Qin Yu's gaze subtly hardened. This was no ordinary dark night. Darkness in the conventional sense is still a visible and perceptible phenomenon, but this void completely transcended all perceptual boundaries.
The entire door frame is like a bottomless void carved out of the Ultimate part of the Primordial Grave. Within the door frame, everything returns to emptiness. Gazing into it yields no feedback, making it impossible to distinguish distances, heights, depths, or layers. It is impossible to discern whether this darkness is boundless or merely a thin layer of desolation behind the door frame.
The most bizarre thing about the secret realm is the countless ancient golden Daoist runes suspended on the surface of the black hole. Delicate golden lines extend from both sides of the door frame toward the center, with no fixed shape. Some are straight vertically, some are intertwined, and some form ancient geometric patterns. Several golden lines connect end to end, forming a broken ancient ring.
These runes, not attached to any physical entity, floated silently before the void, shimmering with a faint yet solemn dark golden luster.
At the very center of the door, a rhombus-shaped ancient rune stood suspended in mid-air, with several delicate Dao patterns intersecting and intertwining. Below, a thick arc of light steadily supported the entire rune, exuding a vast and profound aura. Qin Yu stared intently at it for a moment, but even though he had experienced countless secret realms and comprehended many great Daos, he was completely unable to decipher even the slightest mystery of these runes.
Countless cultivators around could not contain themselves and unleashed their divine senses to probe. Streams of invisible divine senses extended from all directions, all probing towards the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas, but the fate of all was the same. Once the divine senses crossed the boundary of the gate and touched that void of black hole, they would instantly vanish without a trace.
Without the pain of Fate Soul tremors, without the backlash of the secret realm's restrictions, without any warning signs, all probing senses will be completely severed the moment they cross the threshold, vanishing into nothingness.
A cultivator ahead changed his expression slightly, quickly composed himself, and forcibly withdrew his remaining divine sense. On the other side, an old man with white hair frowned and tried again, but the result was the same; as soon as his divine sense entered the void, he was completely disconnected.
Qin Yu remained motionless, standing quietly among the crowd, observing the results of everyone's probing. After a long while, he quietly released an Ultimate subtle wisp of perception, silently penetrating the crowd, steadily arriving before the ancient gate, and gently touching that pitch-black void that swallowed everything.
The moment his senses crossed the edge of the door frame, the connection was abruptly severed, and Qin Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened. There was no backlash, no pain, no fluctuation throughout the entire process; that wisp of perception originating from his Fate Soul was completely annihilated and ceased to exist.
He immediately withdrew all his Fate Soul and stopped probing rashly. At this moment, he finally understood why tens of thousands of cultivators gathered here, yet no one dared to be the first to step in. This ancient gate never gave anyone the opportunity to peek into the secret realm beforehand.
To know what lies beyond the door, one must personally enter the game.
Qin Yu raised his eyes again, gazing at the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas that stood before him for ages. Layers of dark gold frames nested together, ancient arches intertwined one after another, and the pillars, weathered by time, stood solemn and dignified. Mysterious golden patterns floated before the void, flowing with the unchanging Daoist rhythm of eternity. And there was that bottomless black hole that swallowed all gazes and annihilated all divine thoughts, quietly waiting for the world to explore it.
It has stood here for far too long, so long that countless geniuses and powerful figures from all the heavens and myriad realms before it are merely latecomers. The ancient gate, silent for countless epochs, is now fully open, yet behind it remains Silent Void, with only boundless Ultimate darkness quietly awaiting the first pioneer who dares to cross the threshold and enter the game.
As dawn broke, the northernmost part of the Primordial Grave, this desolate land that had been silent for countless eons, finally welcomed the first rays of morning light. A layer of pale gray-white first spread across the distant horizon, followed by a line of crimson-gold light slowly spreading from the edge of the horizon, gradually dyeing the clouds that had been sleeping all night with the morning light from their edges.
