Vast as the ages, magnificent as the Dao Abyss.
The moment Qin Yu stepped into [Wenyan Main City], all sounds subsided, and the laws of the heavens began to resonate. It was not the clamor of bells and drums, nor the deafening roar of battle, but rather the convergence of countless souls from the heavens, weaving together the ancient, ever-flowing trajectory of soul inquiry. The resounding waves of law were vast and boundless, like the pronouncements of the heavens, settling upon the three realms for eternity:
"This place is no ordinary land." "This city is no ordinary ruin." "It is the City of Ten Thousand Lives Return to the Ruins, the City of Questioning Souls— the Wenyan Main City."
The city gate, a million feet high, stretches across a thousand realms of void, majestic Wuji. The entire city wall is like a celestial river hanging upside down, heavily descending to the mortal world. Ancient patterns of black and gold are intertwined on it, each pattern a mark left by the geniuses of past generations, flowing year after year, endlessly.
Stepping into the city, one realizes that this place is uniquely extraordinary and has existed for millennia.
This is not a city built by ordinary craftsmen, but a city of laws and principles, condensed from the resonance of countless existences and the power of the soul throughout the ages. Every brick and tile contains the essence of the soul, and every street and platform follows the flow of the definition. There are no traces of human carving, but the wonder of the self-consistency of the natural order. The entire city is like a vast and boundless mechanism of destiny, operating silently and eternally.
Within the city, all races coexist, and various paths coexist, without any narrow boundaries.
Qin Yu glanced around and saw the three-eyed spirit strolling slowly through the streets, the crystal bone puppet standing quietly observing the Dao, the radiant patterned spirit kite soaring through the sky, the life shell dragon hanging from the eaves, and the thought-image spirit sitting under the monument in deep thought. All kinds of creatures have different appearances and different Dao Path, but they all guard the laws of the city, each following its own order, without interfering with each other.
Occasionally, ripples of Daoist rhyme would appear in the void, and souls would debate and contend in the world, using propositions and principles to determine right and wrong, weigh strength and weakness, and judge good and evil. There was no noisy fighting, only the clash of Daoist hearts, all displaying the composed and dignified demeanor of the ancient path of cultivation.
In the heart of the main city, the 100,000-zhang [Heavenly Soul Flow Market] stretches across the four directions, occupying a quarter of the main city's soul domain. The jade-like soul path extends without end, every inch of the road surface being an extremely stable logical structure, bearing the debates of the ages and countless questions of the heart. Above, ninety-nine layers of soul light floating towers are stacked one on top of another, hanging upside down in the sky, with flowing light falling down, illuminating the mortal world.
Along the long street, all kinds of businesses are bustling about, showcasing the unique Daoist charm and wonders of this soul-stirring city.
There are soul merchants selling fragments of soul-collecting guides, each fragment allowing one to trace back to unsolved questions of the past and glimpse the unfinished path of eternity; there are question-setting sorcerers sitting on their Fate-Forged platform, carving out the definition of a cultivator's destiny and establishing the foundation for their life's path; there are soul refiners setting up the Thought-Sorrow Corner Tower, refining all kinds of emotions and obsessions into supreme soul medicine; and there are even supreme Dao debaters standing on the platform, shattering illusions with a single question, defining the Dao Path with a single word, and debating all the laws of the heavens.
The sky is an unusual azure, with thousands of towers hanging upside down in the void, like falling meteors and stars sinking into the abyss.
One tower, one hall; one hall, one principle. Those who ascend to the third floor gain the right to discuss the Dao in the main city and stand above all other cultivators; those who ascend to the ninth floor become the defining figures of the city, able to change fate with a single word and reverse the principles of magic with a single phrase, wielding the weight and importance of the rules of this world.
The bustling streets and markets reveal the unique character of Daocheng.
