysterious.

Before the divine sense could truly touch it, it only approached its edge slightly before being swallowed up by some "unknown thing" and disappeared directly, without even a feedback of being "blocked," as if that segment of divine sense had never existed in the first place.

The man in the grey-white robe frowned almost imperceptibly. He tried again, condensing his divine sense into a single point and forcefully penetrating it with a more refined source of power.

The result was still fruitless; within the two gates, there was only emptiness—not because it was invisible, but because it was "unknowable."

His heart sank, and a thought flashed through his mind, "Damn it... Even divine sense can't penetrate it. This situation... completely seals off any way for outside exploration."

However, this hint of seriousness only lingered in his heart for a moment before he forcibly suppressed it, maintaining his composure and calmness on his face. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze returning to the two Mystic Void Realm Initial Stage cultivators.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice steady and carrying an undeniable certainty. "There is no need to hesitate, this door... is the path to survival."

He raised his hand, pointing to the blooming flowers of the Day Gate, the Radiant Spring Realm, "Day Gate, Bright Radiance Realm."

The two cultivators were simultaneously startled, their gazes falling upon the warm, luminous gate. One of them frowned deeply and couldn't help but ask, "Senior, is this truly accurate? We just tried to probe it with our divine sense, but we couldn't even penetrate the gate..."

The man in the grey-white robes had a slightly cold gaze, and his tone carried a hint of pressure. "You are merely at the initial stage, and your level of understanding is limited, while I have reached the advanced stage. Naturally, I can sense more of the subtle differences within this formation." His voice was deep, yet extremely persuasive. "Within this formation, although there is killing intent, there is also an indication of 'the flow of life,' while the other formation—with its stagnant and stillness—is almost annihilated."

He paused slightly, his tone growing colder, "If you can't even see this, then stay here and wait to die."

The two cultivators looked at each other, hesitant and wavering, but still did not take that step.

Seeing this, the man in the grey robe snorted coldly, seemingly impatient. "If you don't trust me, then choose for yourself." After saying this, he slowly walked towards the Day Gate.

His steps were neither hurried nor slow, his demeanor calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

However, just a few steps away from the boundary gate, a low shout suddenly rang out, "Fight to the death!"

One of the cultivators, at the Mystic Void Realm Initial Stage, flashed a resolute look in his eyes. His Fate Soul trembled, and he suddenly took a step forward, directly bypassing the man in the gray-white robe, and rushed into the Day Gate first.

The figure was instantly swallowed by light and disappeared. In that instant, time seemed to freeze for a moment, and the person in the gray-white robe stopped in his tracks.

Extremely subtle yet clearly visible, he stood still, without taking another step forward.

The other Mystic Void Realm cultivator behind him froze, his gaze shifting back and forth between the boundary gate and himself. A sudden shock ran through him, and he lowered his voice, "Senior... this..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man in the grey robe suddenly turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, pressing down on him. "--Shut up if you don't want to die."

The voice was extremely low, yet carried an irresistible chill. The cultivator trembled and immediately dared not speak again.

The two stood there quietly, motionless, as if waiting for an ending.