Divine Souls Awaken · The Defense of the Realm Rises Again

As everyone laughed and joked, the morning light shone on the jade floor of the main courtyard of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch Master, creating a dreamlike and ethereal glow. At that moment, light footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Elder Brother Yu Qin."

Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing walked side by side, still carrying the coolness of the morning breeze. Both were dressed in plain clothes they had changed out of after the battle, exuding both heroic spirit and Wenwan. Qin Yu felt a warmth in his heart at first glance, and then went to greet them.

Zhou Yu stepped forward and said earnestly, "Brother Yu, the damaged main hall of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch has now been basically repaired. The main halls and temple areas have all been rebuilt, the barrier is stable, and the defensive structure has been comprehensively strengthened. As per your request, all important core locations have been double-sealed. We have arranged for cultivators to guard them day and night in shifts to ensure that nothing is missed."

Yao Wanqing added softly, "The Elders' Hall has also sent spirit array masters to patrol again. We've been on-site for the past few days to ensure there are no abnormal fluctuations."

Qin Yu nodded upon hearing this, his expression calm yet resolute.

"You've all worked hard." His gaze swept over Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing. "The reason Annihilation Abyss Epoch was able to rebuild so quickly this time is because of the tireless efforts of each and every one of you. I've taken note of that."

Zhou Yu smiled playfully, "It's what we should do. As long as the Annihilation Abyss Epoch exists, we will never back down."

Qin Yu smiled without saying a word, while Yan Yue, Zi Xue, Yunyi, Extinguished Light and others around him cast approving glances at him, and the entire courtyard was filled with a tranquil yet powerful atmosphere.

After listening to Zhou Yu and Yao Wanqing's reports, Qin Yu nodded slightly, but after thinking for a moment, he still asked:

"By the way, I didn't see your spirit beasts participate in yesterday's fierce battle—was it due to special arrangements, or...?"

His tone was calm, yet it also revealed a hint of concern and doubt.

Zhou Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then a hint of apology flashed in her eyes, and she said softly:

"Brother Yu, it was my poor planning. My three soul beasts— Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter, Nether Soul Abyss Viper, and Nether Glaze Soul Luan— did indeed fight with all their might at the beginning of the battle, especially Thunder Hunter, whose attack almost shattered the Southern Region Mountains. But..." He bit his lip slightly, "The beasts' attacks were too fierce, and they were all severely injured. I could only send them back to their divine seas to slumber and repair themselves. They are still recovering now."

Yao Wanqing chimed in softly, "Me too... Yesterday, Zhou Yu's Nether Soul Luan even had its sea of consciousness feathers burned away. If we force another battle, it will only damage our soul roots."

At this moment, Qian Ruishan and Mu Qingwan also slowly approached.

Qian Ruishan's tone was gentle yet tinged with regret. "My Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly held out until the very end on the Northwest front, but it was devoured and severely injured by that alien giant lizard, so I had to forcibly recall it for treatment."

Mu Qingwan nodded in agreement. "The same goes for Xueli. The backlash from that blizzard was too strong. Xueli exhausted its source power to gain a breath of fresh air... and it is now sleeping deep in the divine sea."

Qin Yu's expression darkened upon hearing this, but he showed no reprimand; his gaze only grew more serious. He said softly:

"You have done your best. As your Fate Soul companions, who would willingly retreat to the Divine Sea if their life wasn't in danger? You did the right thing."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. Qin Yu, gazing into the distance, understood even more clearly that the enemy was not only deliberately targeting him, but also had a far-sighted plan for the entire Annihilation Abyss Epoch.

After listening to everyone's accounts, Qin Yu's expression turned solemn. He turned his gaze and said in a deep voice:

"Summon your spirit beasts, I'll take a look at them."

Qian Ruishan nodded first, slowly extending her right palm. A soft light flashed, and a dreamlike butterfly emerged from her palm. It was her Fate Soul Beast — the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly. The butterfly wings that used to flutter and dance with Wancai were now folded into a cocoon, tightly wrapping her body, and hovering heavily in mid-air, as if hiding from the noise and pain of the world.

"It's still asleep," Qian Ruishan said softly, her eyes filled with heartache.

Immediately afterwards, Mu Qingwan slowly reached out her hand, and a spirit fox, pure white as frost and light as a cloud, appeared— the Silent Spirit Snow Fox, Xueli.

