The Life Source Pool in the Rear Mountain's Forbidden Domain

At the base of the twelve gray stone pillars, a faint white light simultaneously shone. A deep, resonant primal vibration swept across the entire dark mountain belly, echoing endlessly. The nine concentric rings, from the outside in, awakened one after another, rotating layer by layer.

As the first ring lights up, countless intricate patterns emerge from the entire stone slab, taking root in the earth; as the second ring awakens, the nine surrounding black peaks resonate in unison, shaking the void; as the third ring rotates, the milky-white ancient stone at the center of the array slowly rises into the air, its warm and primordial essence flowing outwards.

The fourth, fifth, and sixth rings lit up in succession, the void differentiated layer by layer, and the distance between spaces shifted and changed chaotically. The center of the array was sometimes far away and sometimes within reach, fully demonstrating the profound mystery of the Great Dao, until the ninth ring was completely and brilliantly lit up.

In the void above the center of the formation, a perfectly round domain of light silently opened up. There were no violent spatial turbulences, no fierce killing aura, only pure, extremely silver-blue radiance descending, with countless starlight points scattered and flowing, slowly rising and falling. The depths of the domain of light were hazy and endless, with only a vast and boundless aura of life force penetrating dimensions and rushing towards us.

Qin Yu's pupils twitched slightly, and for the first time, a clear heterochromatic color appeared in his eyes.

The mere wisp of primordial aura emanating from the light domain caused his Fate Soul, which had been severely injured by the Life Silence Return to the Ruins and had not healed for a long time, to resonate and be nourished.

The old man had lowered his eyes and composed himself, returning to his sullen and indifferent state. "Enter." Chi Boqian bowed solemnly. "Thank you, senior." Qin Yu also bowed deeply. "Thank you, senior."

The old man did not respond, his figure disappearing back into the deathly silence. The slight hint of approval he had shown earlier vanished completely, returning to eternal indifference. Chi Boqian turned and stepped into the silver-blue light domain. Qin Yu followed closely behind, stepping in as well.

A sky full of silvery-blue light instantly engulfed all vision.

There was no spatial tearing or compression, no dimensional traversal or weightlessness; only a momentary stripping and isolation of perception. The next instant, the blinding light vanished abruptly, and the world completely transformed.

Qin Yu raised his eyes and stopped, his mind slightly shaken.

A vast and boundless sea of clouds stretches beneath the peaks, with white waves extending to the horizon. Countless solitary peaks rise abruptly from the sea, some as straight as swords, some with flat tops like platforms, and some with precarious cliffs hanging in the air, standing in a staggered array.

The distant mountains rise in layers, ancient trees are verdant and vigorous, and the Chi Lineage Ancient Pavilion, built against the mountain, is scattered in a well-organized manner. Its black-tiled eaves hang on the cliff, stand on the peak, and are suspended on a lonely island in the sea of clouds, half hidden and half revealed in the clouds and mist, quiet and far away.

Before them lay another independent, ancient secret realm. It was still the dead of night, but the sky was completely different from the outside world.

The entire sky was interwoven with a vast expanse of deep blue, ethereal purple, and pale cyan light, dotted with countless stars, dazzling and boundless. Long streaks of starlight stretched across the heavens, extending from the far horizon. At the very center of the sky, a magnificent galaxy slowly unfurled, cascading down a boundless expanse of silvery-white light, illuminating the peaks, pavilions, and sea of clouds, bathing the entire secret realm in gentle and sacred starlight.

What truly captivated Qin Yu was the central area of the sea of clouds—a massive, suspended mountain platform stretching across the vast expanse of clouds.

The mountain platform appears to have been carved from the summit of an ancient giant peak, with sheer cliffs hanging precariously around it. Below, the clouds surge gently and ceaselessly. A white ancient railing surrounds the platform, with dozens of ancient stone pillars evenly arranged, each topped with a point of pale golden light that never fades.

At the very center of the mountain platform, a giant circular pool lies dormant. This is the Life Source Pool.

The pool water was crystal clear, with an Ultimate clear and deep blue color, far from ordinary water. Every inch of the pool liquid contained an extremely rich and profound essence of Fate Soul essence, so dense that it was almost solidified into mist. Thousands of silvery-white stardust-like light spots floated and sank in it, some swimming slowly along the bottom of the pool, others rising gently to the surface, where they turned into a faint mist of light when touched by the wind, and then fell back down.

The pond is still, yet it is constantly rippling with shallow waves that spread slowly outwards from the center, ever-flowing and ever-renewing.

At the center of the pool, a giant star-shaped ancient seal of origin lies dormant. Eight main patterns extend in all directions, with intricate ring patterns intersecting and connecting to form a complete ancient life- Source Dao array. The most brilliant starlight descends from the center of the sky, landing precisely on the core of the star seal.

A soft hum reverberated across the surface of the pool, and a pale silver halo of life energy suddenly rippled outwards, sweeping across the entire pool area.

Wherever the halo passed, the blue pool water lit up with a faint glow, and the entire Life Source Pool instantly became bright and dazzling, like a whole sea of stars that had fallen to earth and was submerged among the clouds and peaks.

