The Smell-Derivation Beast did not continue chasing after the Qin Yu Qi that had already lost its root essence.
It hovered quietly at the center of the Nose Root Emanation Domain, and the six long, horizontal wisps of energy that stretched across the heavens and earth slowly converged and returned to their original order. The twelve layers of rotating energy rings gradually stopped and remained Ji Ran. The countless remnants of past, present, and future existences that had been stirred and churned by "Smell the Self" all sank into the depths of the energy wall. The vast world instantly returned to peace.
Qin Yu stood in the center of the boundless Sea of Qi, clearly sensing the qi of his physical body, the qi of his Fate Soul, the qi of his experiences, and the qi of his name flowing back and forth, but without any trace of qi anymore, bearing the weighty burden of "proving Qin Yu's origin and defining who Qin Yu is".
He had already seen through and completely broken the "Smell the Self" trap, but the Smell-Derivation Beast did not retreat an inch.
The massive beast head, forged from the interwoven flow of billions of streams, slowly lowered, its central, breathless nostril, connecting the living and the non-living, steadily facing Qin Yu. The transparent cavity in its chest, large enough to contain the entire starry sea, fully opened for the first time.
The infinite remnants of existence, stripped of all differences and reduced to pure existence, slowly swirled within the cavity. With each breath, the ancient, solidified air barrier at the Nose Root Emanation Domain and fell rhythmically, endlessly regenerating.
Qin Yu raised his eyes and gazed intently, his mind clear and lucid. He clearly understood the changes and transformations in the opponent's principles. This time, the Smell-Derivation Beast no longer asked questions or forced him to choose "which wisp of aura is the true origin of myself."
The path it chooses to take is more thorough and more resolute; it wants to thoroughly and completely extract the essence of Qin Yu... Huff—with the first breath, the entire Nose Root Emanation Domain suddenly expands outward, stretching outwards across the entire domain.
The six streams of energy suddenly expanded to their Ultimate extent, extending to the endless distance beyond the limits of vision and time; the twelve layers of energy rings rotated and roared in unison, and the lingering aura of countless existences sealed for eternity on the energy walls were all illuminated and revived one after another.
The primordial energy of the beginning of the universe, the decaying breath of civilizations that have perished, the life force of all living things that have been born and died, and the potential energy of the future that has not yet taken shape, all surround the supreme true body of the Smell-Derivation Beast, swirling and flowing, layer upon layer of protection.
Inhale—the second breath draws inward, and all the myriad energies in the sky suddenly flow backward and return to their source, rumble—!!! The boundless energy wall compresses rapidly inward, and the vast Emanation Domain millions of miles is all affected and trembled by the power of this breath.
Qin Yu's robes suddenly billowed forward, making a loud rustling sound. But what was truly affected was never the robes themselves. His past energy, present energy, and the energy of countless future possibilities all broke free from the constraints of the energy barrier, reappearing in the world and spreading across the sky.
This time, there was no questioning of spirit, no probing of Dao, no more entanglement with truth or falsehood, right or wrong. All the myriad auras surged forth and rushed straight towards Qin Yu.
The twelve layers of Qi rings of the Smell-Derivation Beast lit up one after another, each layer leading to a secluded realm. The first layer allowed one to smell the texture of flesh and blood, and the physical body and bones. The second layer allowed one to smell the origin of Fate Soul, and the foundation of the Dao.
The third layer is to smell one's life experiences and myriad encounters; the fourth layer is to smell one's worldly names and causal markers; the fifth layer is to smell the traces of time and the lingering breath of existence. The aura expands inward layer by layer, tracing back to its source step by step. The sixth, seventh, eighth... layers are explored. With each deeper layer, the external appearance of the aura peels away, shedding its form and washing away its superficiality.
As for the innermost deep air ring, it has long since lost its fragrance and odor, its purity and turbidity, its life and death, its form and state, leaving only one thing—the most primordial and purest olfactory trace that existence itself can retain.
The Smell-Derivation Beast's powerful chest suddenly contracted inward, and all the myriad energies in the sky converged into the central cavity. An Ultimate power, surpassing even the ability to "Smell the Self" and far more dangerous and domineering, was fully manifested and perfectly descended upon the world. "Wanyan Return to Stillness Smell!"
No earth-shattering bombardment struck him, no immense force destroyed his body; Qin Yu's physical body remained intact and unharmed, his form and spirit still upright and stable. But the instant the divine power landed, his sense of smell suddenly became clear, and he suddenly smelled thousands upon thousands of completely different versions of himself.
It was not a single, solitary aura, but the simultaneous manifestation of billions of primordial auras. The first aura originated from the distant past, followed by the second, third, and fourth auras. In an instant, billions of auras covered the entire area. Boom!!! The entire airspace around Qin Yu was completely filled with the primordial auras of countless "Qin Yu" entities, leaving no gaps.
The first trial, "Smell the Self," has already transcended the previous superficial framework of layered analysis and self-exploration. The Smell-Derivation Beast has thoroughly deduced this principle to the Ultimate end of the Great Dao of Wanyan Great Dao.
Every Qin Yu that has existed, can exist, or will exist possesses its own unique and complete root energy.