On the street, fortune tellers silently decipher souls, their words eloquent and insightful, dismantling the illusions of destiny; at the end of the street, a young man, just beginning to understand the Dao, stumbles along, seeking the true nature of his heart. In the alley, a puppet spirit stands frozen for three years, silently questioning itself, pondering the fundamental question, "Who am I?"; on the high platform, the soul judge reshapes all laws, first rendering all techniques empty, then adding a single stroke to write the word "useless," revealing the illusory nature of all laws.
The city is bustling, yet there is not a trace of chaos or noise; all roads seem to be clamoring, yet order remains constant.
This city has no sectarian constraints, yet it possesses a rule and sovereignty that surpasses all sects; this place has no Heavenly Decree, yet it forms its own eternal lineage.
At this moment, Qin Yu stood at the boundary of the outer Soul Market, not yet ascending the Heavenly Pillar, not yet entering the debate platform, and not yet uttering his true thoughts. Yet, in the darkness, countless soul consciousnesses hidden in the void were already quietly watching this figure.
In the vast Wenyan Main City, countless geniuses have come and gone throughout the ages, seeking the Dao without end. Qin Yu's arrival was like a Ji Ran needle sinking into the boundless spiritual sea. Seemingly calm on the surface, it had actually stirred up the ancient soul currents, causing this stable Dao domain to quietly change.
This is the Wenyan Main City.
It is neither a celestial capital nor a prosperous celestial dynasty, but the Ultimate Return to the Ruins of the ancient Fate Soul civilization of the Annihilation Epoch Realm, a supreme soul core where law and existence intertwine.
Today, Qin Yu arrived.
As you move inward, the floating steps rise one after another, each layer embracing a realm of Daoist charm, each step expanding the expanse of the heavens. The bustling prosperity of the Heavenly Soul Flow Market gradually fades into the distance, and the path ahead grows ever more serene and solemn.
The travelers along the way were all seasoned cultivators who had climbed the tower to discuss the Dao and comprehend their destiny. Each of them possessed a deep and profound spiritual aura, a far-reaching gaze, and a reverence for the origin of their destiny. They had no restless or competitive spirit, only a sincere desire to silently seek the Dao.
Soul Stele Platform, a white-robed cultivator sat Ji Ran cross-legged, a blank Soul Book floating above him. Using his own soul consciousness as a pen, he silently sculpted his innate destiny words. His low murmurs drifted on the wind, revealing the Ultimate quest of this world:
"Existence can be written down, and fate can be changed?"
Qin Yu paused and stared intently.
The vast, floating platform before us is the [Fate-Inquiring Floating Realm]. Here, cultivation level is irrelevant, and life and death are not contested. What countless cultivators seek throughout their lives is only one word—destiny.
Around the floating realm, thirty-three Soul Tower stand tall, serving as pillars for the flow of questions. Year after year, they absorb the heartfelt words of cultivators from all heavens, merging into the city lord's laws and principles, transforming into the foundation of order for the Wenyan Main City, ever-changing and endlessly regenerating.
At the very core of the Floating Realm, a Nascent Soul Innate Inquiry Platform, cast from pure soul gold, stands quietly, ancient and vast, exuding a profound Daoist aura.
According to ancient tradition, only those peerless geniuses who break free from the shackles of their destiny and see through the illusions of the origin can ascend this platform and utter their first defining statement.
Qin Yu ascended the steps with unhurried and measured steps.
No one stopped him, no one deliberately watched, yet the entire flow of souls in the floating realm shifted slightly with his steps, silently yielding and bowing their heads in respect.
The moment he stood on the Innate Inquiry Platform, a clear and long hum resounded from the depths of the Soul Abyss, penetrating through the ages. At the top of the sky, a wisp of starlight fell from the inverted ancient tower, gently landing on his forehead, warm and clear.
This is the initial recognition of the Peerless Soul Source by the Wenyan Main City.
This is also the Ultimate question that this world poses to newcomers: What is your Dao, your destiny, your fundamental nature?
The surrounding area Ji Ran; all questions remained unanswered.
Qin Yu gazed at the inscription on the stele that was about to appear in the void, his mind resolute and his Dao heart clear.
