Fate's Paths Entwined · Mirror Abyss's Hunting Oath

Ashes blanketed the plains, their roar echoing wildly.

On the east side of the Epoch Origin Ash Ruins, a strange beast with its soul bones bursting out and its body crackling with flames rampaging across the barren land, causing gray stones to fly and life plants to wither wherever it passed.

It is a remnant species of the Soul Calamity known as the "Rampart Death Soul Scorpion," possessing a defensive design at the Ultimate level of the Primordial Void Realm. Its spiritual core is surrounded by "Sevenfold Severing Shell," capable of devouring life consciousness and severing soul breath. It is specifically designed for those who hunt Fate Soul, and usually, when several people surround and attack it, the entire army is wiped out.

However, at this moment, it is suffering a series of defeats.

Ahead, a young man with a cold expression, his black hair flowing like a mirror, his figure sinking into the Soul-Slaying Flames, holding a broken silver longsword with many boundary marks floating on it, and the soul pattern fragments of [Shattered Law Star Lotus] floating on the image.

It is indeed: The True Word Extremity Hall, Mirror Abyss, Yu.

He didn't use his main soul or martial soul; he only used his consciousness chain and physical techniques to force the beast to break apart piece by piece.

"It's almost over."

A hint of impatience flashed in his eyes, and he was about to strike to completely destroy its soul core when the void suddenly rippled.

A figure in black, clad in a long gray robe, silently emerged from the spatial fold, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a low, choked voice:

"My lord—urgent battle report."

"The thirteen Supreme Primordial Void Realm experts we sent to the Ancient Soul-Annihilating Forest... have all been wiped out."

Mirror Abyss Yu's downward strike faltered slightly, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"Total annihilation?"

The man in black lowered his head and said in a trembling voice:

"... and in an instant, all were annihilated."

Yu Zhi's pupils contracted slightly.

He glanced at the dying beast ahead, then suddenly stopped, refraining from unleashing his final strike. Instead, he turned to the man in black, his tone turning icy:

"You just said -- a fleeting moment?"

The man in black was sweating profusely.

"Your subordinate dares not speak presumptuously. All the Gray Trace Tokens vanished in the same breath, without response, without cries for help, and all their intelligence returned to zero."

After a few breaths of silence, Mirror Abyss Yu's tone suddenly turned serious:

"Qin Yu... couldn't possibly possess such power."

He approached the man in black step by step, his voice already laced with barely concealed anger:

"Are you sure it wasn't the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall... that sent someone from the Only Book Realm to interfere?"

The man in black shook his head repeatedly:

"Your subordinates have ascertained that, apart from the Lord and the team leaders, no high-ranking outsiders have intervened within the Ash Ruins."

"Then... that Qin Yu... also disappeared for about seven days."

Mirror Abyss Yuyu paused, remaining silent for a long time.

Then he said in a cold voice:

"Don't Delusion Severance yet, deal with this beast before us!"

He turned and slashed, his spirit blade transforming into a vortex of primordial flames, shattering the last Rampart Death Soul Scorpion's life shell!

The strange beast howled, its body torn to pieces, and it died completely in the ashes.

Mirror Abyss Yu lightly waved his right hand, dispersing the spiritual flames, and coldly spoke:

"Order the entire team to remain on guard and lock down their spiritual energy."

"I will personally trace the path of the soul's energy to uncover the mystery of this 'instant annihilation'."

"This is absolutely beyond Qin Yu's capabilities. If it really was Qin Yu..."

"That person absolutely must not be allowed to live."

"Immediately send an order to Lord Mystic Emanation Nether Venerable, Liang Jichen, to report this matter truthfully."

The Radiant Palace Eastern Region is bathed in the gentle light of the shimmering moonlight.

In one corner of the temple, a hundred-step stone platform extends diagonally to the Flower-Reflecting Floating Courtyard, an ancient courtyard known as "Conradiance Halls) rests quietly between the sunlight and the curtain of light, where white cranes tread on branches and their soul feathers flutter lightly.

Four figures sat scattered in the courtyard.

They were originally the most formidable force in the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall, yet now they gathered in this tranquil place, as if all their power had been hidden beneath the lonely clouds, sinking into silent waiting.

Beside the central stone table, Yan Yue her cheek on one hand, her purple hair falling over her shoulder like a tidal wave, her gaze calmly fixed on the pond in the courtyard, motionless and silent.

But the depths of her consciousness were not as quiet as they appeared on the surface.

During that period, she experienced a sudden "Soul Pact resonance" in the deepest part of her Soul Sea.

It wasn't actively aroused, nor was it induced through dual cultivation; rather, it was a resonance of awareness that transcended any preconceived notions, as if at a certain moment—

"He and I... shared the same understanding and resonance; our souls merged to a point where no guidance was needed..."

