The three days have passed.
Crack-like soul lines began to appear throughout the Epoch Construct Wasteland, descending from the sky and guiding the first-round victors from different races, realms, and bloodlines to converge at the same forbidden entrance known as the "Mouth of Realm Erosion."
It was a deathly edge that looked like it had been torn apart, with broken continental components and fragmented logical structures floating around, and the space occasionally echoing with the displaced sound of "the collapse of consciousness".
From a subjective perspective, it seems as if the world is "collapsed in real time," yet people are still walking towards it.
They are the true powerhouses in this Epoch Battle.
One after another, streams of soul light descended, each representing an individual who had passed the first round of the "Construct Consciousness Annihilation Battle." At this moment, they all stood on the floating stone bridge, heading towards the enormous rift.
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Qin Yu in front, dressed in an obsidian-patterned battle suit, his robes fluttering even without wind.
Behind him, Yunyi and Wang Long stood side by side, their expressions different, but neither spoke.
Their appearance also caused quite a stir in the surrounding area.
At this moment, in the distant observation platform, the Myriad Souls Projection Array, and the Ji Hall Discussion Platform, countless spectators are observing the gathering of the participants in real time through the "Source Ring Image".
In a floating array, a young cultivator exclaimed in surprise:
"I saw it! It's him... it's Qin Yu! He really advanced to the second round! I heard that in the first round, he directly broke the consciousness chain of Duan Yuanzi!"
An elderly man in gray robes stroked his beard and sighed softly:
"The son of the reversed flow of the Annihilation Origin bloodline, possessing the consciousness of the initial master of the Azure Ring, even those with forbidden consciousness cannot determine his fate... If he enters the Lost Realm, something terrible will likely happen."
"Wait, that's... the Three Illusory Dragons, Yunyi!?"
"Why did she come in too?!"
Someone's voice trembled as they said, "The trio is all together... It seems their goal is much more than just victory."
Further away, an elder clad in inscribed armor slowly spoke, his gaze piercing through the layers of existence:
"That group of people are after the Key of Annihilation Judgment."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.
The moment all the first-round winners arrived at the "Mouth of Realm Erosion," a chain of ruling runes inscribed with Golden Radiance obliteration patterns appeared in the sky above the entire battlefield.
The voice of the executor of the Epoch Battle resounded throughout the soul platforms and the sea of consciousness of all participants:
"The second round—Ruins and Desolation—Circular Erosion Realm Breaking —has officially begun."
"This trial will no longer be a simple arena battle, but will involve a full-scale, non-rule-based battle of seizing objects within the [Epoch Construct Wasteland - Ring Erosion Ruined Realm]."
The target is three core components --
"First, Construct Abyss Fragmented Page; second, Silent Construct Cause Core; third, Cause-Observing Mirror Wheel."
"The one who collects all three items is the winner and will receive the Annihilation Epoch Construct Seal and the qualification for advancement."
"Also--"
"The legendary hidden item, the Key of Annihilation Judgment, also exists in this realm."
Whether you win or not is up to you.
As the last word fell, the entire "Mouth of Realm Erosion" burst open with a deafening roar.
Countless breaths of battle spirits surged from the twisted crack, as if calling upon their destined one.
Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them:
He heard the echo of the key.
Meanwhile, deep within a sealed palace outside the Ji realm.
This place is called the Guanyan Yu Room, which is reserved for observers of the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall and is never open to the public. The room has no windows or doors, and the four walls are engraved with gray-silver soul array lines. In the center, a constantly rotating life chain ring instrument is suspended—this is one of the only devices that can observe the "Annihilation Logic-level Battlefield".
Yan Yue and Zi Xue sat quietly in front of the ceremonial platform, while a gray figure stood to one side.
It was the third-order examiner— Shu Xunyan.
At this moment, countless "fragments of boundary erosion information" appeared in the life chain ring instrument. These were not real images, but a multi-dimensional soul structure window deduced through the Fate-Cause reversal technique: it could not only see the scene itself, but also analyze the soul frequency and skill logic path of the participants.
This is a view that transcends observation.
It is a real-time projection of the 'propositional logic' behind the construction of the argument.
Zi Xue gazed at the figures of Qin Yu, Yunyi, and Wang Long appearing in the void, her eyes flickering with a hint of fire, and the phoenix mark between her brows trembling slightly.
"His sword-wielding rhythm has changed... as if he's adapting to the structural rules of the eroded domain."
She instinctively sensed a slight adjustment in Qin Yu's soul structure—
Only a soul cultivator like her, who is in sync with the star path, can perceive such details.
Yan Yue sat on one side of the center of the ring, her eyes half-closed, her hair slowly falling down, her aura as calm as a still sea.