Some have a calm and profound aura, filled with the sedimentation of ages; some have a sharp and fierce aura, hiding the bloodshed of a battle-scarred survivor; some have an aged and profound aura, weathered by the vicissitudes of time; some have a youthful and vibrant aura, yet to have experienced all the storms to come.
Countless auras, originating from countless future timelines that have yet to materialize or take shape, each wisp genuine and self-consistent. These myriad auras linger together, quietly waiting for Qin Yu to capture them with a single sniff and confirm them with a single thought.
An invisible Daoist aura arises spontaneously, silently resonating deep within perception. "I am here." The first aura conveys this unwavering Daoist conviction. "I am you." The second aura presses in relentlessly, defining itself. "You have already forgotten me." The third aura carries the melancholy of time. "This is your destined Return Path."
"This is what you might look like in the future, in all your possibilities." "Smell me, recognize me." "Confirm this body, lock onto your origin." "With just one thought of confirmation... you can find your true self." Qin Yu stood silently, neither answering nor responding, neither clinging nor arguing.
The countless auras continued to surge and surge, enveloping his entire body. He took a step forward, and with each step, countless auras belonging to him arose beneath his feet. With another step, the amount of auras surged several times over, becoming endless.
Because "Wanyan Return to Stillness Smell" has already penetrated the fundamental principles of the Great Dao, directly condensing all "possible existences" into qi and manifesting them, every choice Qin Yu has yet to make and every thought he has yet to form will give rise to a unique qi.
When the mind turns to the left, energy arises; when the mind turns to the right, energy takes shape; even when still, energy remains; raising the hand to perform a technique generates countless corresponding auras; lowering the hand to refrain from attack also gives rise to countless future traces of "non-action and stillness".
In an instant, Qin Yu was completely engulfed and enveloped by the myriad existential energies that had arisen from himself, yet he never sought, defined, or chose anything. His previous understanding of the Great Dao of "Smell the Self" had now transformed into an unbreakable Dao heart, steadily protecting his very foundation.
The physical energy passes by without clinging; the life force of the Fate Soul brushes against the body without stagnation. All the past experiences and future possibilities flow and pass through his sense of smell. He does not acknowledge any one of them as the only true self, nor does he deny that any one of them is related to him.
If there is energy, let Wuhen, let it Wuhen. I am my true self, needing no proof from myriad auras, needing no definition from myriad traces. The first trial dragged on for a long time, going through countless cycles. In the end, all the billions of Qin Yu energies swept over my body and dissipated on their own, none of them able to restrain my body or lock my root.
The Smell-Derivation Beast's nostrils tightened slightly for the first time, its aura becoming solemn and concentrated. In the next instant, all the myriad auras belonging to Qin Yu vanished, leaving nothing but emptiness.
Qin Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, his Dao heart becoming alert. The second level of the divine power trial quietly descended. Smell Smelling, and the entire Nose Root Emanation Domain completely lost all scents and dissipated all kinds of auras. The qi barrier disappeared, the giant beast vanished, and even Qin Yu's own physical aura and the remnant of his Fate Soul returned to Space Silence, leaving no trace.
Between heaven and earth, there was nothing left to smell or capture, yet in an instant, Qin Yu's entire body and his entire being experienced an unprecedented and mysterious perception: something was sniffing him, without nose, without breath, without a smeller, without anything to smell.
There was not even Qin Yu, no giant beasts, no heaven and earth, no Wanyan; only the most primordial and original "smell" remained in the world. It preceded all sensory organs, all self-consciousness, the distinction of smells, and the mutual verification of existence.
Stripping away all opposition and eliminating all connections, it is the purest and most fundamental principle of the Great Dao. Qin Yu stood quietly in this Space Silence source, and in the next instant, everything about him was thoroughly and completely understood.
All thoughts and desires were sniffed out; all memories of ages were sniffed out; unspoken secrets and unrevealed obsessions were sniffed out. Choices once buried deep in the heart and never made a decision were sniffed out; even those subtle thoughts that only sprouted on the edge of consciousness and had not yet taken shape were all transformed into primordial echoes that could be captured, leaving no place to hide.
Qin Yu's brows furrowed deeply, his Dao heart resolute and unwavering. The "Fate Cause Sealing Mirror - Logic Abyss Core" had not yet been unfurled.
He knew this technique was useless; at this moment, there were no Outer Dao causal chains, no external probing trails. This pure, primordial scent had no source, no target, no trail to seal, and no cause and effect to sever. Even if the twelve causal mirrors appeared in the world, they would have no way to exert force or leave any trace to lock it.
The "Silent Beginning: Ring Master Soul Diagram" was not activated externally either, because any deliberate act of "concealing the Fate Soul and hiding one's true nature" would itself be a new, detectable trace and a handle to be used against, only adding to the constraints.
He simply let go completely and openly, sniffing and exploring as he pleased, letting his innate senses traverse and navigate through all his thoughts, lifelong secrets, past experiences, and future possibilities.
Even his ancient Daoist heart of "I am who I am" is no longer deliberately hidden or guarded. Having gone through the first trial of supernatural powers, he has already seen through it all.
Deliberately hiding is a sign of fear; fear of being investigated, exposed, and revealed means that one still clings to the idea that "the true self needs protection and the original self needs to be intact," remaining trapped by the attachment to the root of one's nose and binding one's own hands and feet.