The Killing Trap Is Set · Undercurrents Beneath the Dawn

In the stillness of midday, within the Conradiance Halls the Radiant Palace Eastern Region, the air is filled with the swirling fragrance of a sacred spring and the aroma of tea.

Qin Yu took a small sip of tea, a long-suppressed sharpness subtly revealed between his brows. He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over Zi Xue, Extinguished Light, Yan Yue, Yunyi, and the newly returned Wang Long, his voice calm yet firm:

"If they truly want to deal with us, they won't rely solely on open confrontation. And now—"

He gently set the teacup down; the Golden Radiance porcelain shimmered with ripples of light, as if heralding the prelude to a storm.

"I'm not going to wait any longer."

Everyone's expressions changed, Zi Xue's phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she softly asked, "You want to take the initiative?"

Qin Yu nodded, his expression resolute. "Now that we stand atop the temple, and the title of guardian has been bestowed upon us, we can no longer continue to passively defend. We are not the kind of people who only retreat in defense."

His gaze swept over Wang Long and Zi Xue, and he paused slightly before speaking:

"Wang Long has now Primordial Void Realm · Supreme, and Zi Xue is at the Final Cycle Middle Stage. It is now far more difficult for them to secretly plot against each other than before."

Extinguished Light leaned against a pillar in the temple, a slight smile playing on his lips, "It's only under the safe light of the temple. Once outside, the temple's laws may not apply to those from the outer realms."

Yan Yue's gaze was calm, but her voice carried a hint of icy coldness. "We can't wait for them to make a move, otherwise every attempt could be a test before a killing intent."

Qin Yu nodded, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "So I plan to personally investigate Mirror Abyss Yu, and while I'm at it... send my early greetings to Liang Jichen, the eldest disciple of the True Word Extremity Hall."

A moment of silence fell over everyone.

Then came Zi Xue's smiling yet resolute whisper:

"I knew you were planning something big again."

Extinguished Light hummed softly, "This is the real you, Qin Yu."

Yunyi's voice trailed off clearly. "If you're going to kill someone, remember to call me."

Wang Long slapped his thigh and laughed, "That's more like it! Brother Yu, whatever you say, we'll do!"

Yan Yue's eyes dimmed, and she slowly raised her gaze. "I'll go with you."

Qin Yu gazed at the crowd, his voice slowly falling:

"We are the guardians of the temple, but more importantly—we are the ones who write the temple's destiny."

At this moment, Conradiance Halls, a proactive psychological warfare "counter-hunting" operation quietly begins.

In the Radiant Palace Eastern Region, light flows and shimmers, and the heavenly palace glows like a waterfall of rosy light.

The atmosphere in the hall tensed slightly as everyone held their breath. Qin Yu's gaze was sharp as he slowly surveyed the crowd, his voice low yet resolute:

"This time, our plan... is like this."

As he finished speaking, a glint flashed in everyone's eyes, and they all nodded in tacit agreement, without uttering a single question.

The plan never needs to be known by the whole world; all it needs is for the result to amaze everyone.

Then the light and shadow shifted.

In the scene, deep within the Heavenly Radiance Divine Domain, a solitary figure walks slowly.

Wearing a black obsidian robe, Qin Yu walked alone through the east corridor of the temple, his steps unhurried as he traversed the steps, which were covered with floating spiritual light and Dao patterns, like a star about to fall into an abyss in the still night.

No one accompanied him.

No one knows where he is going at this moment.

No one knew that, deep within the intricate layers of this Eternal Evolution Divine Hall, a plan belonging to Qin Yu had quietly unfurled its dark wings.

And his direction was none other than: the residence of Mirror Abyss Yu.

There, belonging to the residence of the Fifth Temple Guardian of the True Word Extremity Hall, known as [Law-Reflecting True Abyss], is woven day and night by the flow of words and destiny, where the Soul Mirror appears, and it is not to be peered into.

At this moment, Qin Yu walked in silently and alone, as if he were walking through his own home with ease.

The wind stirred, and her dark hair brushed against her shoulders and neck.

He gently raised his eyes and looked at the Mirror Palace, which was half-suspended in the light of the radiant sun.

His eyes held neither hostility nor goodwill.

He said softly:

"Mirror Abyss Yu, it's time to talk."

The surging energy between the Mirror Abyss suddenly froze.

--And war never begins with a roar, but rather with the quietest step, which is the first one to start.

A hazy mist floated, and shimmering patterns of light swirled around it.

Qin Yu's steps suddenly paused slightly three zhang in front of Law-Reflecting True Abyss's gate.

His pupils constricted instantly, and with a slight twitch of his Spiritual Sense, he detected the unusual activity within the floating abyss ahead—

It wasn't just Mirror Abyss Yu.

