That night, none of the three mentioned the ancient gate that would open the next day, nor did they discuss the undercurrents of power struggles among the Lineage, nor the supreme treasure hidden in the Primordial Grave. Shen Qingchen smiled and talked about how, when he first became a steward, he was constantly entangled in the trivial matters of tens of thousands of disciples, so busy that he could not concentrate on his cultivation for several days.
Su Qingyuan mercilessly exposed his shortcomings, teasing him for pretending to be calm and composed on the surface when he first handled clan affairs, but secretly he was worried for half the night facing the mountain of files.
Shen Qingchen immediately retaliated, recounting the embarrassing incident when Su Qingyuan first reprimanded a disciple for making a mistake, and how she was so flustered and almost lost her composure when addressed with a respectful "Deacon Su." This angered Su Qingyuan so much that she raised her hand to throw her wine cup at him.
Qin Yu sat quietly beside the two, listening to these trivial and warm everyday anecdotes, his smile never fading. In the two years he spent in the Wanyan Ancestral Land, what he was accompanied day and night was never the warmth of everyday life, but endless trials of life and death.
The six senses—sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought—have all been tempered. Countless times, he has walked on the brink of Fate Soul, facing dangers that could have annihilated him. But now, there is fine wine on the table, and close friends before him. He is at peace, vibrant, and warm. This peaceful night is enough to soothe all the hardships of the past.
The three men drank cup after cup, from dusk till nightfall, until the entire Stele Forest Imperial City was shrouded in darkness. The empty wine jars piled higher and higher beside the table. Outside the hall, the bright moon hung high in the sky, its clear light shining everywhere. The boisterous laughter gradually subsided.
The emotions that had settled into a deep and unbridled joy of reunion after a long separation. As night deepened, Shen Qingchen finally put down his wine glass, exhaled a long breath, and slowly stood up.
"Brother Qin, let's call it a day." He gently patted Qin Yu's shoulder, his tone mild. "You've just returned, and you have important matters to attend to tomorrow, so we won't drink any more of your wine."
Su Qingyuan then stood up, still smiling as she left, adding, "Let's save the rest of the fine wine for now, so that when Young Master Qin returns next time, we can continue our enjoyment tonight."
Qin Yu smiled and nodded, replying, "It's a deal."
The three walked out of the hall side by side. Shen Qingchen and Su Qingyuan bowed and took their leave one after the other. Their figures gradually disappeared into the darkness along the long corridor in the night. Qin Yu stood in front of the hall and watched their figures disappear completely before the warm smile on his face slowly returned to calm.
In the stillness of the night, the residence returned to tranquility. Qin Yu turned and strolled back to the hall, raising his hand to tidy up the remaining food and wine on the table. In the vast hall, only a few dim lamps flickered quietly, casting a soft, clear light. He sat alone in the hall, silent for a moment, and slowly raised his right hand.
A deep, dark shadow slowly emerged from his palm—the celestial book Wan Wanyan had given him as a parting gift: the "Causeless Heavenly Questioning Book." Buzz
The black celestial book floated silently before Qin Yu, its form mysterious and boundless, unbound by ordinary scale. Gazing into the distance, its shadow seemed to stretch out beyond the entire hall; focusing intently, it condensed its vast power, shrinking to the size of a palm. The lamplight in the hall fell upon the black book's cover, its light silently extinguished, leaving no trace of reflection, shrouded in mystery.
Qin Yu gazed at it quietly for a long time, then slowly extended his fingertips to truly touch the mysterious book cover for the first time.
The moment his fingertips touched the pages, Qin Yu's brow twitched slightly. The strange sensation he had felt in the forbidden area of the back mountain during the day resurfaced. His fingertips were clearly touching the pages of the book, yet a completely contradictory feeling arose deep within his Fate Soul —this "Causeless Heavenly Questioning Book" was using this touch to quietly peer into and peruse his past and destiny.
Qin Yu didn't stop; his mind remained calm as ever. He slowly raised his hand and turned the pages of the book. Rustling sound
The thin, black pages slipped lightly between his fingers, the paper blank, devoid of a single word. Qin Yu closed his eyes, completely calming his mind, and immersed himself in the book's rhythm.
At first, Emptiness, nothing unusual. After a moment, a faint, mysterious trace gradually emerged from the depths of the blank pages. Qin Yu followed this trace and explored deeper, his Fate Soul's Knowing Layer by layer.
Fate, cause and effect, true name, end, and qualification for existence—the five great principles that Wanyan once spoke of—clearly emerged in his mind one by one, intertwining and connecting with each other, giving rise to endless mysteries. He followed the threads of these interwoven principles, striving to explore the depths of the Great Dao.
