Only now did Qin Yu speak slowly, his voice still calm and undisturbed. "You need not be so fearful. If I had harbored murderous intent just now, this cauldron would have long since vanished into the annals of time." Qin Yu raised his eyes, looking at the Realm Devouring Heaven Burning Ancient Cauldron. "Artifacts have their own way; to be able to give birth to a complete Spiritual Sense is a rare occurrence, even within millions of epochs. I have no intention of destroying such a being that has given birth to spiritual intelligence." As his voice fell, he turned to look at Yuan Xuangu. "Do you know that none of the external things in this world can harm me in the slightest?"
Yuan Xuangu stood silently for a long while, then slowly shook his head. Qin Yu spoke softly, each word resonating deeply: "It's because divine weapons, precious cauldrons, array patterns, talismans, and even all borrowed power are merely external possessions." "They depend on the Great Dao of the Heavens, on the laws of heaven and earth, and on those who forged them in the past."
"Everything that has something to rely on has its origin; once the source is found, the time for return to stillness naturally arrives." Qin Yu slowly raised his right hand, his palm empty, devoid of any spiritual light or treasure. "The strongest in the world is never external treasures, but one's own essence." "One day, you will no longer need to rely on any divine weapons, but will stand tall in the universe solely on your own Fate Soul, your original flesh and blood, and your own Dao fruit."
"At that point, nothing external can influence your strength or weakness." Yuan Xuangu remained silent for a long time, not uttering a word. He slowly lowered his head, gazing at the Realm Devouring Heaven Burning Cauldron in his palm. Only now did he fully understand the crux of the matter—for millions of epochs, he had always regarded this divine cauldron as his trump card, yet he had been unable to forge his own unique path of cultivation.
Yuan Xuangu slowly closed his eyes, exhaling a long breath of turbid air from his chest. His Dao heart, dormant for many years, quietly transformed at this moment, giving birth to a brand new Dao rhythm. The Realm Devouring Heaven Burning Cauldron slowly withdrew its divine radiance.
The Primordial sea of fire that had just covered the entire world slowly receded into the cauldron like a receding tide. The cauldron spirit clasped its hands and bowed deeply to Qin Yu, then transformed back into an ancient artifact pattern, quietly merging into the cauldron's wall.
The divine cauldron that had been floating between heaven and earth slowly shrank and finally fell back in front of Yuan Xuangu. The cauldron no longer had the domineering aura that had previously looked down on all the heavens, but instead had a calmness that came from being baptized by the Great Dao.
Yuan Xuangu held up the Realm Devouring Heaven Burning Cauldron with both hands, gently closed his eyes, and then stored it deep within his Fate Soul. He slowly took a step forward. At this moment, he no longer considered himself a Supreme Elder, nor did he boast about being a cultivator of millions of eras. Instead, he clasped his hands together in front of his chest and slowly bowed.
That was the highest ancient ritual of the Ancient God Clan, which was only performed when facing someone truly worthy of lifelong reverence. At the same time, Yuan Zhanxiao slowly walked to Yuan Xuangu's side.
He gazed at the ancestral land before him, now utterly ruined, and at the lingering traces of his clansmen, his eyes reddening slightly. He slowly lowered his head, his voice filled with remorse. "Grand Elder..." "Just now... I was too reckless." "If you hadn't stopped me, I'm afraid I wouldn't even have had the chance to intervene a second time."
Yuan Xuangu turned his head and gently patted Yuan Zhanxiao's shoulder. The movement was light, yet it felt like an elder admonishing his most valued junior. He looked into the distance and slowly said, "Zhanxiao, always remember one thing: 'There are always higher heavens and more capable people.' 'Cultivation level is never the only measure of a person.'"
As he spoke, he looked at Qin Yu again, his eyes filled with respect. "Although your cultivation is only at the Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage, the Great Dao, rules, and origins you have comprehended are far beyond our reach. Today's battle is not a defeat for you, but a true opportunity for the Great Dao."
Yuan Zhanxiao's body trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, then nodded emphatically. "Zhanxiao will remember your teachings." With that, the two walked forward simultaneously, stopping a few feet in front of Qin Yu without hesitation. Thump—the two knelt on one knee at the same time, clasped their hands in fists, lowered their heads, and spoke in firm, resounding voices. "Your subordinate Yuan Xuangu." "Your subordinate Yuan Zhanxiao." "Willing to follow Master." "From this day forward, we are willing to be Master's Soul Thrall, following him through life and death, never betraying him."
After gazing at the two silently for a moment, Qin Yu slowly reached out and helped them both up. "Get up." "Now that you're mine, you no longer need to kneel." The two slowly rose, and Qin Yu gently raised his right hand. Two pure and flawless strands of Fate Soul essence slowly emerged from his fingertips, without any domineering pressure.
There was no forced enslavement whatsoever. The two strands of Fate Soul slowly disappeared into the depths of Yuan Xuangu and Yuan Zhanxiao's Fate Soul. In an instant, the causal relationship between the three Fate Soul was completely connected. Yet they remained independent of each other. It was not a constraint, but more like a trust that could never be severed. Yuan Xuangu and Yuan Zhanxiao closed their eyes at the same time, and they could clearly feel it.
