The space in front of the Dragon-Patterned Palace had fallen completely silent. The essence of the Dragon Dao flowed slowly around them, like an invisible tide breathing in the void. Chi Tongyue stood there quietly, looking at Qin Yu, her gaze filled with an undisguised admiration and contemplation.
She didn't beat around the bush, speaking directly in a gentle yet weighty voice, "Qin Yu, would you be willing to join my clan?" As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding space seemed to tighten slightly, as if even heaven and earth were awaiting his answer.
Qin Yu did not respond immediately. He raised his head slightly, his gaze calm and firm. The path that belonged to him became clearer at this moment. He slowly cupped his hands, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, "Senior, I am used to working alone, and I have some things that must be done, so... it is indeed difficult for me to comply." His words fell without any hesitation or doubt.
After listening, Chi Tongyue showed neither anger nor disappointment, only a soft sigh, a sigh so gentle it seemed to carry the understanding accumulated over the years, "Alright, everyone has their own ambitions."
Her gaze sharpened slightly, then her tone turned serious. "But you must understand, you've been targeted by Hua Yanyang. He's one of the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies in the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain, possessing the cultivation of the Wuji Realm —no ordinary opponent." She looked at Qin Yu, her tone calm yet carrying a warning. "From now on, every step you take in the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain will be fraught with danger."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu's lips curled into a slight, cold smile. His gaze didn't waver in the slightest; instead, it sharpened even more. "Rest assured, Senior," he said, his voice deep yet carrying an unyielding edge. "Even someone at the Void Emanation Realm, this junior will not fear."
He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "As long as we're careful, that's enough." He paused, his tone growing increasingly firm. "Moreover... growing through adversity is the best kind of growth."
As soon as those words were spoken, the space itself seemed to tremble slightly.
Chi Tongyue looked at him quietly, the admiration in her eyes finally dissipating completely. She nodded slowly, "Very good." Her tone was no longer tentative, but affirmative. "With this kind of courage, your state of mind has far surpassed the Wuji Realm."
The atmosphere gradually calmed down.
Qin Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and cupped his hands, saying, "Senior, I have two friends in the Chi Lineage, named Shen Qingchen and Su Qingyuan. I wonder if Senior knows them?"
Upon hearing these two names, Chi Tongyue paused slightly, then smiled faintly. "Oh? So they're your friends." She nodded gently. "What a coincidence." Her tone was calm. "After joining the Lineage, their talent was remarkable, and I've taken them in as my true disciples." She looked at Qin Yu. "Their names have now been changed to Chi Qingchen and Chi Qingyuan."
A hint of surprise and delight flashed in Qin Yu's eyes.
Chi Tongyue didn't say anything more. She simply raised her hand, lightly tapping the air with her fingertips. A very thin beam of dragon-patterned light instantly pierced through the space and disappeared into the distance. "I have summoned them."
Qin Yu immediately bowed respectfully, "Thank you for your trouble, senior." Only a few breaths later...
The space trembled slightly as two figures descended from afar, their auras steady and their expressions solemn. The moment they landed, their first reaction was to respectfully bow, "Disciple greets Master."
Chi Tongyue waved her hand gently, "Alright, no need for formalities." The two had just straightened up, their gazes sweeping casually across each other, when in the next instant—
Their pupils suddenly contracted. The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Brother Qin--!" Shen Qingchen's voice almost escaped his lips, filled with undisguised excitement.
"Young Master Qin!" Su Qingyuan's voice was also filled with surprise, and even trembled slightly.
Qin Yu looked at them, a rare smile of ease appearing on his face. "You... are you all alright?" Those few words completely bridged the gap between them.
Watching this scene, Chi Tongyue smiled slightly. She didn't linger. "Alright, I won't disturb your reminiscing." She turned around, her tone indifferent. "I also have some things to take care of." Before she finished speaking, her figure had already merged into the space and disappeared, leaving only the dragon pattern gently echoing.
The three of them watched her leave together, a moment later.
Shen Qingchen suddenly slapped Qin Yu on the shoulder, his voice finally breaking, "Oh, Brother Qin! I've missed you so much!" He was beaming with excitement, "Where have you been all this time? I haven't heard a thing!"
Su Qingyuan couldn't help but step forward, her tone tinged with a mixture of reproach and concern, "Yes, Young Master Qin, I was getting so worried if you didn't show up soon."
Qin Yu looked at them, a gentle light flashing in his eyes. "It's a pleasure to see you all." He smiled slightly. "I was indeed preoccupied with some matters recently, which delayed me." He sighed softly. "Actually, I've wanted to come see you for a long time."
After listening, Shen Qingchen suddenly revealed a meaningful smile. "Brother Qin—" His eyes flickered, "Just now, Senior Sister Chi Xiyue personally brought you back to the clan, and now you've come directly to Master's place..." He lowered his voice, his smile deepening, "You wouldn't have already joined our Chi Lineage, would you?"
Su Qingyuan immediately chimed in, her eyes filled with anticipation, "Yes, Young Master Qin, our entry into the Chi Lineage was actually thanks to you." She said softly, "If you were to join us, that would truly be a perfect match."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu shook his head slightly, a faint smile on his face. "No, no." He said calmly, "I haven't joined the Chi Lineage." He paused for a moment, "It's just that I had a connection with Senior Chi Tongyue, which is why I came here."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two of them froze for a moment, exchanged a glance, and their eyes showed obvious shock.
They were well aware of Chi Tongyue's identity, and they already knew the answer in their hearts what it meant that Qin Yu could be connected to her by the word "fate."
The dragon-patterned light and shadow outside the palace gradually faded, and the atmosphere among the three slowly shifted from solemnity and tentativeness to the ease of a long-awaited reunion. The profound Daoist aura still lingered in the void, but it could no longer suppress Shen Qingchen's barely contained excitement.