It was a complex interplay of auras, like multiple lifelines gently colliding; though there was no fierce confrontation, it was anything but ordinary.

"...?"

Qin Yu frowned slightly, silently took half an inch back, raised a finger, and the Silent Soul Intent appeared around him, his entire aura seemed to evaporate from the world.

His soul control at the Annihilation Lord level allows him to remain hidden like a mist; unless locked on head-on, Primordial Void Realm · Supreme would be unable to detect him.

He lightly swept his figure and landed behind a celestial stone wall with hanging patterns on the right. It was a hidden crevice constructed by the reflection of fate in the Law-Reflecting True Abyss. To ordinary people, it was just a remnant of light, but to his Silent Origin Perception, every detail was clearly visible.

He held his breath, his gaze fixed on the half-open part of the palace door—

Inside the hall, the light flowed abnormally, and figures slowly stood before Mirror Abyss Yu.

They are not from the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall!

The patterns on their robes were all different from the usual designs of Source of Epochless. Two of them wore "Returning Knowledge Remnant Emblem" on their waists, while the other had a gray obsidian three-ring ornament on his shoulder.

Qin Yu's eyes turned slightly cold.

"The Returning Consciousness Clan... and the Observers?"

What concerned him even more was Mirror Abyss Yu's expression at that moment.

They were even more respectful than when facing challenges before.

"It seems... the True Word Extremity Hall has already made its move." Qin Yu's heart sank.

Suddenly, the man standing at the head of the table, clad in a long, flowing Gray Ring robe, slowly spoke:

"Mirror Abyss Yu, Lord Xuanyan asks you, has that woman Yan Yue truly awakened the 'Silent Dawn Blood Chain'? How many times did you see her activate the Annihilation Cause Law Severance?"

After a moment's thought, Mirror Abyss Yu replied in a deep voice, "Three times, but she... doesn't seem to have fully mastered it yet."

The other person chuckled, "You've suppressed Ju Ji without fully mastering her? Ha, your True Word Extremity Hall will have more than one enemy in the future."

The man with the Gray Ring sneered, "Where's Qin Yu? You've had contact with him, what do you think?"

Mirror Abyss Yu hesitated for a moment, then suddenly whispered:

"He... shouldn't have stopped at the Primordial Void Realm."

After those words were spoken, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Qin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, but a faint, cold smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"So you noticed too."

He did not act rashly, but waited quietly as even greater secrets continued to emerge...

Just as Qin Yu held his breath and stared intently, the gate to the Law-Reflecting True Abyss was gently pushed open by a cold light.

Before the two auras Perfected Person, a familiar, bone-deep sense of oppression slowly permeated the entire palace like a swirling mist.

A man in a dark blue robe stepped in slowly, his eyes gleaming yet sharp, his steps steady as if weighing the course of fate on a scale.

"Yu Yuance." Qin Yu's gaze instantly darkened.

This person was the one he and Yan Yue had been wary of the earliest during their destiny assessment; now, this inheritor of the power lineage of the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall had quietly appeared at Mirror Abyss Yu's residence.

"He shouldn't be here." A glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes.

The person standing a step away from him sent a chill down Qin Yu's spine.

He was a young man draped in a purple robe, with a faint smile on his lips. His skin was like jade, but his eyes were as deep as the dead sea. His steps were silent, but his aura was like that of an invisible soul beast slowly crouching.

Feng Li.

"It really is... even Feng Li has come." Qin Yu leaned quietly against the obsidian barrier, his mind focused on the clearest possible state for every thought.

This person, as Yu Yuance's personal attendant, has appeared several times in the Annihilation Abyss Epoch, attempting to intercept and kill Yan Yue and Zi Xue more than once. And now, he is openly standing in the inner temple of the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall!

The atmosphere in the hall was more unsettling than ever before.

Mirror Abyss Yu rose, bowed slightly, and greeted, "Senior Brother Yu."

Yu Yuance did not respond, but merely glanced around the room, his gaze finally settling on the gray-robed man, and said softly:

When will Lord Xuanyan arrive at the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall?

The gray-robed man said, "That's a secret, you don't need to know." Then, after a moment's thought, he changed the subject, "But what about you Yu Yuance... Qin Yu is now a guard of the Third Temple, what do you plan to do?"

"Of course, I'm just watching," Yu Yuance said calmly. "Just watching."

Qin Yu remained hidden in the shadows, his fingers slightly clenched, his expression Ultimate calm.

--

Feng Li suddenly looked up.

He didn't look in Qin Yu's direction, but a barely perceptible glimmer appeared in his eyes.