Yan Yue pondered quietly, a barely perceptible look of confusion welling up in her eyes.

"Was it that moment of fluctuation that made me... experience that almost intercourse-like conscious reaction?"

She wasn't ashamed to admit her feelings, it was just that those emotions...

Never before.

There has never been a soul vein like hers, the Annihilation Abyss First Light.

She was puzzled.

But she knew that this fluctuation came from Qin Yu.

That frequency range can only be reached by the soul of Annihilation being in the cycle of reincarnation.

She bit her lip slightly and whispered:

"What... what has he been through...?"

On the other side, Extinguished Light leaned against the stone railing of Yunqi, his eyes half-closed, turning an unfinished Annihilation Crack Seal between his fingers.

She didn't speak, her breathing remained normal, but a faint embers were quietly igniting within her.

She didn't need her soul sense to know that Qin Yu was currently deep within the Realm Collapse "Destiny Chart".

Her innermost thoughts:

"If he used the Azure Ring... then the battle situation is beyond our current understanding."

But he never summoned me and Yunyi immediately.

A complex smile appeared faintly at the corner of her lips:

"It seems... you've gotten stronger again."

In the distance, Zi Xue, draped in a light cloak of star feathers, sat quietly on a high stone platform, a faint star pattern blooming between her brows, sensing the afterimage fluctuations deep within the Annihilation Realm with a wisp of starlight.

But what she perceived was a blank space after the afterimage shattered.

A thought struck her:

"The trajectory of the destiny star he once stirred up has now... collapsed."

She sighed softly, her voice seeming to come from the depths of starlight:

"This is the silence after 'destruction'."

"Qin Yu... just how far have you gone?"

Beside the small stone steps slightly to the east of the center of the crowd, Yunyi —the original master of the Illusory Dragon Abyss—was reclining on a star-patterned feather cushion, her hands supporting her chin as she gazed at the endless clouds of souls in the sky.

Her Gold Radiance Dragon eyes were fixed on the eastern edge of the Heavenly Abyss, and suddenly she puffed out her cheeks and said:

"Elder Brother Yu Qin has been gone for so long..."

"Why isn't the patrol over yet...?"

She lazily rolled over, swinging her legs, a hint of grievance flashing in her eyes:

"Ugh, how incredibly boring."

... In the silent courtyard, no one responded.

Yet within this silence lies the one shared connection across different soul trajectories.

They all knew that the person who was not there at that moment was using an unpredictable, desolate battle to break free from his own Fate Ring.

The Source of Epochless: The Deep Domain Azure Palace.

Within the "Eternal Abyss Realm Layer," a realm sealed off from the laws of annihilation and constructed with the logic of soul consciousness, a magnificent temple composed of gray-silver light lies quietly at the edge of the Star Abyss.

This hall is named: Realm-Observing Pupil-Wielding Hall.

Above this realm within a realm, accessible only to the "Observation Sovereign," a woman draped in a triple-patterned celestial robe reclines quietly on a floating soul couch.

She is one of the most secretive yet supreme beings in the Source of Epochless:

Origin Venerable Judge - Tong Ning.

His cultivation level has reached the pinnacle of the Silent Mystery Realm Supreme Realm.

Throughout the entire realm, very few could even glimpse her name, and almost none could witness her actions.

Her sea of consciousness was like a mirror, Realm Splitting, containing three thousand diagrams of destiny's laws, allowing her to observe the beginning of history, the errors of the future, and the cracks in the chains of fate.

At this moment, she lay quietly on the bed, her eyes closed, a wisp of life-related Fate-Cause drawn from the void entwined around her fingertips. The thread was extremely thin, yet it faintly drew upon a burning name.

She suddenly chuckled softly, opened her eyes, and whispered:

"The Breath of Annihilation Origin... is stirring again."

With a casual flick of her wrist, she channeled the life thread into her sea of consciousness, instantly projecting two names into her soul:

Qin Yu, Yan Yue

She gazed at the two light streaks that gently overlapped, a thoughtful expression playing on her lips.

Neither of them are original beings of the Epoch Origin.

"A being from beyond the Realm of Annihilation, single-handedly severed ties with destiny, and forcibly created the Annihilation Abyss Epoch."

"A soul maiden born from the Annihilation Abyss, descended with the ashes of annihilation, destined to defy fate."

Her gaze was deep, and a rare hint of pity appeared on it:

"What kind of fate brought you together?"

With a slight thought, she observed the destiny chart slowly rotating. After a moment, a dark yet extremely familiar scene appeared on the temple's star wall:

--That was a high-altitude hunt.

On that Yan Yue's consciousness was unstable. She was surrounded by several "World Origin Hunters," who devoured her consciousness chain, severed her structure, and even tried to revive her by forcibly analyzing her life -Fate Soul diagram.

