As Chi Ninghua's figure descended from the void, the world seemed to pause slightly. Before her lay a vast clan territory, almost encompassing an entire domain. The Ju Lineage was not a single city, but an Ancient Clan divine domain spanning tens of thousands of miles, layered upon layered. The mountains had been artificially reshaped into arrays, with floating palaces suspended in the air above the mountain ridges, their buildings scattered like stars.
They were connected by bridges of light and patterns of law. Beneath these bridges was not an abyss, but rather the lingering echoes of a slowly flowing river of cause and effect. The entire clan territory was covered by a faint, chaotic light curtain. This curtain did not defend against external enemies, but rather maintained the stability of all internal laws and principles invisibly. In the distance, at the center...
A main hall, towering into the sky, stood majestically, its roof resembling a burning star core. From time to time, runes of the Great Dao fell from it, only to vanish into nothingness and return to the void in mid-air. Dozens of secondary halls surrounded it, forming a vast and intricate operating system that sustained the lifeline of the entire race.
The moment Chi Ninghua stepped into the clan's territory, the patrolling disciples sensed that her aura was completely different from before. The almost absolute stillness of her presence made it difficult to look directly at her. A Ju Lineage quickly stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said with an undisguised tremor in his voice, "Greetings, Senior Chi—"
Chi Ninghua nodded slightly, saying nothing more, her tone steady yet carrying an undeniable pressure, "Take me to see your clan leader." "Yes, sir."
The disciple dared not ask further and immediately led the way. The two ventured deep into the clan's territory, where they saw layers of formations and interwoven palaces. Each hall contained a different aura of law, some as silent as an abyss, others as fiery as a flame.
Some flowed slowly like the river of time. Chi Ninghua did not stop, but her aura gradually subsided. She maintained the stability of Ju Wanning's Fate Soul in her sea of consciousness. The faint fluctuations were like a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any time.
Soon, the two arrived at the main hall.
The main hall doors slowly opened, without any guards blocking her way. As if they had already sensed her arrival, a calm and vast aura emanated from within the hall. The aura was not oppressive, yet it made people instinctively feel solemn.
Inside the hall, a figure stood in a high position: Ju Jinyu, the head of the Ju Lineage, at the Wuji Realm.
He was tall and imposing, his aura deep and composed, standing there seemingly one with the entire world. His eyes held an unfathomable depth. As Chi Ninghua stepped into the hall, he slowly turned, his gaze falling on her. His tone was casual, yet subtly inquisitive, "Ninghua, you little girl, it's been a long time. What brings you here today?"
Without hesitation, Chi Ninghua stepped forward and bowed respectfully, "Junior greets Senior Ju."
Before she finished speaking, she raised her hand and waved it. Ju Wanning's figure emerged from the storage crystal core. Her aura was weak, and her Fate Soul fluctuations were almost broken, as if she would completely return to nothingness at any moment.
Her voice lowered, "Senior, Wanning and I encountered Dao Source Demonic Spirit inside the Bronze Gate Castle Fate Soul were pierced by its divine power and are now on the verge of collapse."
The air in the main hall seemed to freeze slightly, Ju Jinyu's expression changed for the first time.
Without asking any further questions, he took a step forward and appeared beside Ju Wanning. He gently placed his palm on her brow, and his Fate Soul force instantly probed into her. The next moment, his gaze suddenly became solemn.
"His Fate Soul structure was directly pierced... even his foundation is beginning to disintegrate." He withdrew his hand, his voice low and deep, "This is indeed an injury at the Dao Source level."
Chi Ninghua remained silent, simply watching. Ju Jinyu's gaze darkened, and he turned to speak, "Guards—quickly take the Life-Extending Pill from my clan!"
The atmosphere in the main hall suddenly tensed. A figure swiftly entered from outside the hall, carrying a jade box in his hand. The box, though unopened, already faintly exuded a warm and steady aura of Fate Soul. That aura was not like that of a spiritual medicine, but more like a carefully preserved "life extension." The elder bowed and handed over the jade box, "Clan leader, the Life-Extending Pill has arrived."
Ju Jinyu reached out and took the box. He gently ran his fingertips across the jade box, and the seals broke, revealing a perfectly lustrous pill. The pill's surface had no complex patterns, yet faint light and shadow flowed subtly in extremely small places.
Like a compressed lifeline breathing slowly, he didn't hesitate. He held the pill in his palm and placed his other hand on Ju Wanning's brow. He slowly guided the power of his Fate Soul, and the pill trembled slightly at his fingertips, turning into a gentle stream of light that slowly merged into her body through her lips and teeth.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the entire hall trembled slightly.
