After the ancient tree returned to tranquility, Qian Wenwan slowly closed her eyes. With a slight thought, a warm and gentle sword hum emanated from the depths of her consciousness. Buzz—the next moment, a divine sword radiating a soft divine light slowly appeared in her palm. The instant the divine sword appeared, the entire world fell silent.
There was no earth-shattering sword intent, no sharp killing intent, only a warmth like a spring breeze. Qin Yu stared at the divine sword, his gaze slightly fixed.
This sword doesn't seem like a weapon of destruction; it's more like a sacred object that carries the gentle years of the entire Shade-Guarding Clan over millions of years.
The sword is entirely warm white, as if it were formed from the first rays of dawn, or as if the bright moonlight were flowing quietly within it. The entire sword does not have any cold or sharp feeling, but instead exudes a warm aura that brings peace of mind.
A layer of extremely faint golden-pink light flowed slowly across the sword's edge, rising and falling gently like a human heartbeat. Each flicker of light added a touch of softness to the surrounding world.
At the center of the sword's spine, a naturally formed, graceful arc runs quietly through the entire divine sword. That arc is like a genuine smile, without any trace of artificial carving, yet it gives the entire divine sword an indescribable sense of warmth.
The handguard is formed by two crystal-clear new leaves slowly coming together, with a rich emerald green life essence flowing within the veins of the leaves. With each breath, it resonates with the vitality of the entire world.
The sword hilt is entwined with golden and blue vines, each vine blooming with tiny, pure white flowers. The petals are as crystal clear as snow, never to wither, as if they were the very tears of happiness that fell when the Joy Clan and the Love Clan embraced and wept millions of years ago.
At the end of the sword hilt, a wisp of silvery-white light slowly descended, which was the last leaf of the Shade-Guarding Ancient Tree. It swayed gently, and specks of starlight continuously fell, softening the air wherever it passed, and even the lingering murderous aura between heaven and earth quietly dissipated at this moment.
Qian Wenwan gently brushed her fingertips across the blade, clearly sensing something amiss—it wasn't that she was gripping the sword, but rather that the sword was actively pressing against her palm. It was as if it had quietly remained dormant for millions of years, waiting from beginning to end for a true master who was compatible with it.
Qin Yu slowly walked to her side, a hint of appreciation in his eyes, and gently smiled, "Congratulations, Shopkeeper Qian." "The moment this sword appeared, it caused the very essence of heaven and earth to retreat; this alone is enough to tell it's no ordinary object."
Qian Wenwan gazed at the divine sword in her hand, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She shook her head slightly, "If it weren't for Young Master Qin's help along the way, how could I have obtained this opportunity? This sword doesn't belong to me. To be precise, it belongs to the longing of everyone in the Shade-Guarding Clan over the past million years."
Qin Yu's lips curled slightly, a faint smile spreading across his eyes, and he said softly, "Since that's the case, why not show me your skills? Let me witness the power of this sword."
Upon hearing this, Qian Wenwan couldn't help but smile slightly. She nodded slowly. "Then Young Master Qin should watch closely." As soon as she finished speaking, she slowly took a step forward. Her entire aura suddenly became extremely calm, without any burst of spiritual power or rising sword momentum. She simply raised the Compassion and Joy.
The longsword was slowly extended, and with a single strike, the heavens and earth did not tremble, the Great Dao did not roar, and not even a trace of its sharp Sword Qi was dissipated. But in that instant, all sounds in the world suddenly fell silent, and even the flowing wind stopped.
A faint, almost ethereal sound drifted across the four seas and eight wastelands. Though its volume was weak, it penetrated deep into the souls of all living beings, like a whisper buried in the memories of eternity.
Like a mother gently bending down to embrace her child, whispering tenderly in their ear, "Are you tired...?" "Let it go..." As these words fell, the entire world instantly transformed into boundless warm clouds, billions of soft rays of light slowly spreading across the sky, without sharpness or killing intent.
Yet it bathed the entire world in a warm hue. Qin Yu stood there quietly, and suddenly felt his Fate Soul tremble slightly. Memories long buried by time slowly surfaced in his mind: childhood smiles, the gazes of his loved ones.
The joys and sorrows of half a lifetime, the old friends and stories that I thought had long been buried and forgotten, now appear clearly before my eyes one by one. The warm glow of the sunset spreads across the sky and earth, and a sword intent of Ultimate slowly unfolds down.
