Purging the Inner Circle · Discerning Loyal Souls

At the summit of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch Master, the sky was like a curtain, with heavy clouds pressing down. Ten thousand rays of azure light converged from the four directions of the energy veins and gathered on an ancient altar. This place was the core of the manifestation of the supreme will of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch — the Heaven Lock Stele.

The monument stands 90,000 feet tall, a natural formation, inscribed with countless ancient golden characters and Star Abyss lines, as if bearing the core of a seal of countless worlds. Since ancient times, only the true rulers of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch could awaken its complete will.

At this moment, Qin Yu before the monument, his robes fluttering slightly, his spirit calm and composed. To his left and right, Qian Ruishan and Mu Qingwan stood solemnly, their gazes resolute.

"The Heaven Lock Stele, Bear Annihilation Abyss, allows me, the Realm Master, to once again invoke the Law of the Sealed Abyss."

Qin Yu slowly extended his right palm, and an Azure Ring of light appeared. Then, a golden annihilation Realm Master Soul Seal emerged from between his eyebrows, condensed into a chain of light, and slowly fell into the monument.

Qian Ruishan and Mu Qingwan simultaneously closed their eyes and extended their palms, each releasing their own Guardian Soul Oath and Attribute Seal Heavenly Contract. The two beams of light, like twin stars returning to their places, merged under the main seal.

--boom!

The Heaven Lock Stele suddenly trembled, and billions of light chains surged from its body, like chains returning to the altar, stretching across the void, weaving a divine pattern that spans the world and locks the heavens.

Beneath Qin Yu and the other two, a vast Sealing Abyss Fate Array Diagram appeared, engraved with the spiritual chain trajectories of all the domains of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch, as if re-anchoring the entire Epoch Realm system under the main seal.

The monument resounded like thunder, and its light surged like a tidal wave.

At this moment, the true main seal of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch returned to its rightful place, and the protective sealing mechanism was fully updated. From this day forward, anyone who attempts to cross the barrier of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch will be devoured and erased by the realm's will without the guidance of the main seal.

Qian Ruishan said softly, "The blockade has been restarted; the Annihilation Abyss Epoch must not be violated lightly again."

Mu Qingwan nodded as well. "It's time to protect our world."

Qin Yu gazed at the slowly fading Heaven Lock Stele, his tone resolute. "This is only the beginning—since the enemy has threatened the very foundation of our realm, the Heavenly Lock will not be opened, and you will not be allowed to take another step."

Outside the main hall, the sky was silent, and a sense of oppression, like that of an Annihilation Abyss or a dead sea, permeated the sky of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch.

At this moment, Qin Yu, Yan Yue, and Ling Jingxi stood on the barrier altar at the very core of the main hall, their figures arranged in a triangular formation, their souls connected and their auras intertwined.

As Qin Yu slowly raised his hand, a main Soul Seal radiating a golden-blue light emerged from between his brows, as if controlling the source of the logic of the Epoch Realm. At the same time, the Xi Lun Annihilation Abyss Dawn Wheel Diagram appeared behind Yan Yue, with countless rays of light flowing around her and converging towards the center of the altar; while Ling Jingxi unfolded her own Realm Consciousness Star Abyss Diagram Array, locking onto the nine domain nodes of the entire Annihilation Abyss Epoch, Return to One all spiritual veins.

"The seal of discipline locks the enemy's fate; primordial silence is the guiding principle; and the heavens are the boundary."

--Qin Yu murmured the original incantation for activating the barrier.

Boom!

The three people's auras exploded in the void, like three Epoch Realm stars colliding violently. Countless rays of light surged towards the sky like a turbulent river of stars, and an invisible and enormous "Primordial Silence Heaven-Sealing Barrier" slowly unfolded!

All I saw was:

The sky split open, and golden Realm Lock descended from the heavens, like divine locks, binding the celestial veins and earth pillars of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch by section;

The light of the Dawn Wheel of Yan Yue circled the center, suppressing and sealing the future cause and effect of the entire realm;

Ling Jingxi wields the "Realm Sense Stargazing Chain," transforming the entire sky into an "unprojectable mirror," ensuring that external enemies can never accurately pinpoint the coordinates of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch;

Qin Yu then used the power of the Azure Ring Spirit Edge Piercing the Realm to inscribe a master's seal, anchoring this barrier as [Primordial Silence Logic]: -- All enemy techniques that cross realms will become ineffective, collapse, and annihilate the moment they enter the barrier!

At this moment, the entire sky above the Annihilation Abyss Epoch seemed to be covered by a net woven with golden and azure light, sealing off heaven and earth, silencing all spirits, and restoring the absolute order of peace to the Realm Master path of the era.

The distant Xuancang Shenying, the Grand Venerable Mingxu, and others all gazed up at the sky where the golden and azure light converged, only four words echoing in their hearts:

The sky is sealed off.

Yan Yue's gaze was cold and indifferent. "Once this barrier is completed, the Annihilation Abyss Epoch will never be violated."

Qin Yu nodded slightly and murmured:

"Dare to cross the line again—and you will be executed."