At this moment, Xueli was quietly curled up, its snow-white tail feathers covering its body. The tips of its ears and fox eyes occasionally emitted a faint glow, but it had clearly lost the awe-inspiring and majestic aura it possessed during battle. It was in a deep self-sealing state to avoid further damage to its soul.

"Xueli consumed too much of her original Ice Soul." Mu Qingwan looked at the soul beast, her eyes slightly red.

Then, Zhou Yu stepped forward, waved her right arm, and three Soul Seal of different colors appeared simultaneously. Thunderous sounds, auras from the abyss, and the cry of Soul Luan emerged from behind her at the same time.

Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter – His entire body was wrapped in a net of lightning, but at this moment the power of lightning was dim and lifeless, his scales were broken, and his breathing was weak.

The Nether Soul Abyss Viper —its serpentine eyes are tightly closed, its body coiled into a ring, the Netherworld patterns on its back are incomplete, and its soul energy is almost exhausted.

The Nether Glaze Soul Luan —its beautiful wings were now charred black, its soul light scattered, and its tail feathers broken. It clung tightly to Zhou Yu's back, resembling a silent gray shadow.

Zhou Yu lowered his head slightly and said softly, "Those three are part of my soul consciousness. If they were destroyed, I would also..." Before he could finish speaking, he shook his head, gritted his teeth, and smiled, "But thankfully they've held on until now."

Qin Yu looked at the sleeping or wounded soul beasts in front of them and remained silent for a moment. Deep in his eyes, an even more intense determination and anger gradually ignited.

Qin Yu's gaze sharpened, he raised his right hand slightly, and whispered:

"Azure Ring, help me heal my soul."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint blue light slowly rose from the depths of his consciousness. A simple yet mysterious blue ring quietly emerged from between Qin Yu's eyebrows, as if it had traversed countless eras and emerged from the depths of Annihilation.

That was indeed -- Azure Ring.

The Azure Ring hovered silently above the courtyard, rotating slowly, and an ancient and imposing aura gradually arose.

The next moment, the Azure Ring suddenly trembled and emitted a clear, melodious ringing sound—"Ning!"

The ringing sound was like heavenly music, piercing through time and space and awakening the slumbering beasts. The Azure Ring slowly expanded to a width of a hundred feet, forming a vast azure halo that enveloped all the sleeping soul beasts.

From the center of the ring, countless fine and gentle cyan rays of light fell like sweet dew, just like spring rain caressing the mountains and rivers, sprinkling into the bodies of every injured soul beast.

At first, the soul beasts remained silent, but the moment the rain of light completely seeped into their soul cores—

"Smack!"

The wings of the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly suddenly trembled slightly, and then its whole body suddenly shook.

"Boom--!"

A dazzling display of Wancai light burst forth, countless rays of light converging on the butterfly's wings, rippling in layers, like stars and the aurora borealis flowing simultaneously. It danced in the air, its wings slicing through the sky, displaying a vitality and spiritual power stronger than ever before!

Then, Xueli slowly opened her pair of icy blue fox eyes, and a cold light, like a frost blade, swept out. She raised her head and let out a low cry, her nine snow tails, as if condensed from heavenly snow, blossomed with divine beauty, her icy essence surged back, and her power far surpassed that of the past.

And Zhou Yu's three soul beasts also revived at almost the same time—

Lightning rekindled on Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter's body, surrounded by azure lightning. After crouching low to the ground, a thunderous roar shook the surrounding area, startling birds into flight and shattering clouds.

The Nether Soul Abyss Viper its mouth and spat out a stream of dark green ghostly fire, its snake scales swirling with ghostly patterns, black energy condensing in the abyss, brimming with vitality.

The Nether Glaze Soul Luan lightly spread its wings, its feathers shimmering like mist, and a hundred-foot-long soul light appeared, its soul cry piercing the sky, as if Realm God had descended!

At this moment, the entire courtyard was transformed into a breathtaking scene by the interweaving of azure light and soul light.

Everyone was astonished.

Qian Ruishan, Mu Qingwan, Zhou Yu, and Yao Wanqing were all so shocked that they held their breath, some even with tears welling up in their eyes. They had never imagined that soul beasts could not only recover so quickly, but even... become stronger!

Qin Yu, however, merely smiled faintly and murmured softly:

"This is... the power of Azure Ring."

