After several elders of the Chi Lineage left the Fate Abyss Palace, the once lively hall quickly quieted down. The footsteps outside the palace gates gradually faded away along the corridor, until only Chi Boqian and Qin Yu remained.
Chi Boqian did not get up immediately. He sat at the head of the table, looking at the young man who had disappeared for two whole years and had finally returned to the Chi Lineage. The joy in his eyes gradually turned into anticipation.
Two years ago, Qin Yu left the Chi Lineage and went somewhere else. He knew more about it than the elders in the hall. The matter entrusted to him by Wanyan involved the ancestral land, which was not a place that ordinary cultivators could set foot in. Qin Yu had been gone for two whole years without a trace. Now that he had returned Anran and said that there was an important matter that needed to be dealt with, the answer was actually quite clear.
Chi Boqian leaned forward slightly and finally spoke, "Fellow Daoist Qin, in the past two years... have you completed the tasks entrusted to you by Senior Wanyan?"
Qin Yu's expression also became serious. He didn't say much, but simply nodded slowly in response to Chi Boqian's gaze. "Mm." One word was enough.
Chi Boqian stared at Qin Yu for a moment, then nodded slightly, his eyes full of approval. He already had the answer in his heart; what he saw now was exactly what he had expected.
The fact that Qin Yu could return safely from there two years later and answer with such a solemn "hmm" meant that Qin Yu had truly brought the matter of entrusting Wanyan to its conclusion. Chi Boqian's lips curled into a smile again, and he stopped asking about the experience, getting up to straighten his sleeves.
"Okay, let's go. There's no time to lose, I'll take you to the back mountain." Qin Yu then stood up.
The two left the Palace of Fate Abyss one after the other, quickly passing through several ancient corridors within the Chi Lineage land, heading deeper into the back mountains. The Chi Lineage was noticeably busier than usual today; clansmen hurried past along the way, and in the distance, they could even see them gathering supplies for the second group heading to the Primordial Grave.
However, Chi Boqian did not stop along the way, nor did Qin Yu ask any questions. The two figures passed straight through the palaces and forests of steles, finally arriving outside the forbidden area in the back mountain. It was still quiet there. The huge turmoil caused by the opening of the ancient gate did not seem to have truly affected this place.
Just as Qin Yu and Chi Boqian arrived, a woman's voice came from ahead. "You're here."
Qin Yu looked up and saw that the person guarding this place was none other than Chi Lanyue, the Supreme Elder of the Chi Lineage.
Chi Boqian bowed first, and Qin Yu followed suit. Chi Lanyue's gaze lingered on Qin Yu for a moment, seemingly not surprised by his return, nor did she ask what had happened in the past two years, only nodding slightly.
"Go, young man." She glanced at the restricted area behind her, "I'm sure it's been waiting for you."
Qin Yu's expression turned slightly solemn as he bowed again. "Thank you, senior."
Chi Lanyue nodded slightly. Qin Yu then turned around and, under the gaze of Chi Boqian and Chi Lanyue, walked alone towards the forbidden area behind the mountain. As he ventured deeper, the faint aura emanating from the Stele Forest Imperial City outside gradually disappeared, and the Chi Lineage buildings behind him slowly vanished behind layers of ancient Daoist charm until they were completely out of sight.
... Deep within the forbidden area of the back mountain, Qin Yu had only just stepped inside when he already knew Wanyan was waiting for him. Wanyan, too, had sensed his presence the moment Qin Yu returned to the Chi Lineage.
In the deep, dark area ahead, a figure stood silently. Wanyan, who had once existed here in other forms, had now transformed into human form. Qin Yu slowed his pace and his gaze fell on that figure.
Wanyan wore a wide, moon-white robe, with ancient and obscure black Daoist characters scattered across it, extending in a staggered pattern as the hem fell; the collar and lining were pressed down with a deep dark color, giving the entire white robe an extra layer of coldness and heaviness.
A wide black belt with interwoven dark red and blue patterns adorns the waist, with antique pendants hanging from the sides and a long sword dangling diagonally. Black and gold ancient armor covers the right shoulder, with a beast head relief gleaming with a cold, eerie light, contrasting sharply with the moon-white robe.
His white hair was tied up with a black crown, with the rest falling over his shoulders and back, a few strands fluttering lightly in the air. His eyebrows were sharp, his skin was as white as cold jade, and his eyes were deep and reserved, concealing the vicissitudes of time; a golden Dao seal on his forehead shimmered with light, the lines extending from between his brows. Behind him, a dark blue Dao ring slowly rotated, its edges constantly condensing and dispersing the light of a dragon's head, the radiance highlighting his aloof and cold demeanor.
