The Source of Epochless, Deepest Part of the Northern Territory, Outer Edge of the Nightmare Clan Domain, Illusion God Main City
In the vast Northern Region, amidst the misty Soul Sea, a colossal floating city, seemingly pieced together from countless fragments of nightmares, silently drifts on the edge of the void, hidden between the Black Cloud Realm Splitting and the Annihilation Wind Fault.
This is the first main city under the jurisdiction of the Nightmare God Clan — the Illusion God Main City.
Although this place Bugui control of the main god, it is the only gateway-level node before all the top-level experts in the entire Northern Region make their pilgrimage to the Nightmare God Temple.
At this moment, Qin Yu had transformed into the form of an ordinary cultivator, standing inside the Annihilation Light Teleportation Array outside the Illusion God Main City.
He held a faint remnant of Xiao Menglin's natal divine consciousness in his hand, and through his soul memories, he had already accurately pinpointed the spatial structure, clan hierarchy, power center, and three "entry-level passages" of the entire Nightmare Clan Domain.
"The Returning Consciousness Clan and the Nightmare God Clan actually live side by side... Beyond the Northern Territory, beneath the snow and wind lies a deep current that devours gods, a suitable place for the Black Hand to take refuge."
He flicked his sleeves and Ji Ran entered the city.
Illusion God Main City
Contrary to Qin Yu's expectations, this city was not a lifeless den of the deep tribes, but rather bustling with activity, with people of all kinds and chaotic auras coming and going.
Shops, auction houses, spirit transmission towers, and magic box buildings line both sides of the market, with main streets suspended and intersecting above the Obsidian Rift, like "trading hubs" in the depths of the Nightmare Realm.
What surprised Qin Yu even more was the sheer number of dimensional-level powerhouses gathered here.
Qin Yu arrived at a teahouse
Teahouse second floor
Qin Yu chose a seat closest to the window and sat down, his plain robes motionless, his eyes calm.
He ordered a cup of soul tea called "Dream Bone Reflection," and overheard conversations at several other tables around him.
"... Have you heard? Two True Immortal Great Emperor arrived yesterday. One is 'Star Lord Hengzuo' from the Nine Consciousnesses Return to Heaven Realm, and the other is Empress 'Ying Yanxi' from the Dream Emission Realm."
Both of them were carrying divinely bestowed spiritual fruits and celestial-level cultivation techniques, and were handing over their natal magic treasures in exchange for the qualification to enter the realm of gods in the Nightmare God Temple.
"Tsk tsk, even True Immortal Great Emperor have to wait in line, this Nightmare God Clan is truly extraordinary."
"It's said that the qualification token requires passing three rounds of screening: identity, contribution, and Fate Soul essence."
The other person chuckled softly:
"You probably don't know, but not long ago a Golden Immortal paid the price of a hundred drops of Divine Source Ancient Blood and the Seven Soul Lock Scrolls to obtain a Bronze-level Hall Entry Token."
"The Nightmare God Temple... is not a place for ordinary people to enter."
Qin Yu listened quietly, his expression unchanged, but a picture was already forming in his mind:
"The Nightmare God Clan are more 'open'... and more 'closed' than I imagined."
"A prestigious ancestral hall that ostensibly allows entry to all races actually houses an absolute system for selecting Fate Soul."
"And the targets they selected... are probably related to the logic of their designs and the causal chain."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"Are those 'enraptured' truly guests, or... nourishment?"
Illusion God Main City, Mist Moon Teahouse, Second Floor Secluded Seat
As Qin Yu sipped his tea, he listened quietly to the discussions around him about the "Nightmare God Temple Entry Qualification Order." In his sea of consciousness, the Azure Ring gently rotated, and the power of annihilation light and spiritual filth concealment permeated his consciousness.
At this moment, his appearance, aura, and even the fluctuations in his cultivation level were exactly the same as those of a True Immortal Great Emperor had traveled through various realms.
He is a different person now.
Just then, a faint sound of footsteps came from the direction of the stairs.
A man wearing a blue robe with cracked stars approached with a gentle expression. His gaze swept around the hall before settling on the tea table where Qin Yu was sitting.
He approached, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture:
"Fellow Daoist, I apologize for disturbing you."
"This building seems unusually busy today; there are no seats available."
"May I... sit at the same table with you, fellow Daoist?"
Qin Yu raised his eyes and glanced at the man. The man had a heavy aura, and as his sea of consciousness circulated, a soul particle sequence that did not belong to Source of Epochless was revealed. He was indeed a cross-dimensional True Immortal Emperor.
