When the strange beast first appeared, it wasn't an immediate shock, but rather a slow, tentative probe. Its eyes gleamed with a strange, cold light, and it bared its teeth, seemingly using multiple eyes to search for its target. Qin Yu put away the Azure Ring, calmly observing, his hands lightly gripping the Ring Spear. Although the Azure Ring within his body didn't shine brightly, a faint surge of power could be felt. He waited quietly, knowing that this battle couldn't be fought rashly.
The beast approached slowly, its killing intent undisguised. Its three heads roared alternately, and small vortexes of soul energy swirled around it, as if trying to probe Qin Yu's weaknesses. Qin Yu smiled calmly, activating the potential of the Silent Origin Wheel Prison within him. He charged forward rapidly, his Ring Spear suddenly pointing at the beast's abdomen. A dark blue-green soul wheel burst forth from the Ring Spear, tearing through the void and striking the beast's core. The beast let out a roar that sounded both angry and painful, swaying several steps before regaining its footing, but its fighting spirit was clearly greatly diminished.
"We must not underestimate our opponent..." Qin Yu thought to himself, maintaining his offensive rhythm.
Sensing that Qin Yu's power had not diminished, the beast suddenly accelerated, unleashing a barrage of claws and fangs. It first tore through the air with its sharp claws, then spewed a stream of energy from its head, a mixture of black lightning and soul poison. Countless dark bolts of lightning seemed to flash through the air, like a terrifying omens of death. At this moment, Qin Yu closed his eyes slightly, concentrating all his energy, and steadily activated the second form of the Ring Spear: Silent Severing Abyss. Ten layers of soul wheels flickered within the formation, seemingly sealing off all of the beast's attacks.
The fierce battle between the two sides entered its second phase. The beast swung its three heads in succession, launching a ferocious attack in the air while using the complex and unpredictable changes in its soul patterns to confuse Qin Yu. On the battlefield, ancient trees swayed and soul mist surged like a tide, as if time itself had stopped. With his composure and the power within his Ring Spear, Qin Yu first skillfully dodged the beast's claw attacks with his agile movements, then used exquisite finger techniques to shatter some of its soul patterns, causing the black beast's core area to suddenly weaken.
"Soul Severed in Reincarnation!" Qin Yu whispered, then unleashed [Ring Spear - Sever Causality, Return to Silence]. A dark gray power surged forth from the Ring Spear, instantly shattering part of the soul patterns within the beast's body, severing its chain of cause and effect and destiny. The beast let out a miserable cry, its body stained with a dark red, and it trembled all over.
The beast was clearly on the verge of collapse, yet on the brink of death, it launched a final, desperate counterattack, revealing an exceptionally terrifying side. Its three heads roared simultaneously, unleashing a vast torrent of soul energy that seemed poised to engulf Qin Yu entirely. But a cold glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes again, and within his Azure Ring, the nascent form of the fifth move of the Silent Origin: Tribulationless Chapter was already taking shape—although the technique was not yet fully unleashed, he had already used the pure power of the Ring Spear Sever Causality, Return to Silence to break through the beast's last line of defense with astonishing force.
Suddenly, a streak of dark blue-black, spear-like soul light ripped through the sky, striking the beast between its three heads. The Sword Qi tore through the air, scattering the shattered marks in all directions. With a deafening roar, the beast instantly transformed into a cloud of dissipating black smoke, utterly perishing in the ancient forest.
Qin Yu stood still, his face remaining as calm as ever. Then he slowly surveyed his surroundings.
Qin Yu felt the entire world blur before his eyes, then suddenly the view opened up, revealing a deep and unfathomable abyss of Black Bone.
In the abyss, black bones lay scattered, the shadows of ancient trees lay like skeletons, and dim soul light darted through the air, as if countless spirits were wailing.
Scattered fragments of ancient soul artifacts lay scattered in the cracks in the ground, releasing a faint, cold light as the array fluctuated.
In the silence, only the distant sound of the wind weeping could be heard, and time seemed to stand still at that moment.
In the stillness, the wind howled like a mournful cry, clinging to every corner of Qin Yu's robes. He slowly stepped deeper into the Black Bone Abyss, where remnant souls swirled beneath the earth, and shattered soul bones piled up like stars, reflecting in the dim light of the soul energy the afterimages of ancient cultivators who had long since vanished.