When the azure light completely disappeared, the wings of the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly were fully unfolded, with countless starlight-like patterns flowing across them, as if the entire spectrum of light had been condensed onto her body.

It danced gracefully in the air once, then suddenly turned and slowly flew towards Qin Yu.

Her graceful movements, like a dream, left a Wancai rainbow trail in the air.

Flying to Qin Yu's side, the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly lowered their heads, their voices soft and gentle—

"Thank you, Ring Master... for granting me the power of regeneration."

As it finished speaking, the butterfly's wings trembled slightly, and then its body flashed, shrinking to the size of a palm, moving like a ball of colorful light, and pounced towards Qian Ruishan.

Qian Ruishan was stunned for a moment, and the next instant, a look of surprise and excitement appeared on her face.

"Cai'er!"

Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly gently landed on her shoulder, lightly caressing her cheek, and then uttered a melodious whisper:

"Master, I have awakened... and I am now stronger than before."

These words seemed to pierce the softest corner of Qian Ruishan's heart, and her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up in them.

She gently raised her hand, her fingertips slowly stroking the wings of the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly, feeling the familiar yet unfamiliar soul aura, and her heart surged with emotion.

"Hmm... Welcome back, Cai'er."

Her voice was gentle, with a slight sob in it. She had never imagined that she would see such a vibrant ice butterfly again. It was as if this rebirth of the soul beast had completely swept away the deepest fear in her heart.

The Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly nestled quietly on her shoulder, its wings slightly spread, as if responding to its owner's gentle caress.

This scene, witnessed by everyone, moved them deeply.

The power of the Azure Ring can destroy all things, but it can also reshape life—this is another testament to and awe of Qin Yu by everyone present.

Even as the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly fully revived, the Azure Ring's radiance had not yet dissipated.

The azure light, falling like a drizzle, still covered the entire courtyard, and at this moment, the Silent Spirit Snow Fox, Xueli, beside Mu Qingwan's shoulder finally stirred.

Its white body, which had been curled up in a ball, trembled slightly, and its snow-white ears twitched gently. Then, a wisp of pale blue soul light bloomed on its forehead, and in an instant, Xueli opened her eyes!

His azure pupils, as blue as ice, lit up instantly, his nine tails unfurled like snow clouds, and his soul power rippled like moon frost, covering the entire courtyard.

"Owner."

It called out softly, its voice carrying the gentleness of someone awakening after a long absence.

Mu Qingwan's eyes flickered, and she gently pulled Xueli into her arms, stroking its snowy tail. Her eyes were slightly moist as she whispered:

"It's good that you're back... it's good that you're back..."

The figures of the white-haired girl and the nine-tailed snow fox were like a warm ray of light in the frost, gentle yet firm, moving people deeply.

At almost the same time, the three enormous and heavy shadows of soul beasts in front of Zhou Yu also suddenly trembled!

--Azure Thunder Lightning Hunter roared first, thunder piercing the sky!

A streak of purplish-black lightning shot into the sky, its tall and ferocious lightning body suddenly revived, with arcs of electricity dancing wildly around it, instantly causing thunderclouds to surge across the entire sky and shaking the earth!

Immediately afterwards, the Nether Soul Abyss Viper soared into the air, its body as swift as a dragon and as black as ink. The breath of the Netherworld Viper flowed around its body like water. As it spat its tongue, a deep roar resounded through the mind, as if announcing the return of the Lord of the Abyss!

Finally, the Nether Glaze Soul Luan slowly spread its wings, and a silver-black feather light spread out, its cry resounding through the air like the first light of dawn.

The three divine beasts returned to the Soul Master's side, bowing low and whistling in unison, their soul messages flowing into Zhou Yu's sea of consciousness:

"My lord... we're back."

Zhou Yu's eyes were filled with shock and joy, her expression one of barely suppressed excitement. She reached out and gently stroked the three beasts' brows, remaining silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft whisper:

"It's good that you're back..."

Under the baptism of the Azure Ring Divine Radiance, all the divine beasts in the courtyard awakened, their auras even stronger than before. In an instant, their beastly might surged, their divine souls trembled, and even the clouds above the courtyard were forcibly dispersed.

Qin Yu withdrew the Azure Ring, his gaze calm and profound.

"This is the true power of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch —unyielding, indestructible, and never bowing down."