Not only did their Fate Soul feel no pressure, but they were even more stable than before. Even the primal cracks left by the great battle were slowly healing. The two of them were shaken and clasped their fists again. "Greetings, Master." Qin Yu nodded slightly and slowly looked towards the Ancient God Clan's ancestral land, which had been reduced to ruins.
His expression was calm as he softly declared, "From this day forward, the name of the Ancient God Clan will be erased and cease to exist." "From now on, our clan will be called the Annihilation God Clan." His voice was gentle and soothing, flowing across the entire ancestral land. The surrounding world fell silent, as if in silent agreement to this predetermined decree. Yuan Xuangu and Yuan Zhanxiao bowed simultaneously. "Your subordinates respectfully obey your decree, Master."
Qin Yu gently waved his right hand, and two ancient-looking storage bags slowly flew to the two of them. "Here, each contains 10 billion Supreme Transformation Source Crystal." "Take them." "Use them to rebuild the ancestral land of the Annihilation God Clan." "At the same time, recruit talented cultivators from all over the world." "Remember." "What I want is a truly great clan that can stand firmly in the world," not a clan that survives by scheming and plotting."
As soon as the words fell, Yuan Xuangu and Yuan Zhanxiao scanned the area with their divine senses. The next instant, the two of them froze on the spot, their pupils contracting sharply. Inside the storage bag.
The densely packed Supreme Transformation Source Crystal resembled an endless silver-white starry sea, spreading out within it. The extremely rich primordial aura even caused the storage space to tremble slightly.
A hundred billion... it really was a hundred billion Supreme Transformation Source Crystal! With such wealth, let alone rebuilding an Annihilation God Clan, it would be more than enough to rebuild several top-tier holy lands. The two trembled slightly, but without any hesitation, they knelt down respectfully again, holding up their storage bags with both hands, their voices firm and resolute.
"Your subordinate obeys!" "I will not fail my master's expectations!" Qin Yu nodded slightly, then a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Alright." "Xiao Yue." As soon as he finished speaking, a streak of azure light suddenly flew out from Qin Yu's sea of consciousness, and the next moment, a petite and exquisite girl's figure landed on Qin Yu's right shoulder with a "whoosh".
Xiao Yue stood with her hands on her hips, her long, star-blue hair swaying gently. The square star core badge on her chest slowly rotated. She swung her legs and looked at Yuan Xuangu with a smile. "Hahaha!" "Not bad, not bad!" Little Qinzi. "Their strength is indeed not weak." Yuan Xuangu and Yuan Zhanxiao looked over at the same time.
With just that one glance, the two men were suddenly jolted. They couldn't sense Xiao Yue's cultivation level at all, but the more they couldn't, the more they could feel it. Within this girl, who was no bigger than the palm of their hand, slumbered a vast aura that made even their Fate Soul tremble.
That wasn't a difference in cultivation level, but an unattainable gap in the level of life itself. The two exchanged a glance, their hearts already churning with turbulent emotions. Their master... actually had such a being accompanying him! Qin Yu turned to look at Xiao Yue on his shoulder. "That Xuangu Realm Devouring Heaven Burning Cauldron is quite impressive." "Take a look." "Is there any chance to upgrade it to Wuji Origin Returning Supreme Treasure?"
Xiao Yue lightly leaped into the air, circled Yuan Xuangu once, then gently touched the Realm Devouring Heaven Burning Cauldron with her fair hand. After a moment, she nodded slightly. "This cauldron's foundation is indeed excellent." "The artifact spirit has already developed a complete spiritual nature." "If it continues to be nurtured, its future potential will be considerable." "However..."
She slowly opened her delicate hands and said softly, "If you wish to transform this cauldron and make it a Wuji Origin Returning Supreme Treasure, one thing is still missing." Upon hearing this, Yuan Xuangu immediately bowed and clasped his hands, his tone respectful. "I hope Senior can enlighten me." Xiao Yue gently raised her slender fingers and slowly uttered three words: "The Wuji Source Catalyst."
"This thing was not born of heaven and earth, nor was it forged by the skillful hands of all living beings. Rather, it was a wisp of primordial essence that condensed after the death of a great being who had reached the Wuji Realm. The essence of his life's cultivation had not yet dissipated, and it had been intertwined and influenced with the primordial origin of heaven and earth, which was formless and uncertain, and had endured countless epochs of time."
"It is not a divine weapon, nor is it a rare natural mineral, nor is it a crystallized Dao pattern. It is itself a fragment of Wuji Dao fruit that has not yet returned to the void. In the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain, there should only be one such fragment, and finding it is as difficult as ascending to heaven."
At this point, Xiao Yue's brows relaxed, she smiled sweetly, and gently waved her hand. "There's no need to worry. Everything in this world has a cause. Where there's a cause, there's a corresponding effect. Just wait patiently, and one day you will encounter this thing."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yuan Xuangu and Yuan Zhanxiao stood frozen in place, their minds shaken. The Fate Soul essence within their bodies surged and churned uncontrollably. The Wuji Origin Returning Supreme Treasure was something they wouldn't even dare to dream of in the past, but in Qin Yu and Xiao Yue's words, it was just a trivial matter of waiting for an opportunity.
At this moment, they had no more doubts and finally realized that the person they were now following had a profound and immeasurable background.