She didn't say a word, but from beginning to end, her soul never left Qin Yu's figure.
Shu Xunyan stood behind the life chain device, her right hand resting on a gray-silver ring platform, and said softly:
"What you see is merely the first layer of the causal fragment. I have also set up a 'logic core observation zone' to observe the possible active state of the Key of Annihilation Judgment when enemy and friendly skill chains intersect."
He paused, his tone carrying a hint of cold rationality:
"Of course, that's assuming Qin Yu can survive and enter that core area of the ruins."
Yan Yue opened her eyes, her voice calm:
He will.
Every step he took was inevitable.
Zi Xue chuckled softly, "I'm more interested in when he'll finally strike back at those hidden forces."
Shu Xunyan raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, then closed his eyes and activated the life chain ring.
The next moment, dozens of pale silver chains appeared in the void, corresponding precisely to --
Several mysterious forces, yet to be revealed, exist within the Ring Erosion Ruined Realm.
Yan Yue gazed at the gradually emerging chain of light and shadow, her tone silent yet as cold as a blade:
"If they dare to steal the key, I'll make them regret their existence."
The halo of the Chain of Fate slowly rotated, and the fragmented boundary where Qin Yu was located gradually turned into the core.
And the Key of Annihilation Judgment—
Its Fate-Cause trembled, and for the first time, a faint blue pattern appeared on the ceremonial platform.
Suddenly, twenty pillars of soul light appeared in the sky above the "Mouth of Realm Erosion," and in each pillar, the figure of a first-round advancer emerged.
Beneath their feet, circles of interwoven silver and black soul array imprints quietly appeared.
That's no ordinary teleportation array.
Instead, it is the [Realm Source Folding Emanation Array] personally engraved by the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall, a transmission ritual specifically used for cross-dimensional warfare. Its essence is not "movement," but rather "compressing" the existence state of the participants into a segment of Fate-Cause code, directly embedding it into the logical gaps of the Ring Erosion Ruined Realm.
The moment the teleportation was initiated, everyone's soul consciousness and skill chains were automatically frozen, with only the Soul Master remaining "running" within the array.
Time around us suddenly became distorted, and space was sliced into countless shimmering fragments of light.
Every participant in the battle seemed to be broken into billions of afterimages, flowing into the distorted rift in the realm.
Only a faint echo remained in Qin Yu's ears:
"--The war of erosion has no rules."
Azure light patterns swept up, and the Key of Annihilation Judgment... at this moment, quietly opened its eyes amidst the chaos.
It's like stepping into the edge of a nightmare.
There are no clearly defined mountains, no distinct land; only a kind of "black remnant structure left behind after the world sheds its shell." Those strange, towering pillars that pierce the sky are neither stone nor bone, yet they seem to have once been the spine of some deity, now emptied of their essence by the entire Source of Epochless, leaving only ruins. These towering structures emit faint blue veins, like the outward manifestation of some kind of "logical nerve," slowly pulsating.
Deeper still, the sky was not clear, but a colossal halo of light, riddled with cracks, as if the heavens had been torn apart and forcibly stitched back together. A band of light descended from the sky, its light carrying countless fragments of causal echoes, like fragments of time that had once existed, reverberating repeatedly in this dead zone. Beneath their feet lay corrupted crystalline soil, shimmering with a dim metallic sheen, faintly emanating the lingering echoes of unspoken questions. In some areas, one could even see long-decayed skulls and partially shattered ancient weapons, like hooks and halberds, embedded in the rock strata, their past now unreadable.
Everywhere, the air was filled with a chilling coldness that almost oppressed the soul, like the "apathy after one's existence has been stripped away." In the distance, occasionally a dark shadow would flash by, like a bird, but without wings or life, its form as strange as a viscous remnant of logic, appearing and disappearing in an instant.
Wang Long narrowed his eyes slightly and said softly, "This place... doesn't seem to have formed naturally. It's more like—a solidified wasteland thrown into this world after the complete collapse of logic in a certain dimension." Wang Long stared at the huge crack ring hanging in the sky, his expression turning serious. "That's not an ordinary image of the sun and moon; it's a 'time remnant left after causality was severed'... Someone once tried to restart a piece of history here."
Qin Yu looked around, his voice as still as the wind. "This is where fragments of Source of Epochless · Deep Layer logic are piled up... We have finally entered the edge of its heart."
The three of them slowly stepped into the ruins illuminated by the surrounding cracks.
No one knew the name of this place, but from this moment on, they gave it a new name: "The Ring Erosion Ruined Realm".
When Qin Yu landed, he found himself in a strange and broken world.
But in this unclaimed territory, there are no arena rules, no judges or penalties.
Only goals, calculations, and a fight to the death.