Several ancient rock platforms stand scattered in the pool, their surfaces free of moss and Stainless, covered with a layer of natural silvery-blue luster. Beside one of the rocks, a unique three-leaf plant grows alone, each leaf tip adorned with a glistening drop of liquid that remains suspended, brimming with boundless vitality.

Outside the Life Source Pool, long white stone steps rise one after another, connecting to even higher solitary peaks. Ancient temples are scattered on the peaks, with layers of green tiles and upturned eaves bathed in starlight. A stone bridge spans the sea of clouds, connecting the solitary peaks, and pavilions stand quietly on the edge of the clouds, ancient and serene.

The entire vast forbidden area was Ultimate silent and unguarded, except for the gentle ripples on the pond that echoed softly. Qin Yu before the white stone steps, gazing at this secret realm hidden deep within the Chi Lineage's ancient depths, his eyes gradually becoming calm and clear.

Only now did he truly understand the supreme value of the Life Source Pool. It was not a simple cultivation pool, but the core essence of an entire independent secret realm, nurtured day and night, with all paths converging towards it.

Ancient patterns on the peaks converge in the shadows, starlight filters and falls from the sky, and the underwater rhythm rises against the tide. All the essences gather in one pool, surrounded by ten thousand peaks, with one pool at the center.

Bearing the foundation of the Chi Lineage's destiny accumulated over millions of years, Chi Boqian stood beside Qin Yu, gazing at the clear and dazzling Life Source Pool before him, a solemnity and appreciation that only the clan leader could understand surfacing in his eyes. He slowly raised his hand and pointed to the suspended mountain platform in the center of the sea of clouds, his voice deep and resonant.

"Young friend Qin." "We've arrived." "This is the foundation of my Chi Lineage — the Life Source Pool." Qin Yu followed his fingertips and gazed into the distance. The vast sky was filled with starlight, which shone down and spread across the mountain peaks and sea of clouds.

The ancient star-shaped seal, which had been dormant at the Life Source Pool for countless ages, slowly lit up with a deep and brilliant light once more. A circle of silver Life Source ripples swept across the entire surface of the pool, and then pierced through the void, slowly undulating towards where Qin Yu stood.

Chi Boqian stood on the edge of the sea of clouds, his gaze falling on the star-studded Life Source Pool. His expression grew increasingly solemn, and the composure he had shown earlier faded somewhat. He spoke slowly and deliberately, revealing the secret to Qin Yu.

"Young friend Qin, this Life Source Pool before you Non-Self clan's descendants." He spoke slowly, gazing at the silver-blue stardust floating on the surface of the pool.

"Throughout millions of years, very few members of my Chi Lineage have been able to set foot in this place. Even among the direct descendants of the clan, not everyone can obtain this opportunity. Only those with a sufficiently stable Fate Soul foundation and a Dao heart that has withstood countless trials..."

Only those core members who bear the immense expectations of their Lineage are qualified to enter the pool. Ordinary clansmen, even after a lifetime of effort, can only hear its rumors and find it difficult to even approach the three layers of clan restrictions on the back mountain.

After a pause, Chi Boqian continued his explanation.

"The most mysterious aspect of this pool is not that it nourishes the Source Power, but that it nourishes the origin of the Fate Soul. Ordinary spiritual springs and secret realms can only repair the physical body's foundation, but for cultivators in the Eternal Silence Realm, the damage is mostly rooted deep in the Fate Soul."

Damaged Dao traces, the erosion of the Fate Soul by the power of Annihilation, and the primal wounds left after a great battle—these injuries can often only be treated temporarily with elixirs and rare treasures. The ancient essence precipitated within the Life Source Pool can seep into your soul core along the Fate Soul's meridians, Annihilation the cracks torn by the power of annihilation and destruction, and gradually nurturing and reuniting those stripped and dissipated Dao traces.

"But it's not without its limitations," Chi Boqian said solemnly. "If someone's Dao heart is unstable and their Fate Soul foundation is weak, entering the pool rashly will turn the vast essence of life source into a disaster. Under the scouring of the source, their will is easily disturbed by the myriad remnants of countless ages, leading to a loss of soul consciousness. This is why my Chi Lineage strictly controls the access to the pool."

At this point, he looked up towards the mountainside where the ancient formation had been located.

"The gray-robed old man who was sitting quietly on the stone platform just now, I think you must have some doubts in your heart. He Non-Self Chi Family Lineage, but a close friend of Chi Lanyue, the Supreme Elder of my family."

You've met Elder Chi Lanyue before. Elder Chi Lanyue has always Source Dao Ultimate Beast Huang, Wanyan, to guard the most core forbidden area of Chi Lineage land. In the future, when you travel to this secret realm during your seclusion, you'll often encounter this elder. This way, you'll have a better understanding of who you'll meet next time.

The evening breeze stirred the sea of clouds, and starlight sprinkled on their shoulders. Chi Boqian withdrew his gaze, looked at Qin Yu, and said in a clear voice, "Alright, young friend Qin, you can now enter the pool on your own. You can stay as long as you like. I won't disturb you any longer."