Inch by inch, the Ultimate mystery hidden beneath the blank pages is now within reach. Qin Yu's brow furrowed slightly; only the final shackle remains before he can glimpse the origin.
But at that very moment, something unexpected happened.
Suddenly, a vast fog appeared ahead without any warning. The previously clear senses instantly lost their way and were cut off once they touched this fog. No matter if he tried to approach it from the perspective of destiny, traced the cause and effect, or pointed directly to the origin of his existence, he would ultimately be blocked by this impenetrable fog and could not make any further progress.
Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes, a hint of doubt flashing in them. He looked down at the pages of the book, but the paper was still blank, unchanged.
He did not give up. He calmed his mind and tried to comprehend it again. This time, he avoided the previous path of inquiry and explored the traces of the law in a different place. But after a while, the fog that isolated everything reappeared, firmly blocking his way.
The third time, the fourth time...
Several attempts yielded only ordinary results. Each time, he managed to touch the Threshold of the law and glimpse the surface of the Great Dao, but whenever he approached the Ultimate mystery and was just one step away from perfection, this mist would appear precisely on time, obscuring all the secrets and cutting off all paths of pursuit.
After several fruitless attempts, Qin Yu finally withdrew his hand. The "Causeless Heavenly Questioning Book" remained quietly suspended in front of him, its black cover calm and still, without the slightest movement from beginning to end.
"Strange." Qin Yu muttered to himself, staring at the Heavenly Book with confusion in his eyes. He could clearly sense the supreme mysteries contained in the book, and he was also certain that he had a deep-rooted and subtle bond with this Heavenly Book. However, whenever he was about to comprehend something, he would be blocked by the fog and unable to move forward.
He pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head. The opportunity wasn't ripe yet; forcing himself to comprehend it would only be a waste of his energy and bring no benefit. "Never mind, I'll try again later."
Qin Yu raised his hand and waved it lightly. The black book shadow that had been floating in front of him slowly disappeared without a trace, and the hall Return to One silence.
He had originally planned to wait until dawn before setting off, but when he looked up at the deep night outside the palace, he quietly changed his mind. The ancient gate had already opened, and all the geniuses and forces in the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain were rushing to the Primordial Grave. The world was already in turmoil, and there was no need to stay behind at the Chi Lineage and wait for dawn.
Qin Yu slowly rose, his black robes trailing behind him, his posture as upright as a pine tree. He had already made up his mind—to set off immediately for the Fifth Multidimensional Universe: The Primordial Grave.
The lights of the North City · Stele Forest Imperial City remained lit throughout the night. The unusual activity at the Primordial Grave had already stirred up the entire Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain. Even in the deep of night, countless cultivators continued to depart from the city.
Streaks of light pierced the sky Stele Forest Imperial City, merging into the long, ancient void path leading to the Fifth Multidimensional Universe. Some traveled in groups of three or five, some rode in teams with great momentum, and some solitary cultivators hurried along the way, shrouded in the deep night. Everyone along the way was in a hurry, and no one was willing to stop.
The news of the ancient gate opening spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the five end-times multidimensional universes. Everyone knew in their hearts that the current peace was merely the final silence before the storm arrived, until someone actually stepped into the secret realm.
Call out--!
Stepping out of the North City's territory, Qin Yu sped up and drove at breakneck speed. But once he entered the interdimensional passage of the Void Dharma Realm, he realized that there were far more cultivators rushing to the secret realm overnight than he had expected.
Above the void ahead, countless figures of cultivators stretched endlessly into the distance along ancient and mysterious paths. Some rode divine weapons to fly through the air, some tore through the nearby void to travel, and many cultivators from the same origin formed orderly formations, steadily and swiftly moving forward.
Various colors of light rose and fell in the deep night, intertwining light and shadow, illuminating the originally dark and desolate Void Dharma Realm with flowing light and dazzling brilliance.
Qin Yu seamlessly blended into the vast crowd, his figure ordinary, his aura calm, and no one around him gave him a second glance. This was exactly the effect he wanted. From the moment he left the Chi Lineage, he had shed all his special identity and was just an ordinary cultivator traveling across regions.
As they ventured deeper into the heart of the Void Dharma Realm, the members of the Lineage gradually thinned out, replaced by ancient clans, reclusive lineages, and Rogue Cultivator cultivators from all sides of the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain. All these forces made their appearance. Qin Yu neither aligned himself with any side nor deliberately avoided the crowds, always keeping pace with the rhythm of those around him and moving forward at a steady speed.