"Someone...?"

In an instant, Qin Yu focused his mind to the point of concentration, the Silent Consciousness Wheel quietly turned, and the Annihilation Abyss First Light instantly sealed off his soul logic. His whole being was like a drop of light swallowed by the Dead Sea, leaving not even a lingering echo.

Feng Li frowned slightly, but found nothing.

"It might just be my imagination."

He muttered something to himself and then stepped back half a step behind Yu Yuance.

"This person... is more dangerous than I remember." Qin Yu slowly withdrew his divine sense, his expression growing increasingly cold.

He never expected that at this crucial moment, Yu Yuance and Mirror Abyss Yu, and even Feng Li and the Gray Ring man, had formed a secret alliance. And the power of "Lord Xuanyan" had already penetrated into the heart of the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall!

This contest is no longer a struggle between disciples.

It was a direct clash between the divine lineage and the Soul Seal of the Annihilation Abyss.

Qin Yu whispered, "The game has only just begun."

Inside Law-Reflecting True Abyss, the atmosphere grew increasingly somber.

Just as Feng Li took a step back and Mirror Abyss Yu sat down again, a figure with cyan and gold patterned sleeves slowly emerged from the left side of the hall. The voice was calm, yet like a wind blowing from the Netherworld:

"We've made all the arrangements with the Nightmare God Clan. The moment Qin Yu leaves the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall will be the end of his life."

--The representative of the Returning Consciousness Clan is named [Ji Ran]. He is a being with a hazy face and an unstable soul like a dream. He was once known among all races for his partial understanding of the Fate-Cause and is one of the most skilled strategists in the Guishi lineage in "observing destiny and weaving causes".

After he finished speaking, Feng Li smiled and added softly:

"But plans are plans, and this Qin Yu... is no ordinary person at the Annihilation Lord Realm. He and that Yan Yue woman swept through three rounds of battles, even forcibly suppressing Yan Yue Ju Ji. If we don't make thorough preparations, all our previous efforts might be in vain."

Mirror Abyss Yu's expression was calm, but a cold glint flickered in his eyes.

"You're right. But I don't intend to attack them directly." He smiled slightly. "Qin Yu and Yan Yue are now temple guards, so although I can't attack them inside the temple, those around them—are not all invincible."

He looked up at the projection in the void. The starlight spun slightly, revealing a woman in purple robes carrying the shadow of a nine-winged phoenix, standing in the sky above the realm of light, her eyes burning with the light of karma.

"That woman's name is Zi Xue."

"Although she is also powerful, if a blockade is launched from the outside and the Dream Clan's illusionary killing techniques are used before she becomes aware of it, she can still fall into the trap."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ran of the Returning Consciousness Clan said softly, "The Dream Sealing and Soul Imprisonment Technique... I can prepare it."

Mirror Abyss Yu continued:

"And those two spirit beasts that have taken human form. One is the Illusionary Dragon Cloud Ripple, and the other is the Annihilation Nether Beast Obliteration Light."

"Although it is transformed from a soul beast, it still has the limitations of a soul body and does not primarily cultivate human techniques. We can seal its consciousness chains and disrupt its soul frequency. When the time comes, the one who makes the move does not need to be too strong; the key is 'accuracy' and 'speed'."

At this moment, Feng Li looked up, a hint of arrogance appearing on her face:

"You've planned this very carefully, but—when are you going to make your move?"

Mirror Abyss Yu smiled faintly and pointed to the boundary map that was slowly appearing on the wall not far away.

"The secret realm quest in the Epoch Origin Spirit Ash Ruins will begin in a few days."

"According to temple rules, dispatching missions must be carried out by temple guards alone. This is their duty and cannot be refused."

"At that time, Qin Yu and Yan Yue will enter the secret realm alone."

"And his teammates will all be isolated by the rules—that's the best time for us to strike."

Returning Consciousness Clan said Ji Ran in silence, "I have already taught the Nightmare God Clan assassins the three killing techniques: Sealing Knowledge, Severing Soul, and Annihilating Life."

"There will be absolutely no future troubles in this matter."

Mirror Abyss Yu's voice was like a blade slicing through the cold night:

"Kill him, not for fame, not for merit, but solely for my senior brother— Mystic Emanation Nether Venerable · Liang Jichen."

"And his unfinished final chapter."

-The black mist condensed into a path that plunged straight down to the bottom of the Epoch Origin.

Their plans have already begun.

Qin Yu, meanwhile, remained hidden outside, expressionless, yet he had already absorbed all the plans into his mind.

He whispered:

"So that's how it is... The 'Secret Realm Mission' is the real root of the deadly trap."

"Liang Jichen... your writing is premature."