Qin Yu nodded. "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Ninghua." Chi Ninghua smiled and said no more. With a flick of her sleeve, her figure gradually disappeared into the deep night. In the vast courtyard, only Qin Yu, Shen Qingchen, and Su Qingyuan remained in an instant.
After Chi Ninghua left, Shen Qingchen, who had been maintaining his composure, could no longer contain his joy. He looked Qin Yu up and down, and then burst into loud laughter, the cheerful sound echoing through the courtyard. He was still the same familiar person he used to be.
"Hahaha! Brother Yu! I feel like you've gotten even stronger!" He said, circling Qin Yu slowly, sighing repeatedly. "It's truly enviable. Others cultivate diligently, enduring countless hardships to achieve progress, but you seem to reside within the very essence of the Great Dao year-round."
Su Qingyuan, standing to the side, also stared wide-eyed at Qin Yu, her eyes filled with astonishment. "Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage... Such cultivation speed is terrifying, he's practically a prodigy." She took a deep breath, her heart pounding with emotion. "I still remember when we parted, you didn't yet possess your current cultivation. Time flies by in the blink of an eye, and now we can only look up to you from afar."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu couldn't help but smile wryly. "You two are also quite remarkable, both having reached the True Annihilation Realm · Advanced Stage. Such progress, even among the younger generation of the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain, is enough to be called a prodigy." He looked at his two old acquaintances, a sense of satisfaction rising in his heart. "You two are equally monstrous talents."
The three looked at each other and burst into laughter at the same time. The laughter drifted leisurely through the quiet courtyard, devoid of scheming or life-or-death struggle. At this moment, they were simply old friends reunited after a long separation, shedding all burdens and chatting freely.
Before long, the three sat down side by side at the stone table, the spiritual tea steaming with wisps of white mist. The night grew even darker.
Since their separation, they had each experienced trials and tribulations, and recounted their enlightenment journeys in turn. Shen Qingchen vividly described the amusing incidents during their travels, often making Su Qingyuan chuckle. Su Qingyuan also talked about the misunderstandings that arose during her seclusion for enlightenment, and by the end, she couldn't help but chuckle softly herself.
Qin Yu listened quietly most of the time, occasionally interjecting a few words. The familiar words in his ears and the relaxed smiles in front of him provided a rare place for his long-tense mind to find peace.
Unbeknownst to them, the stars in the night sky slowly shifted, and the moonlight, like water, bathed the entire courtyard. Pot after pot of spirit tea sat on the stone table as the three chatted for a long time, as if trying to make up for all the little things they had missed during their years apart.
As night Ultimate, Shen Qingchen finally stretched and yawned. "Brother Yu, the Four Great Lineage Grand Competition is the day after tomorrow. We're all waiting to see you display your prowess." Su Qingyuan smiled gently. "You should rest early. These past few days have been full of turmoil; you probably haven't truly relaxed."
Qin Yu stood up and nodded slightly to the two of them. "Alright, you should also go back and rest early. See you the day after tomorrow." The three of them clasped their hands in greeting and then left in different directions.
As night deepened, the gates of the Starlight Palace slowly opened to both sides. Qin Yu entered the palace alone. The palace was peaceful, with faint starlight hanging down from the dome. He did not immediately go into seclusion to cultivate. Instead, he walked slowly to the corridor outside the palace, put his hands behind his back, and looked up at the vast night sky.
Countless stars dotted the vast sky, silently casting a soft glow. Qin Yu remained silent for a long time. After a long while, a very soft whisper drifted away on the wind, "It has been so long since I returned to the Annihilation Abyss Epoch..."
His gaze pierced through the endless void, looking towards the distant shore. Familiar figures slowly surfaced in his mind: Ruishan's Wenwan smile, Qingwan's quiet, watchful eyes, Hanyan's cool exterior but deep concern for everyone, Yunyi's gentle, spring-like voice, and the taciturn, always trustworthy and reliable Extinguished Light.
Images flashed before his eyes, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. Deep within that smile, however, lingered an unyielding longing. A moment later, his gaze turned to the more distant beyond the realm, and he murmured softly, "Yue'er, I am now in the Supreme Transformation Primordial Domain. I wonder how you are doing?"
The night breeze ruffled his clothes, scattering the whisper beneath the starry sky. At this moment, Qin Yu did not think about the upcoming Four Great Lineage Grand Competition, nor did he concern himself with the undercurrents between the Hua Lineage and other parties. He simply stood quietly under the starry sky, sending the long-held concerns in his heart to the endless distance. The vast starry sky flowed silently, carrying the long-lasting thoughts of a traveler on a long journey.
As dawn broke the following day, the eternal light pierced through layers of void clouds and descended upon the Void Dharma Realm of the Fourth Multidimensional Universe. Today, the Chi Lineage is solemn and ancient, far surpassing any time in the past.
Across the vast expanse of palaces stretching for hundreds of millions of miles, figures filled the air, as boundless as the sea. Millions of Chi Lineage disciples, stewards, and guards stood in orderly, Ji Ran array at the Primordial Beginning Square.
In the center of the square, a towering ancient altar rises from the ground, spanning heaven and earth. Engraved on the altar are the Ancient Clan patterns of the Chi Lineage that have spanned countless eras. Each pattern is imbued with the Daoist essence of their ancestors and the Fate Soul force of their progenitor, ancient, profound, and eternally enduring.