Moreover, his cultivation level was still at the upper level, his aura was extremely stable, and he possessed a restrained sharpness honed through years of arduous enlightenment.
Qin Yu nodded slightly:
"Please."
After the man sat down, he called for the waiter to refill the teapot and then introduced himself:
"My name is Ning Hao, from the Eternal Age, and I have been a True Immortal Emperor for 36,000 years."
"After the Divine Guidance of the Realm God, I accidentally crossed a dimensional rift and entered the Source of Epochless. Seeing the vast and mysterious nature of this place, I wished to explore the Palace of the Nightmare God Clan and seek a path to ascend my soul and break through the barriers."
His gaze held a mixture of probing and respect:
"May I ask, fellow Daoist, from which era do you come?"
Qin Yu paused for a moment, slightly twirling the teacup with his fingers, then replied calmly:
"The Immortal Antiquity Era"
"Name: Qin Ning."
Ning Hao was slightly taken aback, then a hint of respect flashed in his eyes:
"The Immortal Antiquity Era... is rumored to be one of the Chronicles of the True Origin, capable of transcending the dimensions of great emperors Dao Ancestor such as the Dao Origin Heavenly Lord and the Primal Soul Mystic Lord."
"If you were born in the Immortal Antiquity, your Source Extremity."
Qin Yu simply smiled faintly and did not respond further.
Ning Hao did not press further, but instead looked out the window and said slowly:
"Speaking of which, this Nightmare God Temple seems to be a 'different Soul Realm's that was deliberately separated from the Source of Epochless."
"Did you know that there isn't a single 'Nightmare Clan member' permanently residing in the entire Illusion God Main City?"
"All those who receive, test, evaluate, and trade with are 'external cultivators,' or even 'puppet masters'."
Qin Yu's eyes flickered slightly:
"You mean, this entire main city... is just a 'selection zone'?"
Ning Hao nodded slightly, his expression more solemn than ever before:
"I have stayed here for over forty days and have personally witnessed six powerful beings from beyond the dimensional realm, all at the True Immortal or above, enter the Nightmare God Temple. To this day... not one of them has returned."
He changed the subject abruptly, his gaze turning serious:
"We, these beings from other dimensions, may ultimately be nothing more than... trial subjects."
Qin Yu lowered his head and drank the remaining tea in his cup in one gulp.
He already knew in his heart that he had come to the right place.
If Ning Hao were not involved in this situation, he could perhaps serve as... a lever to be used.
A gentle breeze blew outside the window, and shimmering light danced between the buildings. Several streaks of dimensional fire occasionally streaked across the sky above the Nightmare Main City.
Qin Yu quietly sipped his tea, then suddenly his eyes flashed, and he asked:
"Since you, fellow Daoist, are aware of the dangers of the Nightmare God Temple, why are you still willing to linger here?"
He spoke casually, as if asking a question offhand, but secretly blocked the shockwave in Ning Hao's mind to prevent the other party from testing him with false words.
Ning Hao made no attempt to conceal his true feelings, only letting out a slow sigh:
"... Alas, fellow Daoist, you are unaware of this."
He put down his teacup, looked out the window at the floating altar, and said in a slightly somber voice:
"Opportunity and danger have always been intertwined."
"The Nightmare God Clan's entrance examination is indeed perverse, bloody, and even extremely cruel."
"But as long as... someone survives and passes the test, they will receive the ' Source Ascension Logic Pill '."
Qin Yu's eyes flickered slightly, and he asked in a calm voice:
"The Source Ascension Logic Pill?"
Ning Hao nodded slowly, his eyes revealing an undisguised longing:
"It's a celestial elixir that can directly influence the fundamental logic of the soul."
"By simply taking it, one can completely sever the interdimensional chains within us 'cross-dimensional cultivators'."
"Let us... truly transform ourselves from 'outsiders' into native cultivators of this world."
Qin Yu's gaze sharpened.
Ning Hao continued:
"Although it is not as powerful as the legendary 'Flower of Stars,' that supreme artifact can directly Annihilation the chains of cause and effect and reshape a person into a world entity."
"But for us True Immortal Great Emperor who have crossed dimensions, this Source Ascension Logic Pill... is the only possible 'path to primal transformation'."
"Once consumed, we will be able to truly break through the rules of this realm and enter the Initial Yuan Realm."
"After reaching the Initial Yuan Realm, one can hope to reach the Annihilation Origin."
At this point, he lowered his voice, and for the first time, an undisguised longing appeared in his eyes:
"We... although we are called eternal and indestructible beings, in this world—"
"We are nothing but dust outside the laws."
