The Three Emanations Return to Their Roots

Deep within the True Evolution Divine Hall, the fourth Tongue Pillar has fully awakened.

A colorless rift hung silently before him. Beyond the rift lay emptiness, devoid of any flavor. The bloodstains at the corner of Qin Yu's mouth hadn't completely dried; just moments before, his tongue had lightly touched it, and the warmth, viscosity, and tactile sensation of the blood remained vividly clear.

The original taste that blood should possess has been completely emptied and cleansed by heaven and earth. Looking deeper, even the relative perception of "tastelessness," which is based on "taste," is slowly dissipating.

This is a primordial void far more complete than the obliteration of ordinary taste—the fourth Tongue Faculty Emanation Domain, a supreme secret realm where the Wanyan Great Dao cannot naturally generate any possibility of "taste".

Qin Yu did not rush to step inside.

He stood still before the rift, and the "Seeing Stillness Return to Evolution" lurking deep in his pupils, the "Hearing Stillness Return to Evolution" flowing endlessly in his ears, and the "Smelling Stillness Return to Evolution" that had just been completely integrated into the origin of the olfactory path, all gradually subsided and returned to tranquility the moment the fourth root opened.

Throughout the Eye Faculty Trial, the lingering essence of the three root natures remained hidden deep within Qin Yu's perception, Formless and silent, capable of resonating and echoing each other, yet never manifesting simultaneously in a concrete form before his eyes.

Just as Qin Yu's right foot was about to cross the fourth boundary of the Emanation Domain, he suddenly stopped. A sliver of light quietly drifted down from the void above the True Evolution Divine Hall dome. There was no booming sound, no primal turbulence, it fell silently from the heavens.

Qin Yu raised his eyes and gazed at the first fragment of origin slowly swirling down from the ethereal void.

It had no fixed shape or color, and was extremely thin, almost with only a transparent edge remaining. But the moment Qin Yu's gaze fell upon it, countless long-forgotten scenes flashed through the fragment: Sea of Form surging, a mirror surface floating, billions of Ji Ran eyes, the nine layers of the Sight-Derivation Beast's double pupils, and that Ultimate gaze Dao Source the deepest part of the Grand Ancestor's Silent Form Realm.

All the myriad scenes bloomed at once, only to vanish in an instant, returning to their colorless state. Qin Yu slowly extended his right hand. The fragments gently fell into his palm, light and weightless.

But the instant it touched the palm lines, the colorless "glimpse" deep within Qin Yu's pupils, which had long been dormant, suddenly trembled slightly, and the Daoist aura revived. Buzz—the Daoist sound rang out softly, and the two instantly merged into Return to One. Qin Yu's heart was now clear, and he understood the origin of this thing.

The first one is a fragment of the eye's origin. "Seeing Stillness Return to Evolution."

In the past, the Sight-Derivation Beast guarded the root of "seeing" and held the Ultimate law of "seeing". With the "Wanyan Returning to Stillness Eye", it exhausted all forms, possibilities and futures of existence. The true Eye Faculty Trial are never the myriad illusory sights, but the active obsession of all beings with "seeing the truth and understanding the origin".

The more one insists on seeing the truth and falsehood of the world, the more one will be defined and shackled by the way of "observation," until all the unexplored paths and unrealized possibilities are exhausted, and one completely falls away from the Wanyan order of time and returns to Annihilation.

Qin Yu finally passed this trial, having seen all phenomena without clinging to any single color; being seen by all phenomena, yet not defining himself by a single glance. Seeing without seeing, observing without hindrance. The fragment in his palm gently turned, and an ancient question that had once pierced the entire Eye Faculty Emanation Domain slowly emerged into the world from that colorless glance.

"If seeing returns to stillness, how can one perceive it?" Qin Yu remained silent. He knew that this riddle had never ended when the first trial concluded. It had merely relied on the fundamental nature of "Seeing Stillness Return to Evolution," lying dormant until now, quietly awaiting its completion. A soft rustling sound arose, and the second fragment drifted into the void.

Qin Yu gently raised his left hand and caught the fragment steadily. The fragment fell into his palm without a sound, without the slightest impact. But in the next instant, every subtle sound in the entire True Evolution Divine Hall became clear and echoed in his ears.

The soft rustling of robes, the faint sound of breath rising and falling, the subtle rhythm of the Stillness Veil of the dome, the transformation of the innate nature deep within the Tongue Pillar... all sorts of subtle sounds swept past his ears and entered his senses.

Qin Yu let the myriad sounds flow by, without clinging, retaining, remembering, or responding. The sounds arose for a reason, passed without Wuhen, and returned to nothingness. Within the second fragment, there was not a single concrete sound, but only the last wisp of ancient echoes that remained after the fall of the "Hearing" Dao Root.

The second root is the fragment of the ear root. "Hearing Stillness Return to Evolution" is the trial principle of the Hearing-Derivation Beast, which is completely different from that of the eye root. The eye root traps people, trapping them in actively seeking and clinging to the pursuit of truth; the ear root traps people, trapping them in passively expecting and clinging to being heard.