A great sun slowly rose from the desolate end of time, its long rays falling upon the source of the Eternal Silence Long River. However, this world was too ancient and somber, and the sunlight dimmed somewhat as it gently brushed across the ancient ruins and fractured rock layers crisscrossing the land, and passed over the thousands of cultivators gathered like a sea. When it reached the deepest cliff, it seemed as if most of its brilliance was cut off by the invisible boundary of heaven and earth, making it difficult to penetrate further.
The ancient gate was fully open, yet the interior remained eternally dark and silent. A massive black hole filled the depths of the gate, with not a trace of precious light escaping and not a sound emanating from it. The bright morning light from the outside world stopped at the threshold, unable to penetrate the void.
Still, cultivators who arrived were unwilling to give up and repeatedly tried to probe with their divine senses. However, no matter how shallow the perception of the True Annihilation Realm, how profound the divine sense of the Eternal Silence Realm, or how powerful the Great Dao probing of the stronger cultivators, once they crossed the boundary of the ancient gate, they would all be completely and silently lost contact.
There was no backlash, no turbulence, no unusual phenomena. Only pure engulfment. Over the course of a whole night, the area before the precipice was already teeming with people, yet very few dared to approach within a hundred feet of the ancient gate.
Qin Yu stood quietly amidst the crowd, dressed in a simple gray robe. His appearance after the disguise was ordinary and unremarkable; he was just an ordinary young man among thousands of cultivators. The voices around him rose and fell incessantly. Some people were intently watching the strange movements of the ancient sect, some were whispering among themselves, and some had been waiting all night and were getting restless.
Qin Yu alone did not push forward. He remained calm and composed, his gaze fixed on the Ancient Gate of Eternity, while scanning the various cultivators gathered around him with the other half.
As the morning light grew stronger and spread across the land, the entire layout and scenery in front of the cliff became clearly visible. The core area, closest to the cliff and the ancient gate, was not occupied by scattered Rogue Cultivator, but was naturally divided into four well-organized camps.
The Hua Lineage, the Ju Lineage, the Shangguan Lineage, and the Chi Lineage —the four top aristocratic families—have all arrived.
Qin Yu's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. The four camps were far apart, with wide-ranging boundaries and distinct auras, each independent and undisturbed by the others.
The other smaller forces and Rogue Cultivator were all well aware of this, and none of them dared to approach rashly. They would rather squeeze into the crowded outer perimeter than cross the line and easily intrude into the core territory of the four great families.
His gaze first fell on the Hua Lineage's camp. This time, the Hua Lineage had sent a large number of disciples to the secret realm. Their formation was orderly and their aura was solemn, showing the profound heritage and demeanor of a top-tier clan.
The figure standing at the very front of the group with his hands behind his back was Hua Yin, an elder of the Hua Lineage whom Qin Yu was no stranger to. After the incident of Hua An's death last night, the gloomy anger between his brows had completely faded away. The morning light slanted across his face, and his expression was calm and indifferent, making it impossible for anyone to see what he was thinking.
He didn't exchange a single word with the disciples beside him, his gaze fixed on the pitch-black void deep within the ancient gate, occasionally narrowing his eyes slightly as if weighing the pros and cons and observing the situation.
Qin Yu watched quietly for a moment, then calmly looked away. Next to the Hua Lineage was the Ju Lineage's camp. Ju Lineage elder Ju Moting personally led his clansmen to take charge, choosing a location with an excellent view to stand and observe, also remaining still and not easily approaching the ancient gate.
Behind them, the Ju Lineage stood in orderly ranks. Although many of the younger disciples could not hide their eagerness and anticipation for the opportunities in the secret realm, none of them dared to overstep their bounds or defy the rules.
Turning to the other side, we came to the Shangguan Lineage's camp. Leading them was a beautiful woman, Shangguan Wan'er. She stood quietly before the group of Shangguan disciples, her robes gently fluttering in the breeze from the source of the Eternal Silence Long River. Her posture was serene and composed, her gaze fixed firmly on the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas. Behind her, her clansmen occasionally exchanged hushed conversations, but no one dared to be restless or rash, and not a single one dared to step onto the threshold of the ancient gate.
Finally, Qin Yu's gaze fell on the Chi Lineage's camp. Chi Tongyue stood at the very front of the group, her posture steady and calm. Two years had passed since they last met, and this elder of the Chi Lineage had not changed much.