As the power of the barrier gradually stabilized, the sky of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch returned to its clear state. However, behind the net of heaven forged from annihilated gold, a thousand layers of killing intent were hidden. Any external enemy that dared to touch it would be completely Annihilation in the instant when "the logic did not hold".

Qin Yu slowly descended, landing in front of the Annihilation Abyss Main Hall.

He was enveloped in the remaining azure and golden light of the Heaven-Sealing Barrier, his divine soul standing tall like a pillar of heaven. His gaze swept over the assembled elders, his voice steady yet seemingly predestined:

"From this moment forward, everyone shall immediately take up their posts and fully commence the restoration project across all domains of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch. The core spiritual domains, including the Annihilation Soul Hall, the Realm Return Platform, the Void Sense Array, and the Azure Abyss Pass, must be restored to 70% of their pre-battle state within three days."

"The Northern Region will be reorganized under the leadership of the Third Elder; the Southern Region will be shared by the Fifth and Seventh Elders; and the Eastern Region will be personally led by the Ninth Elder. The remaining elders will allocate resources across the entire region, and if troop deployment or force transfer is needed, they should directly contact my Lord Seal."

"Yes! I will obey the Realm Master's command."

The elders clasped their hands in unison, their expressions solemn, and immediately began to allocate the Destiny Charts and Spirit Books, organizing their respective subordinates to rush to various regions for reconstruction.

Qin Yu's figure flashed, Annihilation Abyss Divine Power shook the Heavenly Veins. One command after another was formed in the air and flew into the Soul Seal of the elders, instantly mobilizing the resources of the entire era to take effect!

After finishing the scheduling, Qin Yu dimmed his brilliance and walked steadily through the Annihilation Abyss Main Hall.

He glanced back at the sky that had just closed off and whispered:

"Next... is to reorganize the Soul Heart Bureau."

Immediately, he flicked his sleeves and opened the core hall of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch — the Yu Qing Inner Hall.

This hall is the core Fate Soul Council Hall of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch. Only those recognized by the Annihilation Abyss Epoch Master and the Twelve Soul Pillars of the Era can enter. The entire inner hall Forging and Construction of "Annihilation Pattern Azure Steps" and "Azure Pattern Star Rings," resembling a miniature Epoch Realm.

As the Azure Ring emitted a faint light, the Yu Qing Inner Hall opened automatically.

Moments later, all the key figures from the Annihilation Abyss Epoch arrived one after another:

The Xuancang Shenying, draped in a dark-patterned battle robe, moved with the force of collapsing mountains.

The Grand Venerable Mingxu, his face imbued with the aura of the Azure Abyss, seemed capable of sealing away reincarnation;

Mu Qingwan and Yao Wanqing: one is as cold and aloof as ice and snow, the other Wenwan.

Zhou Yu and Qian Ruishan returned from the Southern Region, their battle robes still stained with the blood of their enemies;

Ling Jingxi, a star mirror appeared behind her, seemingly able to reflect the knowledge of a thousand years;

There are also four War Soul Beacons under Qin Yu's command:

Yan Yue, the Dawn Wheel press down upon the realm;

Zi Xue, starlight faintly burning;

Yunyi, dragon patterns encircling the body;

The Extinguished Light, the illusory shadow vanished.

At this moment, all the core guardians of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch took their seats in the Yu Qing Inner Hall.

The atmosphere in the hall was solemn, with stars surrounding the heavens, a place where hearts were united in harmony.

Qin Yu glanced around, slowly sat down in the main seat, his eyes gathering light, and spoke in a solemn voice:

"I have summoned you all here not to celebrate our victory, but to thoroughly investigate what is behind this."

"The Annihilation Abyss Epoch has never encountered such a precise invasion. This is not an ordinary World Beast tide, but an operation orchestrated by hostile forces within the Source of Epochless."

"I hope that from this moment on, each and every one of us will fully enter a state of Epoch Battle readiness."

Immediately, everyone's expression turned solemn, and not a single distracting word was uttered in the hall.

Yu Qing Inner Hall, the light remained still.

Everyone solemnly took their seats, and the divine energy from all directions converged like a deep, still sea, with each breath of soul being the pulse of the core Fate Soul of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch.

Qin Yu's robes fluttered slightly, his deep gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone steady yet resolute:

"It's no coincidence that I was able to return in time this time."

He paused, then his expression became serious:

"It was Tong Ning, the Observation Sovereign of Origin Venerable Judge Source of Epochless, who personally received me and informed me that the Annihilation Abyss Epoch might have been maliciously orchestrated, which led me to make the decision to withdraw from the Annihilation Heaven Overarching Realm and return."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone showed a hint of respect. Yan Yue nodded slightly and murmured, "Fortunately, Source Venerable had the foresight."

Qin Yu continued speaking, his tone no longer calm, but revealing a hint of cold fighting spirit:

"I originally thought that with you all guarding the Annihilation Abyss Epoch, it would be impregnable. But this time, the enemy did not launch a frontal assault, but bypassed the blockade of the Abyss, forcibly breaking through the weakest point of the domain, dividing their forces into three domains, and luring the tiger away from the mountain. This kind of tactic is not something a wild beast could devise."