Every call longs for a response; every existence hopes to leave a mark; the search for the future, the waiting for answers, the unspoken words, the unfinished thoughts—all are the silent echoes cast upon heaven and earth by all beings, all are the subtle obsessions that shackle themselves.

Qin Yu traversed countless echoes throughout the world, never responding or acting on any of them. He never defined any of what he heard as true, nor did he cling to any lingering sound. In the end, he even relinquished his obsession with whether "heaven and earth heard him" and no longer needed to verify it.

Hearing without hearing, listening without hindrance, the second fragment rests quietly in the palm of the hand, and the second age-old question emerges, "If hearing returns to silence, how can it be called hearing?" A glance sets the form, a listen leaves a sound.

Two fragments of origin rippled slightly at the same time, their Daoist auras trembling gently. Then, a third fragment fell from the void. This time, the traces of the fragments were already present before they even arrived.

Qin Yu neither saw nor heard it, but with his nose he could "smell" the faint traces of it drifting slowly down through the void.

But this trace vanished in an instant, returning to nothingness. With each inch the fragment drifted down, the remaining trace of its aura dissipated and vanished into nothingness. It never deliberately concealed its form, nor actively erased its traces; it simply never needed any external aura to prove the path it had traversed.

Qin Yu slightly spread his five fingers and calmly received the third fragment, which landed steadily in his palm. In an instant, all the myriad auras accumulated over the ages by the True Evolution Divine Hall became clear and distinct in his sense of smell.

He could smell the lingering scent left by his own journey through the Nose Faculty Trial, touch the ancient essence of the temple, and trace its past and origins by following the subtle traces of its existence.

But all the myriad auras are ultimately just passing through; not a single trace or a hint of energy can bear the weight of "proving existence and defining self."

The third root is a fragment of the nasal root's origin. "Smelling Stillness Return to Evolution". The trials of the Smell-Derivation Beast are hidden deep within the most secret and fundamental obsessions of the first three roots.

All beings are obsessed with perceiving themselves, obsessed with confirming their existence through their original essence, obsessed with proving they have not Return to Emanation through remaining traces, obsessed with repeatedly capturing that unique, personal scent, and repeatedly proving that I am who I am.

As he journeyed to the end, Qin Yu never truly understood "abandoning the self." What he truly let go of was the illusory obsession of repeatedly seeking self-verification and deliberately anchoring himself to his true self. True existence needs no external validation; the continuation of the true self needs no trace of proof.

Having breath, I do not use breath to prove myself; having no breath, I do not use the absence of breath to conceal myself. Smelling without smelling, breathing without stagnation, within the third fragment, the last wisp of breathless resonance left by the Great Ancestor before ascending to the Silent Form Realm flows slowly and endlessly. The third eternal question then appears, "If smelling returns to stillness, what then is breathing?"

Qin Yu stood quietly before the entrance to the fourth Emanation Domain, with three fragments of origin floating Anran in his palm, their Daoist essences merging seamlessly. This was the first time that the three fundamental origins had gathered completely before him in a tangible form, under his control.

First, "Seeing Stillness Return to Evolution" is the true meaning of the eye root; second, "Hearing Stillness Return to Evolution" is the true meaning of the ear root; third, "Smelling Stillness Return to Evolution" is the true meaning of the nose root. The six roots are the great path, and the six original fragments.

By this point, Qin Yu had already grasped and understood the third one. His gaze was calm as he scanned the fragments in his palm one by one, reviewing the original source of his obsession and the true meaning of breaking through the obsession in the previous three trials.

The eye root, Sight-Derivation Beast, is the master of "observation and perception." The constraint lies in actively seeking, persistently seeing the truth of the world and understanding the origin of the Great Dao. After breaking free from attachment, one sees without seeing, and is not attached to any form.

Ultimately, what remains is "Seeing Stillness Return to Evolution," and that unresolved question of the Great Dao—"If seeing returns to stillness, how can it be seen?" The ear, the Hearing-Derivation Beast, governs "hearing." The constraint lies in passively expecting, clinging to being heard by heaven and earth, and responding to by the world.

After breaking free from attachment, one hears without hearing, without lingering on any sound, ultimately leaving behind "Hearing Stillness Return to Evolution," and that unresolved question of the Great Dao—"If hearing returns to stillness, what is hearing?" The root of the nose, the Smell-Derivation Beast, governs "smell."

The constraint lies in the fundamental anchor, clinging to the Seeing Oneself essence, proving oneself through breath. After breaking free from this attachment, one smells without smelling, without lingering for a moment, ultimately leaving behind "the Smelling Stillness Return to Evolution," and that unfinished question of the Great Dao—"If smelling returns to stillness, what then becomes rest?"

The three questions, the three obsessions, and the three fundamental natures are all the eternal Daoist rhymes and Ultimate echoes left in the world at the moment when the Great Ancestor stepped into the Silent Form Realm.

Qin Yu already knew from the previous scattered resonance of the three root essences that they were not isolated Great Daos. Now that the three fragments gathered in his palm, the deep-seated connection between their origins was finally completely clear.

