At midnight, the vast starry sea beyond the "Void Dharma Realm" of the Fourth Multidimensional Universe remained deep and still. At the eastern end of the Skeleton Star Sea, the "Returning Light Heavenly City," known by countless merchants, families, and powerful figures as the First City of the East, still hung atop the towering crystal cliff.
The entire city is built along the Returning Light Cliff. From the bottom of the cliff, countless pavilions, long bridges, palaces and ancient towers are laid out layer by layer along the steep crystal wall, eventually disappearing into the surging sea of clouds above.
The enormous crystal dome that enveloped the entire city remained dazzling even at midnight. Nine hundred and ninety-nine fragments of the crystal dome, originating from a dead universe, were interlocked together. Deep within each fragment lay the final radiance left behind as that universe reached its end. Crimson gold, azure blue, deep purple, and silvery white hues slowly drifted along the dome.
After being refracted countless times by the crystal walls, the light pours into the city, illuminating the long streets, eaves, stone steps, and towers with layers of interwoven, colorful light and shadow. Here, there is no true night; midnight is simply the gradual fading of the hustle and bustle.
The bustling flow of merchants during the daytime has thinned out, while the last rays of light from different universes still shine silently in the sky, immersing the entire Returning Light Heavenly City in an everlasting and magnificent radiance.
Higher up on the Returning Light Cliff, the eternal spectacle of the Reflection underwent a change at this moment. A vast silver-blue light curtain rose from the endless deep sky beyond the cliff, reflecting the outlines of mountains and rivers that had Annihilation for countless years. Broken stars slowly streaked along the light curtain, and then gradually disappeared in a crimson afterglow.
The flying bridge high in the city was illuminated, and the edges of the roof ridges shimmered with tiny crystal light. Several ancient trading buildings that had not yet closed were still brightly lit, and occasionally cultivators would ride their escape lights across the sky, leaving long trails of light beneath the crystal dome.
Further along the main city avenue, patrol teams still slowly passed by, the Dao patterns on their armor constantly changing with the flickering light. After leaving the most bustling main streets, the sounds in the city quickly diminished, and narrow ancient alleys meandered through ancient courtyards, the light and shadows cast by the eaves overlapping on the dark blue stone slabs. The deeper one went, the more tranquil the surroundings became.
In this secluded area far from the hustle and bustle of the main city, an unassuming house sits quietly at the end of several ancient alleyways. The courtyard wall is not high, and there are no clan emblems or supernatural symbols to indicate status in front of the door. Several ancient trees with broad canopies block most of the last rays of sunlight from the sky.
Only a few lamps inside cast a dim yellow light through the window lattices. If one were to pass by from the outside, one would only think of this as an ordinary old house in Returning Light Heavenly City. No one would have the idea that Hua Jingyun, the former Grand Elder of the Hua Lineage, had been living in seclusion here for countless years.
At that moment, a man in black was already standing under the eaves, several dozen feet away from the gate of the residence.
He didn't release any aura. A large black robe completely concealed his figure, even his face was hidden in the shadow cast by the hood. He simply stood quietly in place, his gaze passing over the courtyard wall and landing on the door that was still lit.
The surroundings were quiet. After a moment, the door creaked open from the inside, and a cultivator stepped out. It was the same personal steward who had been secretly taking care of Hua Jingyun all these years and regularly sending healing pills from the Hua Lineage to this place.
He had just stepped one foot out of the threshold when he sensed someone outside the courtyard. The steward looked up, his gaze meeting that of the man in black across the half-open gate.
In an instant, he stopped completely. The color drained from his face at a visible speed. His eyes widened suddenly, his pupils contracted sharply, his lips trembled unconsciously, and even the hands clenched at his sides tensed instantly.
The fear was so intense that his body froze at the doorway. He clearly recognized what it was; cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead, and his throat bobbed several times, but he couldn't even utter a single question.
The next moment, he whirled around. But just as his body was halfway turned—the man in black raised a finger, without any supernatural power or any other movement. He simply pointed his fingertip forward lightly.
A cold, dark glint flashed through the courtyard.
The deacon's body suddenly stiffened. He was still in the posture of rushing into the room, and the fear in his eyes had not dissipated. A thin crack had already extended downwards from between his eyebrows.