This place, far from the initial teleportation point, is deserted and increasingly eerie.
"What power is hidden in this abyss?" Qin Yu's heart sank. Although he sensed no movement from the Azure Ring, there were still subtle fluctuations in its soul energy.
Suddenly, the terrain ahead opened up, with black rocks like walls and a deep ravine stretching out. Qin Yu's eyes sharpened, and he used his soul power to completely conceal his aura, quietly circling behind a dark, rocky cliff.
On the opposite side of the deep valley, two figures in crimson robes stood proudly on the cliff. Both were young men, and their brows revealed an aura of majesty and coldness that was completely different from ordinary people. One of them held a crimson flame spear, the tip of which looked as if it had been cast from molten lava. Soul flames surged on it, and his soul consciousness domain was like a fiery cloud covering the sky. The other man's palms flew, and crimson blood spirit fire surged in his palms. With each step, he shattered the void, seemingly capable of burning souls Realm Splitting.
These are none other than the renowned Twin Battle Souls of the younger generation of the Crimson Abyss Divine Clan — Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui.
Opposite them, a seven-zhang-long, stone-gold-forged beast with four wings on its back slowly floated into the air. It was the extremely rare [Rift Feather Gold Soul Zheng] in the Ancient Soul Forest. This beast could be called a "semi-transcendent alien species". Its soul core structure was extremely complex. Its rock-gold power could split the sky and Realm Breaking. It combined soul attacks with melee combat, making it extremely difficult to deal with.
First round of confrontation: Soul Zheng Realm Breaking
With a roar, the Rift Feather Gold Soul Zheng spread its soul wings and unleashed a devastating soul howl that sounded like thunder, carrying a destructive aura as it swept towards Chi Yuankui.
Chi Yuankui snorted coldly, and his crimson spear suddenly spun, unleashing a flurry of combat techniques:
Sky-Splitting Crimson God Cloud-Piercing Halberd!
The spear surged with crimson light for ten miles, and a spear spirit like a phoenix spreading its wings suddenly broke through the air, colliding head-on with the Soul Zheng attack. Flames shot into the sky, and fragments of the void trembled like a thunderstorm.
Chi Lan was not to be outdone; he stomped his feet like thunder, and a deep chant emanated from his crossed palms:
Chi Ming Flame Hand - Life-Splitting Flame!
With a mighty thrust of his hands, a vortex of soul fire roared forth like a tornado, containing extremely high-pressure soul power that instantly turned the surrounding ground into a crimson soul abyss!
The Soul Zheng roared incessantly, but relying on its four wings to dodge, it almost avoided fatal wounds between two Soul Transformations. Instead, it used its heavy body to ram into the two, forcibly breaking through the combat technique blockade.
Second Round of Clash: Fierce Soul Battle
Chi Lan gritted her teeth and attacked again, unleashing her Lineage's secret technique.
Crimson Abyss Ancient Clan - Flame Wheel Prison Array!
In an instant, three Soul Flame Wheels intertwined in the air, forming a triple-layered Shadow Burning Prison that directly engulfed half of the Soul Zheng's body in the seal!
"Kui, get ready!" Chi Lan roared.
Chi Yuankui nodded, swept his spear horizontally, and with his feet stomping on the rocky ground, he suddenly leaped ten feet into the void, his soul power condensing into a phantom halberd entirely of crimson gold.
Blazing Divine Strike - Fallen Soul Realm!
This is a killing move powerful enough to shatter the protective soul shield of Realm Master- level expert; it is the ultimate form of a soul technique that the Crimson Abyss Divine Clan keeps secret!
The battle halberd pierced through the void, carrying the crushing force of the Soul Wheel, and pointed directly at the forehead of the Soul Zheng.
Boom--!!
Finally, the Soul Zheng let out a low roar. After struggling violently for a few moments, its massive body exploded completely in the void. Its soul bones scattered, its wings broke, and even its soul core crumbled into countless strands of soul light.
In the distance, a cold, indifferent glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes.
"These twins of the Crimson Abyss Divine Clan... are indeed extraordinary. If they were to unleash such a secret technique on me simultaneously, it might take several moves..."
While reconstructing the trajectories of the two men's moves, he quietly observed and waited for the right opportunity.
He was in no hurry to reveal his whereabouts.