"Therefore, I conclude that someone from Source of Epochless is the mastermind behind this battle. And it's very likely that they are connected to Yu Yuance's side."

Upon hearing this, everyone's killing intent immediately intensified, Ling Jingxi's Star Mirror trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she had also sensed it.

Qin Yu stood up, a glint of blue light in his eyes, and said in a deep voice:

"From now on, Xuancang Shenying and Grand Venerable Mingxu, I trouble you two seniors to secretly dispatch soul spies from various domains to carefully investigate..."

"Any cultivator from a realm who is an elder must be investigated if they make any unusual moves."

"If the evidence is conclusive, show no mercy; Annihilation completely."

Xuancang Shenying and Grand Venerable Mingxu stood up simultaneously and solemnly clasped their hands in greeting:

"I will obey Your Majesty's command."

"You must personally activate the Soul Consciousness Map and eliminate all doubts in the entire area within three days."

Qin Yu slowly sat back in the main seat, his gaze cold. "As for the mastermind Source of Epochless... I will investigate it personally."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent, Azure Ring trembled slightly, as if in response.

After this battle, the Annihilation Abyss Epoch will truly enter a high-dimensional protection system— the Epoch Realm's Guardian Soul will cleanse the entire realm, leaving no room for enemy schemers to hide.

Qin Yu swept his gaze over everyone, his divine sense spreading out gently, seemingly instantly penetrating every fluctuation of soul energy within the Yu Qing Inner Hall.

"I will remain in the Annihilation Abyss Epoch Master Realm for the time being, but not for long."

He paused slightly, his expression leaving no room for doubt:

"Senior Xuan Cang, Senior Mingxu, you shall set off now and mobilize your hidden networks. All those who have had contact with the outside world, regardless of their status or past achievements, shall be investigated equally."

Xuancang Shenying's eyes were cold and stern as he stood up and replied in a deep voice:

"Our Xuan Cang lineage has long since laid the Hidden Abyss Soul Network, and now is the perfect time to capture it all."

The Grand Venerable Mingxu chuckled lightly, saying nothing more. He simply raised the dark golden "Cause-Severing Sealing Ruler" behind him, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

"If this time the traitor is truly exposed... I will personally send him back to the Silent Abyss."

The two clasped their hands in greeting, quietly turned around, and in an instant stepped into the void, disappearing into the silent palace ceiling.

Qin Yu then turned to Ling Jingxi on his right, his gaze deep. "Senior Ling, you guarded the outer realms for several years and are extremely familiar with the defensive layers of the Annihilation Abyss Hall. After this battle, I need you to reconstruct the maps of the three outer formations and thoroughly investigate all unupdated spatial coordinates."

Ling Jingxi calmly rose, her white robes fluttering slightly, and the Star Mirror twirled at her fingertips.

"I understand now. I can trace the root cause of any 'infiltration' in this world, as long as it leaves behind a structural trace."

Having said that, she transformed into a streak of starlight and disappeared into the night outside the palace, where faint ripples of starlight could be seen in the distance.

Only Qin Yu and his confidants remained in the hall— Yan Yue, Yunyi, Zi Xue, Extinguished Light, Qian Ruishan, Mu Qingwan, Yao Wanqing, and Zhou Yu.

The sky was deep and still, and the light and shadows Yu Qing Inner Hall quietly receded, as if they had truly entered the defensive deployment phase after the deathly silence.

Qin Yu slowly closed his eyes, his mind as clear as a mirror. The Azure Ring in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly, as if it were making a new round of rehearsals for the upcoming scheme.

Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, his gaze narrowing slightly, before slowly raising his eyes to look at Zhou Yu standing to his side.

"Ji Jiyan, He Yanxiao, Li Wenyan, Gou Chenshen, Fu Chengzhao —have these people shown any unusual behavior lately? Even the slightest hint of wavering must be reported to me truthfully."

His tone was calm, yet it carried a hint of cold caution, clearly indicating that he had already reached the most stringent level of judgment regarding the stability of the entire Annihilation Abyss Epoch.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu immediately straightened up and answered without hesitation:

"Reporting to Your Highness."

"Since you completely subdued those five, not only has their attitude fundamentally changed, but their daily words and actions have also become more cautious and disciplined. When the strange beasts attacked this time, the five of them were the first to take action, He Yanxiao even personally blocked a divine sense attack comparable to that of the Transcendence Realm, almost hanging by a thread."

Her voice was solemn yet resolute:

"I, Yao Wanqing, Mu Qingwan witnessed it with our own eyes. They had no selfish motives whatsoever; on the battlefield, they were souls willing to perish alongside Annihilation Abyss Epoch."

Qin Yu listened quietly, and nodded after a long while.

"Okay, that's good."

"If they have truly etched their loyalty into their Soul Seal, then we should not allow suspicion to disrupt the morale of our army. But to be on the safe side, I will speak with each of them personally later."

Having said that, he swept his gaze over everyone in the hall again, his voice steady and calm:

"I believe in you, but I also understand that true guardians of the Annihilation Abyss are built upon clarity, restraint, and caution."

Everyone responded in unison, and the atmosphere became solemn.