"I came to this world not to answer the questions of ages past."
I have come to this city only to write a new answer to the questions of heaven and earth.
As soon as he finished speaking, he lightly raised his fingertips, and a wisp of pure soul light burst forth and landed on the surface of the monument.
The ancient and vigorous script, manifesting word by word, illuminates the heavens:
My name is Qin Yu.
"I will define the world that you have failed to define."
Boom--!
The thirty-three Soul Tower trembled simultaneously, the Daoist aura of the entire Fate-Inquiring Floating Realm surged violently, and waves of energy billowed. The myriad soul spirit images in the void twisted violently and flickered uncertainly. The inherent laws of this world were quietly shaken at this moment.
The cultivator guarding the tower in the distance was deeply shaken, and exclaimed in a low voice, "It's a definition! To ascend to Innate Platform upon entering the main city and directly inscribe a definition-level proposition—a rare occurrence throughout history!"
The high-ranking fortune tellers, who had been slumbering for countless ages, opened their eyes one by one. The ancient Soul Stele of the fortune tellers trembled automatically, firmly engraving the time-space coordinates and Daoist trajectory of this day.
Qin Yu closed his eyes and concentrated, letting the vast soul light remaining on the monument flow into his body, refining his Dao foundation and nourishing his soul source.
He made no fanfare, nor did he speak, yet his first Soul Seal was already etched into this world.
From this moment on, he was no longer a visitor from afar, a passerby in this world.
He is Wenyan, the newly appointed Determiner of Fate in the main city.
The echoes of the inscription linger, and the tremors in the Soul Realm have not yet subsided.
A wisp of ancient, weathered, and profound soul flowed silently across the boundary of the Fate-Inquiring Platform. Without wind or waves, without a trace or form, it seemed to be the Ultimate being that had been sleeping for eternity, slowly opening its eyes in the chaotic Dao Abyss.
To the east of the floating path, a figure slowly approached, his steps deliberate yet carrying an aura that commanded the respect of heaven and earth.
The old man was dressed in a plain gray robe, weathered by countless ages. His face was withered as if sculpted by time, and his hair was half gray and half black. His eyes were deep-set, neither cloudy nor dark, like two miniature mirrors of time and space, reflecting countless questions and eternal themes.
In his hand was a curved soul staff, with an unformed natal question stone embedded at the top. The stone contained seven Ultimate questions that had remained unsolved for thousands of years, shimmering with a faint light, vivid and lifelike.
With each step he took, the surrounding life currents automatically retreated, and the laws of the void quietly made way.
This is an extremely rare phenomenon in the Annihilation Epoch Realm —the rules yield. Only those whose own Daoist aura and logical position surpass the upper limit of the rules of this world can make the world kneel down and the laws automatically bow down.
The old man walked to the front of the platform, his gaze falling on the still-burning remnants of the inscription. He squinted slightly, his voice hoarse, yet carrying an unwavering certainty that seemed to understand the ages:
"The opening is a defining Dao scripture. You break all conventions upon first stepping onto this platform; you are no cultivator of this realm."
Qin Yu remained calm and composed, meeting his gaze for a moment before replying softly:
"I am originally from beyond this realm, yet I feel that this Dao City is precisely where my Dao Path leads."
The old man gazed at him for a long time, a faint light flickering in his eyes, as if he had seen through the source of the soul, or as if he had seen through the heart of the Dao.
"His cultivation at the Fate Beginning Realm conceals a vast soul source at the level of a Destiny Judge."
He had no doubts, no disdain, only a heart full of inquiry and wonder:
How did you do that?
Qin Yu remained calm and slowly began to speak:
"The path I cultivate is not governed by the laws of this world. At the very beginning of my soul's creation, I do not follow the laws of fate, nor conform to worldly principles; I am free and perfect."
The old man raised an eyebrow slightly, a half-smile playing on his lips.
"You speak lightly. You neither follow the rules of this world, nor have you come to this Dao City. What do you intend to do?"
