Deep within Chi Ninghua's palace, in the garden, a river of starlight slowly descended from the sky, transforming into streaks of silvery-white light that floated above the lake's surface. The garden was surrounded by layers of spiritual flowers and ancient trees. These plants, nurtured by the very essence of Fate Soul, were unique spiritual plants of their respective realms, with pale golden Limitless Evolving True Flow flowing gently among their branches and leaves.
A transparent butterfly fluttered out from the sea of flowers, leaving a long trail of light behind it. In the distance, pavilions and towers floated in mid-air, and gray-white boundary patterns slowly moved, shrouding this palace in a layer of ethereal illusion. Qin Yu sat quietly on a stone platform by the lake. His aura had completely subsided. The fluctuations of his True Annihilation Realm · Supreme Fate Soul were no longer as sharp and overt as before, but rather a kind of indescribable "emptiness".
His figure was reflected in the lake, but upon closer inspection, the lake seemed to be empty; even space and causality seemed to subconsciously avoid his location. Just then, a gentle voice transmission slowly entered his consciousness. "Young Master Qin." "Chi Qingchen and Chi Qingyuan have returned to the clan." "I have informed them of your arrival in the clan." "They will come to meet you shortly."
The voice carried a hint of gentleness; it was Chi Ninghua. Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes, which were calmer than before, as if all the turmoil had sunk into the deep sea. He nodded gently. "Okay." As his voice faded, the garden returned to tranquility. To await their return, Chi Ninghua had arranged for Qin Yu to stay near her palace for some time.
Not long after, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from afar, followed by two familiar figures rushing into the garden. "Brother Qin--!!" "Brother Qin!!" The two voices rang out almost simultaneously. Qin Yu was slightly startled and then looked up. He saw Shen Qingchen and Su Qingyuan standing at the end of the sea of flowers. The two had clearly just gone through an extremely fierce battle.
Although their Fate Soul had recovered from their injuries, a trace of weariness and sorrow still lingered between their brows. But the moment they truly saw Qin Yu, all their suppressed emotions seemed to collapse instantly. Su Qingyuan's eyes reddened slightly, and Shen Qingchen rushed forward. "Brother Qin!!" "It really is you!!" Qin Yu slowly stood up, a long-lost smile appearing on his lips. "Are you all alright?"
A single sentence brought tears to their eyes, for during their escape they had witnessed too many deaths —Chi Jun and his fellow disciples, all Eternal Silence in the Desert of Forgetting. Now, finally seeing a familiar face again, the emotions they had suppressed for so long could no longer be contained. Su Qingyuan took a deep breath, her eyes glistening with tears. "Brother Qin..." "It's so good to see you again." Shen Qingchen nodded emphatically. "Yes!!" "We rushed over to see you as soon as we heard you were in the Lineage!!"
Qin Yu looked at the two of them, his gaze softening considerably. He then stepped forward and patted Shen Qingchen's shoulder heavily. "Not bad, not bad." "You've already Mystic Void Realm · Supreme." Shen Qingchen immediately scratched his head and grinned foolishly.
"That's still no match for Brother Qin." "You're now a True Annihilation Realm · Supreme!" "Wow..." "How long has it been?!" "It's unbelievable!!" "You probably can't find another person like him in the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain!!" Su Qingyuan nodded repeatedly, her eyes even showing a hint of shock as she looked at Qin Yu. "Brother Qin." "You're really too monstrous..." "I remember the last time we met, you were only at the Mystic Void Realm · Supreme."
"Now he's actually reached the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme..." "In less than a year..." "This is no longer a matter of talent..." "In the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain, I'm afraid no one can do it." Shen Qingchen immediately chimed in. "Yeah, yeah!!" "Even the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies probably couldn't do it!!" Qin Yu listened to the two of them talking back and forth, and finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Laughter echoed through the garden, even rippling the surface of the lake. "Alright, alright." "The three of us are reunited today." "Enough of that." Qin Yu waved his hand, his robes billowing in the wind. "My treat." "Let's go, let's go!!" "Let's go to the main city for a good drink today!!" Shen Qingchen's eyes lit up. "Great, great, great!" Su Qingyuan couldn't help but laugh too.
The suppressed emotions finally eased at this moment. In the next instant, the three of them took to the air at the same time, and a streak of light streaked across the sky above the Chi Lineage. They sped towards the main city. The sea of flowers swayed and the starlight flowed. The entire palace seemed to soften a bit because of this long-awaited reunion.
Beneath the northern sky, a series of interdimensional rainbow bridges spanning thousands of miles traverse the heavens. At the end of these rainbow bridges, an ancient, colossal city whose magnificence defies description slowly comes into view— the Stele Forest Imperial City. The entire city rests atop a colossal mountain that seems less like a mountain and more like a "world tombstone" buried there by heaven and earth.