Her causal connection with Qin Yu.

That day.

Yu Yuance of triple blockade filled the sky.

Even higher up, the true threat emerges:

Yu Xufei.

--One of the most bizarre controllers in the Annihilation Mystery Abyss.

He once manipulated the "Power of Destiny Writing," attempting to "reconstruct Yan Yue into the soul of his own book" as a semi-structured master writer.

Almost successful.

If not for the last moment-

A beam of annihilating silver light, tearing through the sky above the Eternal Abyss Realm Layer, fell from the heavens, piercing through Yu Xufei's Soul Bridge and instantly repelling him!

After that attack, no one knew who had struck.

All that was known to everyone was that Yu Xufei had fled and Yan Yue had returned to the Annihilation Origin Hall.

Now.

Tong Ning merely smiled faintly, as if casually muttering to herself:

"That strike..."

"I didn't hit him precisely; I merely forced him back into the Fate Book's shell."

She didn't show off, much less flaunt it.

Someone of her caliber would never take the initiative to help anyone.

But at that moment, she moved.

It is not because of the mandate, nor because of the rules and orders of the Epoch Origin.

Just because--

She saw the intertwined destiny charts of Qin Yu and Yan Yue, which were resonating with an unimaginable frequency, altering the entire future trajectory of the Source of Epochless.

She rose gently, stepped off the divine bed, and the light in her eyes transformed into swirling star patterns.

She gazed into the deepest part of the domain—behind the Lock of Annihilation—where a Nameless lifeline was slowly pulsating.

Her voice was soft, yet it seemed as if her words were instantly recorded by all realms:

"Maybe..."

"Only the two of you can truly stop those... from writing chapters that shouldn't have been written."

"You are the undestined resonance."

"It is also the only fissure capable of rewriting the Book of Fate Canon."

Epoch Origin Ash Ruins - Western Region Severed Gorge.

The rocks here are shrouded in gloom, and black winds blow from all sides. The sky above is covered with flowing gray dust all year round, as if time and space themselves are unwilling to look back after the records have been abandoned.

Inside an ancient, dry cave within the gorge, Qin Yu sat quietly.

Azure Ring had already disappeared into his sea of consciousness. After healing, his soul body had recovered completely, and the Ring Master Soul Diagram had been reconstructed to ninety percent. The Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword lay quietly behind him, still with a faint light, as if it were still drinking blood that had not yet cooled.

He remained silent for a long time, calmly analyzing the entire situation in his mind.

The temple guards' patrol mission has now lasted for fifteen days.

There are still two weeks until the full moon.

He stood up, stepped out of the cave, and glanced at the distant, gray, desolate mountains and rivers.

Yu Yuance... is dead.

"Feng Li also died at the hands of Yan Yue and the others."

A chilling glint silently formed in his eyes.

The Yu Clan was furious after that assassination attempt.

But they dared not retaliate openly—because that one act had already violated the rules.

"But the Yu Clan's anger will not end there."

"Besides the Yu Clan, there's also Liang Jichen from the True Word Extremity Hall... the Returning Consciousness Clan and the Nightmare God Clan..."

"As well as..."

Qin Yu's gaze sharpened, and he coldly uttered:

"Mirror Abyss · Yu."

"They are patrolling this gray ruin right now, side by side with me."

He slowly closed his eyes, and the structural rules within the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall quickly surfaced in his mind—

Once back in the temple, all temple guards are under the "rule of the master," and any sparring, fighting, or even conflicts of soul consciousness will be immediately observed and intervened upon by the law seal.

But things are different in these ruins.

This area belongs to the Gray Era, where the Annihilation Origin has not yet been established, strange beasts roam freely, and the Soul Sea is riddled with rifts. It is the most unpredictable Gray Domain region in the entire Source of Epochless.

Here, death can occur Wuhen.

Here, any extinction can be attributed to an unrecorded beast, a sudden collapse of the boundary, or a "last message that could not be sent back."

And at that moment, he happened to be here--

"This is... the most suitable time to hunt."

He gently stroked the blade of the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword, and a faint life-severing pattern quietly emerged from the spine of the sword.

"The Liang Jichen... is too far away."

"The Yu Clan... dares not make a move for the time being."

"Mirror Abyss Yu... is just a few dozen miles ahead of me."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and cold, like the whispers of an ancient stele:

"If he doesn't die here, once he returns to the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall..."

"Then, it's not a good time to make a move."

He moved lightly, donned the Soul Shadow, and his aura submerged beneath the Void Ring.

Stealthy and silent.

He strode quickly toward the area where Mirror Abyss Yu was located.

There was no murderous intent. There was no warning.

But this time, his target was no longer a strange beast.

Rather, it is the potential source of trouble within the temple that must first be "Annihilation and eliminated".

Mirror Abyss · Yu.