He suddenly seemed to remember something, his expression changed, and his tone lowered but with obvious tremor, "Brother Qin, you don't know what happened in the Azure Wood Divine Forest some time ago?"
Qin Yu frowned slightly, his gaze instantly sharpening. "What's wrong?"
Shen Qingchen took a deep breath, as if recalling the catastrophe that shook the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain. His voice gradually lowered, "At the time, it was said that the Hua Lineage had obtained some kind of supreme treasure first. As soon as the news spread, the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain was in an uproar. Countless cultivators flocked there, and the Lineage even mobilized their core forces. In the end, even an elder at the True Annihilation Realm personally descended." He paused, a hint of suppressed shock appearing in his eyes, "But... the result was completely unexpected by everyone."
The air seemed to have cooled slightly.
"They... were almost all wiped Annihilation by a mysterious legion." Shen Qingchen's voice was low and slow. "There was no clash of formations, no prolonged battle; it was a one-sided massacre." He gritted his teeth. "Even Hua Feiting was killed on the spot, without leaving a trace."
Qin Yu's pupils contracted slightly. "A legion?" His voice was deep. "A strange legion?" He took a step forward, his gaze fixed on Shen Qingchen. "Brother Shen, tell me more."
Shen Qingchen nodded, his tone growing increasingly solemn. "It's said that that legion..." His gaze seemed to pierce through reality, returning to that blood-soaked battlefield, "... was entirely composed of phantom warriors, a blur of reality and illusion, about two meters tall, with slender yet incredibly fluid figures. They had no real faces, only a burning golden-blue Dao Flame on their heads." His voice tightened, "That flame wasn't fire, it was a manifestation of the Dao."
Qin Yu's breathing paused slightly.
"Their bodies are composed of translucent energy flows, with fine runes constantly circulating on their surface. The words 'Dao,' 'Return,' and 'Source' flicker on their bodies, and the runes change with every movement," Shen Qingchen continued. "They wear a kind of liquid-like gold and silver armor that clings to their bodies like water, yet can block most attacks."
His tone gradually lowered, "The most terrifying thing is their weapon— the Origin-Returning Blade." He slowly uttered three words, "It's not a physical weapon, but a flowing stream of light. Once unleashed, it can directly absorb the enemy's power and convert it into its own Dao power." He swallowed, "Each strike is accompanied by a deep Dao chant, and the entire battlefield is suppressed by that sound."
Qin Yu's expression had completely changed.
Shen Qingchen continued, "The most terrifying thing is... they aren't a group of individuals." His voice became extremely solemn. "Their actions are perfectly synchronized, like flowing water, as if the entire legion is controlled by a single consciousness." He exhaled softly, "Silent... but deadly."
Su Qingyuan nodded in agreement, adding, "Not only that, it's said that behind that legion, there's an even more terrifying existence." Her voice lowered further, "In the end, the Lineage were enraged and directly dispatched True Annihilation Realm elders to hunt them down, but... those people all vanished."
She looked up at Qin Yu, "No signs of battle, no corpses, nothing at all, as if it had been wiped off the face of the earth."
The air fell completely silent. Qin Yu didn't speak, but within his mind—a clear, crisp voice slowly rang out.
"Little Qinzi," Xiao Yue's voice carried a hint of seriousness and confirmation, "Now you know what it is, right?"
Qin Yu's consciousness trembled slightly, and he slowly responded, "Hmm..." His gaze gradually deepened, "Dao Shadow Soldier." His tone was extremely low, "Then the last one... is probably Source Flow Guardian."
"Unexpectedly..." Qin Yu slowly exhaled, "They actually appeared in the Azure Wood Divine Forest."
Seeing Qin Yu's reaction for a moment, Shen Qingchen couldn't help but laugh, "How about it? Brother Qin, isn't this news explosive enough?" His tone was tinged with a wry smile, "At the time, the Lineage tried to suppress the news, but now it's completely out in the open."
Qin Yu snapped out of his reverie, nodded, and said calmly, "Indeed." His gaze darkened slightly. "Whatever it is, we must be vigilant."
Su Qingyuan looked at him, a hint of concern flashing in her eyes. "Young Master Qin, where do you plan to go next?" she asked softly. "The Bronze Gate of the Salt Desert Domain has opened, and our Lineage is preparing to go there." She paused slightly. "Will you... go?"
Qin Yu nodded without hesitation. "Yes." His gaze was firm. "But I intend to travel alone."
Shen Qingchen was taken aback. "Alone?" Qin Yu smiled faintly. "The situation is complicated right now, and I don't want to attract too much attention." His tone was calm. "I'll slightly alter my appearance before entering that area."
Shen Qingchen sighed, a hint of helplessness on his face. "Alas, this time the Lineage has issued a strict order." He smiled bitterly, "All disciples are forbidden from participating. Qingyuan and I have also been repeatedly instructed by our master not to get involved." He shook his head. "We can only obediently cultivate within the clan."
Qin Yu looked at them, a rare smile of ease appearing on his face. "It's alright," he said gently. "We've finally reunited today."
He gently raised his head, gazing towards the distant direction of the Stele Forest Imperial City, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "Tonight, it's my treat." His tone was somewhat casual. "To the most luxurious restaurant in the Stele Forest Imperial City— " "To drink until we drop." Shen Qingchen paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Hahaha, great!"
Su Qingyuan couldn't help but smile, "Alright, then we must Bugui tonight!"
The three figures stepped out of the palace area simultaneously, the dragon-patterned light and shadow slowly closing behind them. The oppressive and dangerous atmosphere still lingered, but at this moment, they chose to put everything aside. Because some reunions are meant to be enjoyed to the fullest.