At this moment, a silvery ruling pattern in the sky slowly dissipated, and a sentence that had been declared earlier echoed once more in everyone's minds:
"The second round is a free team formation event. Teams will be formed independently to enter the Lost Realm, and the winners will advance."
This sentence is already deeply etched in everyone's heart.
At this moment, the first battlefield is no longer a solitary battle.
Qin Yu took the lead at the front of the line, and without even moving his divine sense, he cracked the space inch by inch.
Behind him stood four people, each with a deeply concealed spiritual aura, yet their oppressive presence was immediately apparent:
[Wang Long]
Eternal Evolution Realm Hall - Annihilation Lord Realm - High-Level
Innate Martial Soul: Heavenly Emanation Fate Pressure Wheel
Characteristics: The longer the battle lasts, the stronger the life pressure becomes; during defensive counterattacks Shatter Soul Consciousness.
Combat Style: "Suppress Soul Frequency, Crack Chains for Counterattack."
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[Gui Ming Luo]
Annihilating Thought Return Hall - Annihilation Lord Realm - High Rank
Skilled at Severed Thought Soul, breaking through consciousness to Entering Stillness.
In the first round, he cleverly broke through the opponent's battle structure with "Soundless Annihilating Thought" and completely defeated the opponent's dominant chain on the arena.
Combat Style: "Silent Contemplation Breaks the Chains, Annihilation Returns to the Soul."
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[Luo Qingluan]
Annihilating Thought Return Hall, Silent Source Realm, Ultimate
Those who follow the school of thought of Forget and Cleanse Still Thoughts are skilled at using their spiritual thoughts to subtly defeat their enemies.
Although his strength was inferior to Qin Yu and the others, he broke through three chains and Annihilation Lord in a brief battle.
Combat style. "If you are still, you will shatter; if you forget the chain, it will collapse."
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[Heng Yan]
Shattered Domain Cause Hall - Annihilation Lord Realm - Initial Stage
Wielding the "Shattered Cause Blade Fire Wheel," the one who is killed by the chain will have their fate shattered with a single strike.
In the first round, Huo Yin defeated two enemies in succession, and Chi Hun frequently disrupted the enemy's logic and rhythm.
Combat style. "Unending blade fire, shattering the very path of life."
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Of these five, only Wang Long was a fellow disciple.
The others were all aware of the existence of the "Key of Annihilation Judgment".
But they were all genuinely teaming up with Qin Yu.
Qin Yu is the only one in this battle who has the potential to trigger the reaction of the Key's origin.
Five figures slowly stepped into the shattered deep domain.
The annihilation light behind them will become the true storm core of the Ring Erosion Ruined Realm.
The annihilating light mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the floating bridge of the remnant world beneath their feet was slowly crumbling, forcing them into an unknown land.
But in that moment before the storm, the five men looked at each other and did not rush to set off.
Wang Long stepped forward, standing beside Qin Yu, his gaze calm and his voice low yet resolute:
Qin Yu.
I'll only say it once.
"You are the only person in my life, Wang Long, who has ever entered the [Gate of Silent Origin]."
"In this battle, we will live and die together."
Qin Yu looked back, a rare glimmer of loneliness appearing deep in his eyes. He didn't say "okay," but simply patted Wang Long's shoulder gently.
That's enough.
Wang Long chuckled, slowly retreated, and returned to his position.
Then, Gui Ming Luo spoke softly, his tone as calm and thoughtful as ever:
Qin Yu.
"I am neither your disciple nor an old acquaintance. But I can see that you are not fighting for victory."
Therefore, I wish to walk with you.
His gaze was calm as he looked ahead at the shattered ruins, as if he could see the direction in which the chains of fate intertwined.
"As long as you don't abandon me, I will follow you to the end."
Luo Qingluan to the side, gave a slight bow, her voice as Kong Ling and gentle as she was:
"Though my level of understanding is somewhat lower, I know who I can rely on for support."
"In this forgotten world, I only believe in you."
After she finished speaking, she stood calmly, but subconsciously took a half step to turn her back to Qin Yu —a posture of "trust" in battle.
Finally, Heng Yan smiled. Among the five, his soul aura was the most intense, and the fire in his eyes remained undiminished.
"I don't like beating around the bush," he said. "You're the one who can keep my temper in check."
"Then I'll lend you my destiny for this battle."
He raised his right hand, and a crimson fire wheel spun in his palm, as if silently awaiting the next cataclysmic event.
The five people's eyes met again.
No oaths are needed, nor is a lifeline required.
They all knew in their hearts:
Only those who are of one mind can Ring Erosion Ruined Realm.
This team is not based on blood ties, sect affiliation, or self-interest.
It's simply because they all saw the logic behind Qin Yu's "unalterable fate".
And they are willing to be friends within this logic.