At this moment, he had not yet truly made a move; the Azure Ring had not yet sounded, and the Ring Spear had not yet moved.
Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui performed a simple treatment on the remains of the strange beast. Chi Yuankui stretched out his palm and summoned a crimson-gold magic seal, sealing the soul mist that was slowly rising above the beast's remains into an ancient jade. The soul mist churned and rolled, and within it, there seemed to be scarlet blood eyes flashing, as if it had not completely died.
"This soul power is extraordinary, it even contains a remnant spirit of the Profound Abyss Grade." Chi Lan spoke softly, a hint of caution appearing in her eyes.
"It's a pity we couldn't capture it alive," Chi Yuankui said calmly. "However, such a strange beast should be killed; it cannot be allowed to live."
After speaking, the two turned and left, unaware of the faint soul aura emanating from a strange, withered vine dozens of feet away, which seemed to merge into the surrounding gloom as if in death. Qin Yu stood quietly behind it, the power of his Azure Ring surging slightly, merging with his surrounding aura into nothingness, as if stepping into the "Formless Emptiness."
He remained silent, only watching the two figures disappear into the distance, before quietly following behind them.
This pursuit led them into a death zone where all light had been completely lost.
That was a secret valley deep within the Soul Forest, where ancient trees, entwined with vines, towered like mountains, their branches covered with thick, shackle-like tendrils that tightly sealed off the sky. Sunlight could not penetrate, nor could spiritual light illuminate it; only a dark aura, seemingly spreading from the very depths of the earth's marrow, slowly circulated in the decaying air.
Beneath their feet lay damp, decaying earth, reeking of black blood and rotting flesh. Each step felt like treading on a long-dead, yet not fully decayed, "Shell." The ground was covered with withered vines, intertwined and concealing one twisted, shriveled corpse after another. The faces of these corpses were all contorted in extreme pain, as if they had witnessed some terrifying being capable of annihilating their souls before their deaths.
Whispers, like cracking flesh, drifted from all around—the sound of flesh being rubbed by the wind, as if the dead were whispering and cursing in tears.
"This place..." Chi Lan frowned, "... doesn't seem to be natural terrain."
Chi Yuankui's expression also turned cold, a look of solemnity flashing in his eyes. "It seems to be some kind of forgotten forbidden place. The Underworld Sect's records mention the 'Abyss of Spectral Souls,' could this be the place?"
Before he finished speaking, a faint blue halo suddenly appeared in front of him.
The light was neither a spiritual fire nor a barrier; it was as if some will that had been suppressed for millions of years was slowly awakening. The two exchanged a glance and proceeded cautiously.
Qin Yu remained lurking in the shadows, his eyes flickering slightly.
As Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui slowly approached the source of the halo, a glimpse of the scene ahead finally appeared—
It was a floating, circular stone mirror, about ten feet tall, its entire surface wreathed in blue soul flames. The mirror surface twisted and flowed, as if reflecting another era that had long since shattered, and in the very center of the mirror surface, a vertical, pupil-less, eerie blue eye appeared, slowly opening.
The surrounding air suddenly froze, and the blood-red soil on the ground began to tremble slightly as if sensing the awakening of some kind of will. The bone vines hissed, as if millions of dead souls were struggling to revive.
Chi Lan suddenly exclaimed, "Something's not right! Something... living is sealed here!"
Qin Yu narrowed his eyes and stared quietly at the stone mirror. He felt a spontaneous tremor that he had never felt before rising from the depths of the Azure Ring.
He knew that what was buried here was not only the secret of the Valley of Ghosts, but also something even more ancient—perhaps, it was related to the fragments of the Silent Origin Relic...
Within the azure halo, the eerie blue eye of the floating stone mirror suddenly opened, and an indescribable chill swept out from the void.
In the next instant, two illusory figures slowly emerged from within the mirror, their steps silent yet shattering the ripples in the surrounding space. Clad in Abyss Armor, their soul flames surged like a tide across their bodies, their eyes devoid of emotion, like judges descending upon the mortal realm.
What's most terrifying is that these two figures look exactly like Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui.
Not only their appearance, but also their voices, auras, and even the structure of their souls were exactly the same!
"What is that?!" Chi Lan suddenly took a half step back, his voice cold and low, "You... you are me?"
Chi Yuankui narrowed his eyes. "The soul fluctuations are almost identical... This is not an illusion!"