The moment the Life-Extending Pill entered Ju Wanning's body, her nearly severed Fate Soul suddenly responded. The faint fluctuation was like a dying ember in the wind suddenly receiving nourishment; it flickered slightly and then quickly spread out. Her body trembled slightly, and a faint membrane of light appeared between her brows.
The light membrane slowly spread along her Fate Soul structure, attempting to reconnect the broken nodes. Fine cracks began to be filled, and the originally scattered outline of her Fate Soul re-condensed. Even her aura regained a trace of vitality in a very short time.
Chi Ninghua's gaze was fixed on her, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.
However, that light film only lasted for a few breaths.
The next instant, a deeper crack suddenly spread from the Fate Soul Nucleus. It was not an ordinary damage, but a backlash of "the structural origin being torn apart". The part repaired by the Life-Extending Pill lost its support instantly when it touched that Dao Source injury, like a newly pieced-together bridge suddenly losing its foundation. A blinding crack of light exploded from the depths of her Fate Soul, and the entire repaired structure collapsed suddenly.
Ju Wanning's body jolted violently.
Instead of continuing to recover, her aura suddenly plummeted, her Fate Soul fluctuations became extremely chaotic, and even a brief "disappearance gap" appeared, as if she almost slipped out of existence.
"Rewind--"
Ju Jinyu out a low shout, his palms suddenly sank down, and the primal power of the Wuji Realm was unleashed. His entire being was like a core anchored to heaven and earth, and as his palms crossed, a deep and heavy power pressed directly into Ju Wanning's Fate Soul.
That power had nothing to do with repair; it simply used absolute pressure to forcibly "stabilize" her, forcefully pushing her almost collapsed Fate Soul structure back into place. Invisible chains of primordial energy spread from his palm, binding her Fate Soul and firmly confining it within the boundary of "still existing," preventing it from sliding further towards collapse.
Everyone in the hall held their breath, and after a moment, the fluctuations gradually subsided.
Ju Wanning's breathing was forcibly stabilized; although still weak, it no longer continued to dissipate.
Ju Jinyu slowly withdrew his hand, his gaze heavy and his voice low, "Damn it... Wanning suffered from Dao Source trauma for too long, and her Fate Soul structure has been eroded to the foundation level. Our clan's Life-Extending Pill cannot restore her."
After those words were spoken, the hall fell silent.
An elder spoke slowly, his voice tinged with hesitation, "Clan leader... if that's the case, perhaps only the legendary Fate-Reversing Epiphyllum of Fate Blooming Flower could possibly save her."
Chi Ninghua's pupils contracted slightly; she naturally knew what it was.
Ju Jinyu remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, his tone solemn, "The Fate-Reversing Epiphyllum... It is rumored to exist on the edge of the Supreme Transformation Primordial Domain, only briefly appearing in extremely Annihilation places. Perhaps its traces can be found in the Crystal Mountain Range of the Void Dharma Realm in the Fourth Multidimensional Universe."
He paused slightly, a hint of undisguised meaning flashing in his eyes, "But, that place..."
Before she could finish speaking, Chi Ninghua stepped forward, her gaze resolute. "Senior, I'll give it a try."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it lacked the slightest hesitation, "No matter what, I must save Wanning's Fate Soul."
Ju Jinyu looked at her, his gaze deep, and slowly said, "Girl, that's no ordinary dangerous place. The Void Dharma Realm is already close to the point of primordial collapse, and the Crystal Mountain Range are the most unstable part of it. You're going there alone..."
Before he could finish speaking, he gently shook his head. "No." He raised his hand, his gaze turning to the elders in the hall. "I will send someone with you."
Chi Ninghua nodded slightly, without refuting.
Ju Jinyu's gaze fell on the three elders with the most composed auras. The three of them had restrained their auras, yet they faintly revealed the profound foundation of the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme. He slowly spoke, "The three elders will accompany Ninghua's group to the Crystal Mountain Range of the Void Dharma Realm."
The three of them stepped forward simultaneously, cupped their hands in greeting, and replied, "As you command."
Ju Jinyu then looked down at Ju Wanning, his voice steady and powerful, "I will use the Wuji Origin and the clan's Fate Soul Pool to forcibly stabilize her Fate Soul structure and buy you time."
He raised his eyes and looked at everyone, "Everyone, go and return quickly." The aura in the hall re-condensed, and a long journey concerning life, death, and origin was about to begin.