Qin Yu stood deep within the crowd, neither approaching to acknowledge them nor sending out a single message. He had deliberately disguised himself and traveled stealthily to enter the game discreetly and avoid attention, so naturally he wouldn't expose his identity as soon as he arrived at the secret realm.
Moreover, what truly made all the cultivators present wary and avoid them were not these four elders from powerful families.
Qin Yu's gaze quickly caught sight of five exceptionally distinctive figures. The five stood on the outermost perimeter of the four major clan camps, without any clansmen surrounding them or guards accompanying them, each alone. Yet, within a few feet of them, a vast and desolate area naturally formed, causing all the cultivators present to subconsciously detour and avoid them, with no one daring to approach even half a step.
The first thing that caught the eye was a woman's figure on the outer side of the Ju Lineage's camp— Ju Lingyuan, Wuji Realm. She stood alone, clearly separated from the Ju Lineage's formation behind her, her expression calm and indifferent, ignoring the endless stream of prying eyes around her, quietly gazing at the ancient gate, waiting for the situation to change, without the slightest hint of anxiety or impatience.
Outside the Chi Lineage's camp stood another woman. Chi Xiyue, at the Wuji Realm. Qin Yu's gaze lingered on her for a moment. Last night, Chi Boqian had already informed him that Chi Xiyue would not only arrive at the border ahead of schedule, but also knew that he would disguise himself and sneak into the game.
Even so, Qin Yu still did not make a move. The time was not right, and there was no need to take any action. Chi Xiyue stood quietly outside, her gaze piercing through the layers of people and landing on the ancient gate. Her brows were calm and solemn, and she was obviously waiting for the next move of the secret realm.
Then, looking towards the direction of the Hua Lineage, a tall and upright male figure stood alone. It was Hua Yanyang, the current core direct descendant of the Hua Lineage, who had also reached the Wuji Realm. His aura was imposing, and no one dared to approach him easily. Even if a cultivator occasionally glanced at him, they would quickly look away, afraid of attracting the attention of this top genius for no reason.
At the end of the Shangguan Lineage camp, two figures stood separately: Shangguan Shumu and Shangguan Hongyin, both of whom were at the Wuji Realm. The two did not stand side by side, each occupying their own area, keeping their distance and not interfering with each other.
Like the other three prodigies, they formed an invisible forbidden zone around themselves. Ordinary cultivators would rather take a detour than pass by them and invite trouble.
Qin Yu observed silently. The names of the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies that Chi Boqian had mentioned last night all corresponded to the figures before him. Ju Lingyuan, Chi Xiyue, Hua Yanyang, Shangguan Shumu, and Shangguan Hongyin. The five top prodigies of the Eternal Nonexistence Limitless Domain had all gathered at the Primordial Grave today, without a single one absent.
As the sun slowly rose, the dawn light completely bathed the cliffside landscape, and cultivators continued to flock to the place in an endless stream. People also crossed the void from afar, the sea of people spreading outwards in layers, vast and boundless, with no end in sight.
Even amidst the bustling crowds and countless cultivators, no one dared to recklessly intrude into the camps of the four great families, and the five blank areas surrounding the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies maintained a subtle yet chilling tranquility.
Countless gazes swept back and forth across the audience, alternating between the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies. There was anticipation, apprehension, and speculation. Everyone secretly pondered that when the secret realm was fully opened and the opportunity appeared, these five top experts of the Wuji Realm would surely ignite an earth-shattering, unprecedented competition.
Faced with the turbulent situation, Qin Yu remained calm and unmoved. He withdrew his gaze from the prodigy and returned it to the ancient gate deep within the cliff. Layers of dark gold framed the gate, ancient Dao patterns silently flowing within, and inside the open door was only an ancient, deathly black hole.
As the night passed in silence, no one dared to tread the path. As dawn broke and the sky brightened, the vast sea of people appeared like clouds. All four great Lineage had gathered, and Five Great Heavenly Prodigies had made their appearance. Yet, before this ancient threshold Being As It Is Secret Realm of Suchness, no one dared to take that crucial first step.