The grayish-white mountain rises hundreds of thousands of feet high, its surface covered with countless naturally formed ancient stele patterns, each like a last testament left by a vanished world. The mountain's summit pierces the depths of the sea of clouds, and some areas have even disappeared into the spatial interlayer, where the flow of time seems to be subtly distorted.
The entire imperial city was built layer by layer along the giant mountain with tombstones, with countless ancient palaces, realm pavilions, suspended divine bridges, and star-shine dojos unfolding one after another from the foot of the mountain to the summit. Huge realm ships flew slowly in the sky, and cultivators from various forces came and went on the ground.
The entire city was permeated with an atmosphere of profound weight, antiquity, and Ultimate solemnity, while at the highest point of the mountain stood a towering stone monument. The monument had no name or inscription, yet just looking at it from afar was enough to make one's heart tremble, as if it recorded an era that had been completely destroyed.
Shen Qingchen couldn't help but gasp. "Brother Qin..." "You've been in seclusion for so long, you probably haven't really had a proper look at the Stele Forest Imperial City..." "This is our number one city in the North." "It's also one of the core main cities of the entire Chi Lineage." "Back when we participated in the martial arts competition, we were all in such a rush that we didn't get a chance to properly explore the city."
Su Qingyuan stood to the side, nodding gently. She gazed at the towering tombstone in the distance, her eyes slightly dazed. "Legend has it that within that natural tombstone... lies a vast world that has been completely destroyed." The entire Stele Forest Imperial City... was actually built around it. Qin Yu quietly observed the tombstone, his perception at the True Annihilation Realm · Supreme.
He could vaguely sense that deep within the tombstone lay some kind of extremely ancient "narrative remnant." That aura was even more ancient than the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain. Qin Yu slowly withdrew his gaze, then smiled softly. "Let's go." "Let's eat first." Shen Qingchen immediately perked up. "Yes, yes, yes!!" "We must have a big meal today!!"
The three then headed towards the center of the imperial city. As they ventured deeper, the true prosperity of the imperial city finally unfolded. The streets were thousands of feet wide. The ground was paved with a grayish-white "tomb-patterned ancient crystal." Each crystal had tiny stele patterns flowing inside. The restaurants on both sides soared into the clouds, and some of the top restaurants even floated in mid-air. Countless cultivators wearing ancient Daoist robes came and went.
Some rode on divine beasts, some rode on boundary ships, and some powerful figures had their Fate Soul fluctuations causing the void to collapse and recombine continuously. Just then, Shen Qingchen suddenly pointed excitedly ahead. "Brother Qin!!" "Right here!!" "One of the most expensive restaurants in North City — Heavenly Stele Divine Banquet Tower!!" Qin Yu looked up.
Ahead, a magnificent restaurant made entirely of black and gold ancient crystal floated in mid-air. The exterior of the restaurant resembled a floating divine palace, with dozens of starlight bridges connecting heaven and earth. Ancient stele patterns constantly appeared on the surface of the building, and even the air was filled with wisps of wine fragrance. The fragrance was so unique that even the Fate Soul essence within one's body could faintly resonate with it.
At the very top of the restaurant, a huge gray-gold ancient stele floated, bearing only four characters: -- Heavenly Stele Divine Banquet. As soon as the three stepped inside, the entire interior of the restaurant unfolded before them, magnificent, luxurious, and awe-inspiring. The entire interior space was actually an independent realm, with star rivers flowing overhead and a transparent spirit crystal lake on the ground. Countless pavilions and towers floated on the lake's surface.
In the distance, ancient musicians even sat cross-legged in the void, playing divine music, and the lowest-ranking attendants were all at the True Annihilation Realm. Shen Qingchen lowered his voice, "Goodness..." "I get nervous every time I come here..." Su Qingyuan couldn't help but chuckle. "After all, a meal here is enough for an ordinary cultivator to cultivate for hundreds of years." Qin Yu laughed upon hearing this. "Order whatever you like today." "It's on me." Shen Qingchen's eyes lit up instantly. "!" "Hahahaha!!" "Brother Qin, you're now True Annihilation Realm · Supreme expert!!" "Then I won't be polite!!"
Led by a waiter, the three arrived at a private room on the top floor. The room was built on a starry sky and had no walls. There was only a slowly flowing barrier of light. Looking down, they could see the entire Stele Forest Imperial City, and the towering tombstone in the distance was right in front of them. In the center of the room, there was an ancient table made of "Primordial Fate Soul Wood" with faint starlight flowing on its surface.
The aroma of wine mingled with Spiritual Qi in the air, making it feel like another world. The three of them slowly sat down. At this moment, the long-suppressed atmosphere finally eased slightly. But just as Qin Yu picked up his wine glass, his gaze suddenly sharpened, because he vaguely sensed that something deep within the "World Tombstone" in the distance... was glancing at him.