Qin Yu nodded respectfully. "Yes, I understand."

Chi Boqian said no more, nodded slightly, turned around and followed the path he had come from, stepping away. His figure gradually disappeared at the end of the silver-blue light domain, leaving only Qin Yu on the entire suspended mountain platform.

Qin Yu walked slowly forward to the edge of the white stone pool of the Life Source Pool. Before he could even touch the clear blue water, the Silent Beginning · Ring Master Soul Diagram deep within his Fate Soul suddenly trembled slightly.

A silent, invisible resonance exploded, and the layers of Soul Layer patterns subtly flowed, echoing the vast origin of the entire Life Source Pool. On the surface of the pool, circles of silver-blue ripples slowly rippled towards him following this resonance.

At that very moment, within Qin Yu's sea of consciousness, amidst the lush branches of the Void Divine Tree, Xiao Yue's curled-up figure stirred.

She stretched languidly on the branch, her eyes still hazy, carrying the lingering drowsiness of a long sleep. Her shoulders relaxed slightly, she spread her arms and stretched her body, letting out a long exhale. A soft, sweet voice echoed in her mind. "Hoh—" a gentle sound.

"Little Qinzi, where is this?" Qin Yu's mind sank into his sea of consciousness, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Xiao Yue, you've been sleeping too long. The martial arts competition among the Lineage has ended, and this place is the Chi Lineage's forbidden area in the back mountains. Right in front of us is the Chi Lineage's Life Source Pool."

Whoosh! Xiao Yue's figure flashed, appearing directly from the Void Divine Tree in her Sea of Consciousness and landing solidly on Qin Yu's right shoulder. Her eyes widened as she stared blankly at the vast and dazzling Life Source Pool before her, her eyes filled with amazement.

"Tsk tsk tsk, the Chi Lineage's foundation is truly impressive. Little Qinzi's Life Source Pool is no ordinary thing." Qin Yu turned his head and asked softly, "Do you know its origin?"

Xiao Yue sat on his shoulder, her little feet swinging gently. Her gaze was fixed on the huge star-shaped primordial pattern at the bottom of the pool, her expression less playful and more distant.

"The origin of this thing can be traced back to the self-devouring of nothingness."

In the primordial era, before heaven and earth were separated, all things were mixed together in one place, called the 'Primordial Womb'. This embryo was not a physical entity, but the womb of all laws, matter, time, and causality.

One day, an inexplicable 'autophagy' occurred within the cell—one set of laws began to devour another, and in the end, even the act of 'devouring' itself was consumed. The remnant of that collapse was not energy, nor matter, but 'emptiness'.

This 'emptiness' was so pure that even 'existence' was unwilling to approach it. In the chaos that followed, an unknown ancient god passed by and casually molded this 'emptiness' into a concave shape—he originally only intended to use it to hold water, but as soon as the water was poured in, even the concept of 'water' disappeared.

The ancient god was horrified and abandoned it in the rift, letting it drift. For trillions of years thereafter, it devoured stars, gods, and traces of civilization from three entire eras, eventually settling into a pool of still, black water, Wuhen and immutable for eternity.

This is the physical form of the Return to the Ruins. All the 'Return to the Ruins Projection' within cultivators later were imitations and responses to this drifting object. The Chi Lineage's Life Source Pool was created by later generations using supreme Dao techniques to guide and refine this wisp of Return to the Ruins's origin, then layering it with the essence of Fate Soul accumulated over countless ages, thus creating this mysterious pool before us. Go in quickly, it will greatly benefit you...

Qin Yu listened quietly, nodding slightly. He finally understood the terrifying power of this pool. He stepped forward, crossing the edge of the white stone pool, and his first foot slowly sank into the blue-green water.

In an instant, a warm and vast sense of Space Silence, yet carrying a hint of the essence of Return to the Ruins, spread from the soles of my feet throughout my body.

It wasn't a stinging pain, nor a violent impact, but rather countless tiny, stardust-like fragments of life essence flowing through every pore and meridian of the body towards the Fate Soul. The hidden wounds of Annihilation left over from the battle, lurking in the crevices of the soul, generated waves of tingling warmth the moment they came into contact with the pool water.

The Silent Beginning · Ring Master Soul Diagram vibrated more and more violently, and the Nine-Wheel True Evolution Dharma Wheel slowly rotated deep within the Fate Soul, actively accepting the life Source Power surging in from all directions.

The pool water slowly rose past her ankles, past her knees, and upwards.

With his mind at peace, Qin Yu cleared his mind of all distractions and walked step by step toward the center of the Life Source Pool. The huge star-shaped Origin Mark at the bottom of the pool was not far below him, and starlight from the sky fell down, completely enveloping his body.

Reaching the center of the pool, he stopped. The water rose to his chest, and Qin Yu sat cross-legged in the water, surrounded by flowing blue water, with thousands of silvery-white light spots slowly rising and falling around his body.

His eyes slowly closed, and the vast Fate Soul essence of the Life Source Pool continuously flowed into his body.