Immediately afterwards, cracks rapidly spread across his face, neck, and entire body, even his Fate Soul was covered in dense black fissures at the same moment. He didn't even have a chance to scream. His entire body Pre-Nonbeing. Flesh, Fate Soul, and essence were all Annihilation, leaving only a few gray dust particles that drifted down from mid-air and completely dissipated before they even hit the stone steps.
The lights inside remained on for a moment. Two moments. No sound came from within, until the third moment, when slow footsteps finally echoed from the room. Shh... shh... the footsteps were very light.
Then, an aged hand pushed open the door. Hua Jingyun, with a full head of white hair, slowly walked out. He had changed into an extremely simple gray robe, and his aged face looked even more weary in the light of the room.
The severe damage to his Fate Soul essence decades ago still left clear marks on his body. The powerful aura he once possessed as the Great Elder of the Hua Lineage has long since faded, but his back remains straight, and his eyes, which have endured the long years, have not lost their sharpness despite the decline in his cultivation.
His first glance fell on the doorway. It was Emptiness. The last vestiges of gray dust left by the personal attendant had barely dissipated when Hua Jingyun stopped. Then, he looked up at the courtyard. The man in black was still standing there.
The two gazed at each other across the quiet courtyard.
Hua Jingyun didn't ask where the steward had gone, nor did he inquire how the other party had managed to find this place. The moment he saw the figure in black, he already knew the answer in his eyes.
After a long silence, he sighed softly, a deep sense of helplessness flashing in his eyes. Over the years, he had been hiding in Returning Light Heavenly City, acting with extreme caution, and even the people in his clan who knew about this place could be counted on one hand. But he always knew in his heart that as long as he was alive, as long as Hua Yin was still sitting in the position of the Grand Elder, this day would come sooner or later.
Now, it has finally arrived.
"Hua Yin." An aged voice slowly drifted through the courtyard. "Take off your disguise." Hua Jingyun stared at the man in black, his eyes now completely cold. "I know it's you."
Beneath the eaves, the man in black remained silent for a moment. Then, a low, cold laugh escaped his lips. "Heh..."
He raised his hand and slowly pulled down the black hood that covered his face, then removed the wide black robe draped over his body. The familiar face was finally revealed in the undying afterglow of the Returning Light Heavenly City.
Hua Yin casually tossed his black robe aside, shifting his gaze from Hua Jingyun to taking in the surrounding secluded courtyard with great interest. Ancient trees shaded the courtyard, and several small houses stood scattered about, far from the power struggles within the Hua Lineage and isolated from the hustle and bustle of the most prosperous area of Returning Light Heavenly City. If one did not know the hidden story behind it, it could indeed be described as quiet and peaceful.
Hua Yin's lips gradually curled into a smile. "Hua Jingyun, how have you been?" He glanced at the courtyard again, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm. "This place of yours is truly wonderful. It's practically a paradise on earth."
The last trace of helplessness on Hua Jingyun's face vanished. His gaze gradually turned cold and sharp, and the hatred that had been building up for decades was no longer concealed. The person before him had once been merely the Second Elder of the Hua Lineage, while he himself had suffered severe damage to his Fate Soul essence and been stripped of his position as the First Elder.
Hua Yin rose to his current position step by step. Hua Jingyun, though far from the center of power in the clan, was far from being completely unaware of the many things that had happened in the shadows of the Hua Lineage over the years.
At this point, there is no longer any need for the two of them to continue their maneuvering.
Hua Jingyun slowly raised his right hand. The Fate Soul of the True Annihilation Realm · Initial Stage gradually awakened from the depths of his aged body, and his gray robe fluttered gently. Although this power was no longer comparable to his prime, the sharpness in his aged eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
"Things have come to this, further words are useless." He stared at Hua Yin. "Let's fight." Hua Jingyun's five fingers clenched tighter and tighter. "Today, I will eliminate this root of trouble for the Hua Lineage."
Hearing this, Hua Yin was not angry. Instead, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and his brows and eyes revealed undisguised arrogance and disdain. However, the deeper that smile was, the more sinister the coldness hidden in his eyes became, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for many years and finally waited for its prey to walk into a dead end.
He slowly raised his eyes, sizing up Hua Jingyun, whose hair was now completely white. Then he chuckled softly. "Ridiculous." Hua Yin's sarcasm deepened. "With your current cultivation level... you still want to struggle in your death throes?"