Just as the two were trying to focus their senses, the two beings "themselves" suddenly attacked with a strange blue light flashing in their eyes!
Illusionary Fate: Mirror Abyss Soul Locking Strike
The two figures simultaneously slashed down with their palms, and one after another azure soul mirrors appeared in their palms, swirling and intertwining in the air, transforming into ninety-nine soul shadow mirrors, which crushed towards Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui from all directions!
Each soul mirror reflected the moments when the two of them were killed and annihilated!
"It's a Mirror Soul Technique! It uses future illusions to construct a deadly trap!" Chi Yuankui roared, his crimson-gold spear slicing through the air and shattering several mirrors in front of him.
"Destroy!" Chi Lan raised his hand and summoned the Profound Flame Bone Sword. The sword light transformed into a soul bird that cried out and rushed into the mirror array. However, more than a dozen mirror souls shattered and burst out with annihilation waves, causing the two to retreat repeatedly.
Soul Descends to the Nine Abyss, Ruthless Shadow Steps
As the phantom Chi Yuankui stepped into the void, nine Ming Yuan Soul Gates appeared behind him, each gate unleashing a pair of arms of dead souls, forcefully restraining Chi Yuankui's movements.
The phantom Chi Lan transformed into a thousand afterimages, sword light surging like a tide, heading straight for Chi Lan's brow!
"Soul Slave Technique?!" Chi Lan roared, his soul power rebounding and exploding into a "Blood Nightmare Soul Prison," barely managing to push it back. However, its shoulder had already been slashed open, and blood and soul continued to flow.
"Their combat techniques are 'evolved and upgraded' from our combat methods..." Chi Yuankui's face was extremely gloomy.
Soul Tribulation Retrospection: Mirror Waves Three Severances
The two illusory figures simultaneously formed hand seals, and a phantom sea of mirrors emerged from beneath their feet, completely engulfing the battlefield! Within the mirror sea, a phantom called "Past" suddenly appeared, reflecting the scene of Chi Lan accidentally killing her relatives and friends when she was a child.
This is immediately followed by a phantom of the "present" scene—the ruthless execution and merciless silencing of his fellow disciples by Chi Yuankui!
Finally, there was the "future" phantom—the two were severed from their souls, their blood staining the Silent Origin.
"They... actually possess our memories and soul essence?" Chi Lan's expression changed drastically.
"This is a unique technique combining Illusion Kill with 'Soul Corrosion'!" Chi Yuankui roared with all his might, his soul body trembling continuously.
The Mirror of the Underworld - Dual Soul Combination Array
The two illusory figures suddenly sat cross-legged on the ground, their palms clasped together, and a blue ring that stretched across the sky suddenly opened up!
The ring, like a wheel of the underworld, hangs in the void, within which flow countless wailing souls and broken life trajectories!
"It's too late to counterattack!!" Chi Yuankui roared, unleashing his soul flames to their Ultimate, attempting to forcibly sever the ring structure.
But at that moment, the two phantom figures suddenly merged!
A brand new figure stepped out from the center of the circle—clad in double armor, with three pupils without eyes, controlling two souls, and his cultivation aura directly crushed the peak of the Transcendence Realm!
"How is this possible... a combination technique?!" Chi Lan exclaimed in disbelief.
Annihilation of the Mirror Abyss, Soul's Demise in the World's Burial
The combined alien creature slowly raised its palm and pointed out with one finger.
All the breath of life in the world ceased, and a giant azure mirror spun and took shape in the sky, reflecting the scene of the entire Silent Soul Forest being annihilated!
The next moment, the world in the mirror suddenly exploded, and billions of blue flames transformed into ghostly lightning, bombarding Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui!
"Retreat!!" Chi Yuankui roared, desperately shielding Chi Lan behind him.
Unfortunately... it's too late.
The entire area was instantly annihilated, space shattered, and soul consciousness dissipated.
Chi Lan and Chi Yuankui both perished.
The remains of blood and soul slowly fell into the mirror of the underworld, where they were completely swallowed up.
Qin Yu slowly rose from the shadows in the distance, his expression complex and profound.
"This power within the mirror... is not an ordinary array... but rather some kind of... created 'parallel existence'?"
He gazed at the lingering ripples of the wreckage before the mirror, Azure Ring trembled slightly within him, seemingly extremely wary of this place.