The broken ends of the three fragments were faintly facing each other and secretly fitting together. Qin Yu's brows furrowed slightly, and he did not force the piecing together. Three of the six fragments were still missing, and the three fundamental sources of tongue, body, and mind had not yet returned to their positions. At this moment, it would be of no use to combine them and it would be difficult to achieve perfection.

But the moment the three fragments approached each other, tiny gaps spontaneously appeared between the broken edges. The three root Daoist rhythms flowed and circulated along the gaps, endlessly repeating. The seeing rhythm flowed to hearing, the hearing rhythm flowed to smelling, and the smelling rhythm returned to seeing.

Beginningless Endless, without before or after, forming a self-contained loop and rotating freely, the blurry outline of the Great Ancestor before ascending to the Silent Form Realm slowly reappeared in Qin Yu's eyes. This time, the phantom was clearer and more complete than before.

He still couldn't see the true face of the founding emperor, but he had already discerned the three Dao traces that coexisted in that instant: the founding emperor's last glance at the world, his last sound, and his last breath leaving a lingering echo.

The three things coexist, inseparable for a moment; the three rhythms are silent, entering into Formless. The scene ends abruptly here, returning to Space Silence. The remaining Dao rhythm and the complete truth, along with the other three fragments, sink into silence, hidden deep within the three Emanation Domain tongue, body, and mind.

The answer, though timeless, remains incomplete and unfinished.

Qin Yu slowly closed his five fingers, and the three fragments in his palm transformed into subtle Daoist rhymes, quietly sinking back into their respective origins of sight, hearing, and smell, lying dormant and waiting for the future.

He did not linger.

The fourth Tongue Pillar in front has fully awakened, and the colorless rift has widened several times compared to before. Inside, there is no light, no darkness, no distinction between light and shadow, and not a trace that can be perceived by the sense of taste.

Qin Yu took a step, stepping into the fourth domain of Emanation Domain. "Seeing Stillness Return to Evolution" was calm. "Hearing Stillness Return to Evolution" was calm. "Smelling Stillness Return to Evolution" also became calm.

The first three trials have come to an end. Ahead lies the fourth path, the Path of the Tongue. Qin Yu lifted his foot and calmly crossed the boundary of the rift.

Upon entering the realm, the first thing to awaken is the sense of sight: the outlines of mountains and rivers, the vast void, and the Wanyan- changing scenery in the distance are all clearly reflected in the eyes. Following closely behind, the sense of hearing is awakened.

The soft sound of the soles of his feet hitting the void spreads to the distance along the vast expanse of heaven and earth, echoing layer by layer, and his sense of smell is always unimpeded. He can clearly smell the original breath flowing through himself, and can also sense the lingering charm of the ancient palace remaining at the entrance to the crack behind him.

But the instant his body stepped completely into this Emanation Domain —all sensations on his tongue vanished, returning to zero. Qin Yu paused slightly. Looking around, the world here was vast and boundless.

Mountains and rivers arrayed themselves, the void was vast, and Wanyan were in constant flux and change. All these scenes were real and continued to exist, but the entire world was utterly devoid of origin, taste, and any foundation of flavor. Qin Yu's tongue once again lightly touched the trace of blood that was gradually drying at the corner of his mouth.

The warmth remained, the sticky texture was still distinct, and the scent of blood could be precisely detected by the source of his sense of smell. However, the distinct stench of blood that should have been present was completely gone, utterly vanished. He slowly inhaled, the crisp air entering his mouth and throat.

Still tasteless and Emptiness, Qin Yu raised his hand and pointed, drawing a wisp of Daoist essence from the flowing primordial energy before him, letting it gently brush against the tip of his tongue. The result remained the same: all things could exist, be seen, be smelled, and retain their essence.

The strangeness of this world, which cannot generate, bear, or give birth to even the slightest flavor, goes far beyond what can be summed up by the word "tasteless." The ordinary tastelessness is merely the temporary concealment or absence of flavor; its essence is inherent, but it remains unrevealed.

This Emanation Domain severed all possibilities of flavor at the very source of the Great Dao. Sweet, bitter, sour, spicy, and salty—the five flavors of the world—could not be born. Nor could any of the unique tastes of the myriad realms and all living beings originate.

The Wanyan Great Dao here has completely lost the evolutionary dimension of "flavor". Qin Yu stood in this Space Silence world, his gaze slowly sweeping across the vast distance. There were no guardian beasts appearing in the world, no trial Dao sounds revealing anything, and no direction guiding the way forward.

This world has simply stripped away all the flavors of life, leaving all beings with an Ultimate Emptiness. And in the deepest part of this tasteless world, the Ultimate mystery of the fourth Tongue Faculty Trial remains silent, waiting for him to unravel it.

Qin Yu steadily took his first step, the sound of his footsteps echoing far and wide, scattering across the vast expanse. The second and third steps followed in quick succession. He followed this utterly tasteless and boundless world, step by step, slowly probing into the depths of the origin of the fourth root Emanation Domain, the No Tongue Root Emanation Domain —officially stepping into it.