The entire clan stood silently, their minds solemn. Everyone knew that today was the day the Four Great Lineage Grand Competition.
This grand event is not merely a contest among young prodigies; it influences the future destiny of the Lineage and grants them the power to dictate the fate of the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain for countless epochs, carrying a weight as heavy as the heavens themselves.
... BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!
Deep within the void came a series of profound Daoist voices, resounding throughout the entire Void Dharma Realm. An ancient figure stepped through the air, each step imbued with Daoist power—it was none other than Chi Boqian, the patriarch of the Chi Family Lineage.
He wore a plain ancient robe, without any adornment, yet he exuded the timeless majesty of a clan leader. With each step he took into the void, faint Dao patterns would spontaneously arise and evolve, neither ostentatious nor violent, yet they cleansed the hearts of every clan member, causing the minds of the masses to tremble.
Chi Boqian landed in the center of the altar, looking down at the millions of clansmen below. His gaze was peaceful, yet it carried the weight of the clan's rise and fall. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying for millions of miles, reaching the ears of every clansman.
"Fellow clansmen, today, our Chi Lineage has traveled to the Primordial Grave the Fifth Multidimensional Universe to participate in the unprecedented grand competition among the Lineage. This battle concerns the fate of our clan and will determine the rise and fall of our Chi Lineage for countless future eras. Its significance is immeasurable."
The millions of clansmen present grew even more solemn, none daring to slacken their efforts in the slightest. "The disciples who have gone on this expedition have all been selected through layers of clan review; they are the most outstanding rising stars of our Chi Lineage in this generation."
"These five are our clan's representatives in battle." As soon as the words were spoken, five figures stepped out calmly from the crowd and stood beneath the altar, exuding an extraordinary aura.
The leader, Chi Junxuan, Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage. His posture is as upright as a pine tree, his face resolute, and he carries the sharp edge of a young prodigy.
The next person, Chi Yufeng, Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage. His aura is calm and restrained, his eyes are sharp, and his heart is filled with the tranquility of the Great Dao.
The third person, Chi Yi'an, Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage. His expression was calm and serene, and a unique Daoist charm flowed around him, revealing an unfathomable depth of knowledge.
The fourth person, Chi Mulin, Eternal Silence Realm Initial Stage. She is dressed in simple Qingyi robes, with a Leng Jue appearance and a profound and tranquil temperament.
Finally, Chi Boqian turned his gaze to one side of the crowd and announced in a resounding voice, "In addition to these four, we have added another special ally of our clan— Qin Yu."
Boom!!! The moment the name resounded, whispers filled the vast Primordial Beginning Square, like the sound of wind passing through the forest, layer upon layer.
"Qin Yu? That foreign cultivator?" "I've heard he's helped my Chi Lineage overcome numerous calamities; he's quite powerful."
"But the Four Great Lineage Grand Competition gathers the most talented people in the entire region, with geniuses as numerous as clouds. Can he, a mere outsider, really withstand such a top-level competition?"
Many young disciples were filled with doubt. They had not personally experienced the turmoil and did not know Qin Yu's past of defying the heavens and killing enemies. They judged strength solely by cultivation level, so they inevitably had concerns.
However, many clan elders and senior disciples nodded in agreement. "To be personally selected by the clan leader is far beyond what an ordinary Eternal Silence Initial Stage cultivator can achieve."
At the back of the crowd, Shen Qingchen and Su Qingyuan stood side by side. Hearing the surrounding discussions, they simply smiled calmly at each other.
Shen Qingchen crossed his arms, his eyes filled with unwavering confidence. "They are ultimately ignorant and unaware of Brother Yu's truly extraordinary abilities."
Su Qingyuan nodded gently, her eyes clear. "If they had seen Brother Yu break through adversity and defeat enemies of higher levels, they wouldn't have the slightest doubt."
From beginning to end, the two of them had no doubts about Qin Yu, only complete trust. On the altar, Chi Boqian suppressed the murmurs in the audience and spoke in a deep voice.
"These five disciples who have gone to battle carry the eternal glory of my Chi Lineage. May the entire clan unite in their efforts and await their triumphant return."
His tone shifted, his gaze hardening, and he issued a clan decree, "I will personally lead the troops to the Primordial Grave. Throughout the entire competition, all clan affairs will be temporarily managed by Chi Xiyue."
The moment those words were spoken, the entire audience was shaken. Chi Xiyue, the third-ranked of the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies of the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain, was stationed in the clan's territory, serving as the Chi Lineage's most solid barrier. This was enough to deter any villains from all directions, and no one dared to provoke her.
"During the Grand Competition, the entire clan's patrol level will be raised to the Ultimate! Forbidden areas, core ancestral lands, and the inheritance treasure vault will all be sealed off! Anyone suspected of anything will be kept out, and no one will be allowed to take advantage of the situation to cause trouble and disturb the foundation of our Chi Lineage!"
As the last sentence fell, his voice suddenly became majestic, resounding throughout the eight directions. "Have you all heard me clearly?" Whoosh—
Millions of disciples, deacons, and guards bowed in unison, their figures forming a forest, their voices soaring to the heavens and shaking the entire Void Dharma Realm.
"We obey the clan leader's command!" "We obey the clan leader's command!" "We obey the clan leader's command!" The vast Daoist voice echoed through the starry river, lingering for a long time.