Qin Yu's tone was calm, yet every word was resounding and timeless:
"Write a single character."
"This world has no choice but to acknowledge it."
As soon as he finished speaking, all around fell silent, and all paths became still.
After a long silence, the old man chuckled softly, his voice like the lingering echo of an ancient bell, piercing through the dust of time, devoid of sarcasm or irony, only filled with heartfelt admiration:
"Throughout history, you are the first person to dare claim to define heaven and earth upon entering Inquiry City."
He withdrew his probing gaze, turned to disappear into the void, but suddenly paused, leaving a deep, lingering voice:
"This old man Mo Yuan."
"You are unknown today, but once you ascend the Soul Mirror Heavenly Pillar, you will understand why I am waiting for you here."
The voice paused slightly, and a timeless foreshadowing was gently uttered:
"If you can truly Wenyan City bow down and acknowledge your Dao script, I will surely return one day to ask you a question that has remained unsolved for eternity."
After speaking, his figure gradually faded and dissolved into the floating void, as if he had never appeared in the world. Only a wisp of ancient soul remained, lingering and confirming that the encounter was not an illusion.
Qin Yu stood before the platform, the soul light of the inscription completely concealed, and the starry river of the Heavenly Soul Tower behind him swirled, subtly deviating from its trajectory.
A grand battle spanning countless ages and involving the very core of destiny was destined to begin long ago.
He murmured softly, responding to Wan Gu's question with a single sentence:
"The world comes to ask Heaven and Earth questions; I, with my pen, answer Heaven and Earth."
After Mo Yuan disappeared, the silent cultivators of the Fate-Inquiring Floating Realm could no longer suppress the overwhelming shock in their hearts.
A middle-aged cultivator, clad in a blue-patterned soul robe and with star-like runes adorning his eyes, spoke first in a deep voice:
"With cultivation at the Fate Beginning Realm, the writing instantly creates defining Dao texts. We, who have cultivated for countless ages, have never witnessed such an extraordinary phenomenon."
The white-haired female cultivator beside him had a serious look in her eyes and spoke in a cold voice:
"Either they are insanely arrogant and delusional, or they possess the true foundation of supreme Dao. Such a person is extremely rare, even throughout the ages."
"This is absolutely not a fabricated hype." A veteran cultivator beside him spoke, his words weighty and resolute. "The strength of the Dao resonance just now far surpassed the scale of a semi-main-level definition text, comparable to the tremor of a city's Dao roots."
A young prodigy looked shocked and incredulous:
"The inscription on the Annihilation Inquiry Mirror Soul Tower by this person in the past was already a top-tier spectacle in the region, but the shockwaves it has caused across the Soul Tower today surpass even that!"
"The thirty-three streams of destiny resonate in unison, and the remnants of ancient observation tremble incessantly." The middle-aged man's expression was solemn. "This person is not among those recorded in this world's destiny register."
"It is... a Soul Seeker from beyond the realm."
The five words were spoken lightly, yet they put everyone on edge.
The elderly cultivator slowly rose and sighed:
"Upon entering this city, he established his foundation for the Dao. From that moment on, he was no longer a passerby."
"From now on, every word, every action, every thought will affect the balance of destiny and the stability of law and order in the entire Wenyan City."
Someone asked in a low voice, "What exactly does this person want?"
The middle-aged cultivator gazed at the black-clad figure standing silently before the platform and succinctly revealed the crux of the matter:
He did not seek answers, nor enlightenment, nor proof of destiny.
He came here to write the answer.
A cool breeze suddenly arose in the void, as if an invisible sword spirit lay dormant in the Soul Sea. Without moving an inch, it had already forced all streams to turn to the side and the laws of nature to divide into three parts.
The dozens of cultivators present held their breath and focused their attention, none of them daring to utter another word.
Everyone knew the answer.
This child's arrival is not for entering the game of cultivation.
He has come to change the situation, set the rules, and establish a new path for all time.