Wanyan looked at Qin Yu as he approached. He wasn't surprised; instead, a satisfied expression slowly appeared on his cold, handsome face. He had already planned this all along. The fact that Qin Yu was standing here meant that everything was already answered.
"Fellow Daoist Qin," Wanyan said with a slight smile, "I have been waiting for you for quite some time."
Qin Yu stopped nearby and bowed respectfully. "Senior, you've kept me waiting." He lowered his head slightly, his tone earnest, "This junior has not disappointed you. This item—has been successfully brought back."
As he finished speaking, Qin Yu raised his hand. A wisp of calm light slowly emerged from his palm. Then—the complete Inheritance Heavenly Book "Primordial Reversal" officially appeared before Wanyan.
At this moment, Wanyan's composure finally vanished. The instant his gaze fell upon "Primordial Reversal," a monstrous wave surged within the depths of his Fate Soul.
The excitement came too quickly and too fiercely. The composure honed over the long years could not be completely suppressed at this moment. Wave after wave of emotions assaulted his Fate Soul, and even his usually calm eyes began to tremble noticeably.
He really brought it back.
Wanyan slowly extended his hands. His hands were trembling slightly. Qin Yu did not urge him, but solemnly held the "Primordial Reversal" and presented it to Wanyan. Wanyan finally took the Heavenly Book. The moment his hands touched it, he remained silent for a long time.
"This..." His voice trembled slightly, "This... this..."
Wanyan looked down at the complete inheritance he had regained, his chest rising and falling slowly. After a moment, he raised his head again. "I don't know how to thank you enough, young friend."
Qin Yu simply nodded respectfully. "Senior, you're too kind. Since I've agreed, I will naturally bring it back."
Wanyan gave him a deep look, without saying anything more about his gratitude. He carefully put away the "Primordial Reversal," and after the turmoil in his Fate Soul subsided, his gaze returned to Qin Yu. A moment later, Wanyan suddenly raised his right hand.
"Since that's the case... I also have something to give to you, young friend." A soft hum reverberated through the void. A book appeared between the two.
Qin Yu's gaze immediately fell upon it. At first glance, he couldn't truly determine the size of the book. Looking from a few steps away, it seemed to stretch to the very edge of his vision, a black shadow stretching across the sky and earth.
Even the sky above the restricted area on the back mountain was obscured; but when Qin Yu truly focused his gaze, it was only the size of a palm, quietly floating beside Wanyan's hand. The two scales coexisted without conflict.
The book was entirely black. That kind of black was extremely strange, lacking the depth of night and the texture of ink. The surrounding light disappeared immediately upon touching the book cover, without reflection or afterglow. Even the pale blue light that could have illuminated the surroundings became completely dark in a small area.
The book cover was made of an unknown material. It didn't resemble paper, leather, or any jade or metal. As Qin Yu reached out, before his fingertips even touched the cover, his Fate Soul felt an extremely strange sensation—the book was already "reading" him even before he had opened it.
Qin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly. A corner of the book turned on its own. The pages were so thin they were almost transparent, yet with each turn, the surrounding space seemed to sink slightly, the thin pages carrying an immeasurable weight.
The paper was blank, devoid of any words. Yet, as Qin Yu gazed intently at it, the depths of that blankness seemed poised to reveal the destiny, cause and effect, past and future of an existence. It didn't need to write anyone down beforehand. When someone was truly "read" by it—the paper would naturally retain everything about that person.
Wanyan gazed at the black celestial book and slowly spoke. "The underlying operating principles of this myriad worlds are formed by five interconnected elements: destiny, cause and effect, end, true name, and qualification of existence."
Everything is born from and bound by these principles. Where there is birth, there is death; where there is cause, there is effect; where there is existence, there is trace. Throughout the long ages, no one has ever truly emerged who could completely escape these five fundamental laws.
Qin Yu listened quietly. Wanyan continued, "When the laws of the ancient heavens were first formed, a paradox of innate law spontaneously arose." He looked at the blank page, his voice slow and clear, "If there is something whose very existence is an error... then do the heavens possess the authority to completely erase all traces of it?"
Qin Yu's eyes flickered slightly. Wanyan raised his hand, holding up the black celestial book. "This book was something I obtained by chance in a secret realm years ago. I have possessed it for a long time." Wanyan gently shook his head, "But even today, I have not truly comprehended it." His gaze returned to Qin Yu. "Therefore, I will bestow this book upon you today." Wanyan raised his hand, and the black celestial book slowly floated towards Qin Yu. "Perhaps... this book is destined for you."