"If one cannot transform into the primordial logic body, even if True Immortal survives countless eons, they will never be able to Entering Stillness Origin realm, and will not even be able to contend with a low-level cultivator from the Annihilation of the War Jiwu."
After saying this, he sighed again, his eyes dimming.
Qin Yu remained calm throughout, simply nodding slightly and responding in a low voice:
"I see."
"Brother Dao is... trying to seize this opportunity to 'ascend to the source'."
Ning Hao gave a wry smile:
"It's not 'want' -- it's 'can only'."
"I come from the ancient past, an era long gone. Now I can't even find the coordinates of my homeland."
"This Source of Epochless is my final path." "Once you ascend across dimensions, there's no going back."
A dark glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes.
"The Source Ascension Logic Pill... Severing Cause Severance and Dimensions... Trial Screening..."
He could almost conclude that behind this Nightmare God Temple, there was likely a black core mechanism controlled by a logic similar to that of the Annihilation Abyss.
And what they were selecting were not "disciples"...
Rather, it is "life essence material".
He wants to go in.
But not as a trial participant.
A gentle breeze rustled through the teahouse, and a sliver of light swept past the window, illuminating the teacups between the two people sitting opposite each other, causing ripples to spread outwards.
Qin Yu remained calm, holding his cup silently, but he had already made up his mind.
"Since the Nightmare God Clan's 'Source Ascension Logic Pill' is so attractive to visitors from other dimensions... then I'll put on a good show for you."
"Ning Hao... perhaps you, a True Immortal Emperor, can help me infiltrate the Nightmare Palace's core more smoothly."
Just then, Ning Hao, seemingly sensing something, suddenly twitched his eyes and smiled:
"Fellow Daoist, I see that you possess a calm and composed demeanor, and your spirit is Ji Ran and still. You must have cultivated for a long time."
"Our meeting today is fate, so why don't we—"
"Let's go to the Nightmare God Temple together and participate in its entrance examination; perhaps we can look after each other."
Qin Yu looked up at him; the man's eyes were sincere, and he had no ulterior motives.
His heart stirred slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his face:
"Since you have invited me, fellow Daoist..."
"Then Qin Ning will naturally respond."
The two raised their cups at the same time, clinking them together from afar. The aroma of their tea blended, and ripples spread into the abyss of their destinies.
... At this moment, starlight filled the sky outside the window, and all things floated in the air. Beams of soul light formed bridges across the sky, leading to the Soul-Executing Altar in the direction of the Nightmare God Temple in the distance.
In the void, the outline of the Obsidian Temple, shrouded in mist and forbidden laws, slowly emerged.
At this moment, a True Immortal Great Emperor and a Soul Master of the Silent Origin...
--We have already taken steps toward it.
Before the aroma of tea had faded and their souls were intertwined, Qin Yu and Ning Hao had reached a consensus and prepared to head to the Nightmare God Clan's main hall side by side.
Neither of them revealed their true intentions nor their respective backgrounds.
But they all knew in their hearts that the real test had only just begun.
Just then, a high-pitched and solemn voice suddenly came from outside the teahouse, accompanied by the deep sound of drums echoing throughout the entire main Illusion God Main City:
"Nightmare God Temple - Initial Disciple Qualification Assessment--"
"Let's officially begin!"
"Please, all those who possess a pre-trial warrant, have passed the Fate Soul registration, or hold an external letter of recommendation--"
"Proceed to the Soul Domain Main Street - Soul-Executing Altar - Register and Queue!"
The entire street instantly erupted in excitement, with countless cultivators pouring out from all directions. Whether they were True Immortal Great Emperor, Golden Immortal, or Mystic Immortal and Earthly Xuan disciples, they all gathered towards the massive floating plaza at the eastern end of the main city— the Soul-Executing Altar.
From afar, the area was surrounded by countless annihilating soul flames, resembling the karmic gate before the temple of divine authority.
Qin Yu slowly stood up, his gaze remaining calm.
Ning Hao smiled and nodded:
"Let's go, fellow Daoist--"
"After this battle, our Fate Soul may truly fall into the original text of the Source of Epochless."
Qin Yu's gaze was deep, and he spoke softly:
"Alright, fellow Daoist, please go first."
The two men gracefully unfurled their sleeves, their steps as steady as stars.
They stepped out of the teahouse one after the other, their backs disappearing into the misty, fiery streets. Amidst the shifting light, they entered the starting point of the Nightmare God Temple assessment.
The soul bell tolls, the dream realm opens.
The real hunting game--
It's about to begin.