This sword intent carried no trace of killing intent; instead, it resembled a gentle embrace that encompassed all things. Countless streams of light and rosy radiance slowly gathered from all directions, eventually transforming into a pair of invisible arms that gently embraced the entire world. Qin Yu could clearly sense that if a true expert of the Wuji Realm were standing here...
When he felt this warmth, his Wuji Dao Heart would fluctuate for the first time, because this sword forcibly endowed "Wuji" with an emotion. It gave it joy, gave it the ability to be loved, and gave it the obsession to protect all living beings. When Wuji possessed emotions, it gained a definition.
When Wuji is defined, it is no longer true Wuji. Then Qian Wenwan and delivered the final strike. There was no sword sound, no divine light. Only an almost imperceptible white streak of light slowly swept across the heavens and earth. At this moment, Qin Yu seemed to see a Wuji powerhouse who had walked alone for billions of years slowly come to a stop.
He looked up at the sky and earth, and for the first time, warmth appeared in his eyes, a smile appeared on his face, and for the first time, he opened his arms to embrace the world he had once abandoned. Then, with a sense of relief and a smile, he slowly closed his eyes, as if ending a long and lonely journey.
Quietly sleeping in the warmest embrace, the world remained silent after the sword strike ended, not even a Qian Wenwan fell. Qian Wenwan slowly withdrew her Compassion and Joy smile. Her gentle eyes regained their calm. Qin Yu remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft breath.
For the first time, genuine admiration appeared in his eyes. "What a move... 'Great Dream Returns to the Nest,' this sword does not kill, yet it can end the life of the loneliest person in the world."
Qin Yu slowly withdrew his gaze, taking one last look at the now silent ruins of the Shade-Guarding Clan. The entire world was devoid of the laughter and joy of the past. The ancient tree still stood there quietly, but there was no one left beneath it.
Qian Wenwan gently sheathed the divine sword Compassion and Joy, her palm lightly brushing the hilt. Her eyes still held a hint of reluctance. After a moment of silence, she softly said, "Young Master Qin, let's go."
"All opportunities here have come to an end. Yuan Weizhi went south alone; I wonder how he is doing now." Qin Yu nodded slowly, gazing at the distant horizon. "Yes, let's go. Hopefully, we can still make it in time."
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and gently made a slash, instantly creating a void rift that stretched for tens of thousands of miles. The two of them stepped into it, transforming into two streaks of light and speeding towards the southernmost part of the Layered Realm Void world.
As they traveled, the surrounding world began to change rapidly. The peaceful scene of spring breezes and symbiotic life in the Eastern Region was gradually disappearing. The air grew increasingly hot, and a pungent, acrid smell filled the air. Deep rumbling sounds emanated from the depths of space, like the slow, labored breathing of a ferocious beast that had slumbered for countless eons.
After flying for a long time, Qin Yu and Qian Wenwan stepped out of the void rift at the same time. As soon as their feet landed, the scene in front of them made their expressions freeze slightly.
Looking out, the entire Southern Region seemed to have been scorched by fire for countless years, the land as black as ink.
On the boundless wasteland, solidified black lava was everywhere. The ground was cracked with countless bottomless ravines, and rivers of crimson lava flowed slowly, like hideous wounds on the earth. Rolling heat waves rose continuously, scorching and distorting the space.
In the distance, towering, dark red volcanoes pierce the clouds.
Some mountain peaks are ablaze with flames, and crimson lava cascades down the cliffs like waterfalls; others have long since fractured, with countless boulders suspended in mid-air, and black flames constantly erupting from the cracks, burning the sky with jagged fissures.
The sky, too, was devoid of any life.
Thick, dark red clouds covered the sky year-round. The lightning was not silvery-white, but a mixture of dark purple and crimson. With each explosion, large swaths of flame fell from the depths of the clouds, reigniting the already scorched earth.
A strong wind whipped up a cloud of black ash.
Among the ashes, one can still vaguely see countless broken weapons, fractured bones, and charred ancient tree branches, which tumble and roll with the storm, as if silently telling the story of countless bloody battles that have taken place here.
Occasionally, one could hear deafening roars from the far distance, voices filled with rage and murderous intent, as if each roar could tear the entire world apart. There were no villages, no rivers, no flowers or grass, and no peace whatsoever.
The entire region was now nothing but war, slaughter, and destruction. Qian Wenwan gazed slowly at the endless expanse of scorched earth, took a deep breath, and her brows gradually furrowed. "This place... is like a completely different world from the Eastern Region where the Shade-Guarding Clan resides."