Morning light streamed into the courtyard, weaving together layers of light curtains. Qin Yu, clad in Silent Profundity robe, stood on the stone steps, the Tree of the Void behind him swaying slightly, as if the entire world was gazing upon him.
He slowly gazed at Zi Xue, who held the Phoenix Divine Sword, his eyes resolute, his words calm yet carrying an invisible force of command:
"Zi Xue, your cultivation has now stabilized at the [Annihilation Lord Realm - Supreme], and with your current resonance with the [Star-Silence Phoenix Sovereign Sword], you possess the innate talent to pierce through the severance of star trails."
"And I just learned from Elder Feng Wujin that the Eternal Evolution Divine Hall will hold a 'Grand Temple Tournament' in three days."
"This competition will be the first hurdle for all junior disciples to enter the Temple Guardian system. If you win first place, you will not only receive a 'Source Realm Pill' to directly break through to the next level, but you will also gain official eligibility to participate in the 'Temple Guardian Disciple Election'."
He paused, then said in a deep voice:
"Zi Xue, this is not merely a leap in cultivation, but the true beginning of your entry into the main battlefield of the era."
"In the future, when we return to the Annihilation Abyss Epoch and stabilize our battle lines, we will need countless loyal disciples like you to support us."
His gaze was deep, as if looking through the courtyard towards a distant, empty star field; his voice was low and solemn:
"When Yunyi and Extinguished Light awaken, they will surely be proud of you too."
Upon hearing this, Zi Xue slowly raised the [Star-Silence Phoenix Sovereign Sword] in her hand. A purple-gold starlight emerged from her palm, and as the phoenix feathers split open, a nine-winged phantom rose from behind her, her gaze burning brightly.
"Senior."
"You are both my master and the one who guided me on my destiny."
"I, Zi Xue, swear today: I will surely reach the top in this competition—if I disappoint you, Star-Silence Phoenix Sovereign Sword be destroyed!"
Qin Yu sighed softly, but a hint of a comforting smile appeared on his face:
"There's no need for such a solemn oath; I believe you."
He stepped forward, his fingers gently touching her brow. The [Phoenix Emperor Covenant Seal] flashed, and her life lines trembled slightly, signifying a true recognition of her as a disciple.
"This is the Phoenix Emperor Covenant Seal. From today onwards, you are authorized to stand alone."
"From this day forward, whoever you are, I will acknowledge you as my true disciple, Qin Yu."
Zi Xue's expression changed drastically, and she immediately knelt down, saying, "Disciple Zi Xue thanks Master!"
A soft murmur echoed through the void, followed by the cry of a phoenix resounding across the heavens.
The Star-Silence Phoenix Sovereign Sword flapped its wings and glowed behind her, as if confirming her vow at this moment.
Qin Yu turned around, his gaze fixed on the distant edge of the realm, his voice as soft as the wind:
"I have other matters to attend to and will be away for a few days. You should go report to Elder Feng Wujin now to prepare for the competition in three days."
Zi Xue stood up, pursing her lips slightly. "Don't worry, Master, I'll go right away."
Without the slightest hesitation, she flashed forward, her nine-winged star feathers trailing a purple-gold light, like a phoenix descending to the sky, soaring towards the top of the main hall's heavenly steps of the Eternal Evolution Divine Hall.
--As Qin Yu watched her departing figure, he murmured to himself:
"Zi Xue, in the future you will surely stand at the pinnacle that True Immortal Great Emperor of other dimensions can only dream of."
The starlight has faded, and all things are about to awaken.
At this moment... in the deep space of the Profound Domain, amidst the rotation of billions of stars, a colossal ancient palace, as black as a monument and surrounded by stars, slowly manifested; its name was -- [The Fate Que Hall].
This palace was originally built in the era of "the beginning of the dream and the beginning of the heavenly way". No one has ever dared to speak its name lightly since the beginning of the era. Only the Epoch Origin Clan and the lineage of the Supreme Lord have been able to step into it.
Inside the hall, layers of runes were inscribed in the void, each corresponding to a sealed "Destiny Script". The hall master [Fate Que Huangyuan] was deep in thought with his eyes closed when suddenly the space trembled, the Wheel of Destiny of all realms moved in unison, and then a "Crimson Feather Report" appeared before his eyes.
He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils like a fading starry sea, and murmured coldly:
"The Annihilation Principle Record Venerable... was actually Annihilation? Even Liang Jichen couldn't escape?"
The air was deathly silent, as if time had frozen. His gaze swept over the assembled hall masters and elders below, and he uttered each word clearly:
"Who Qin Yu? How could he have caused the entire 'Fate Cause Heavenly Hunt' team to be wiped out?"
On the other side, in the western part of the Fate Realm, a building floating on the Annihilation Sea slowly cracked open in the Abyss Azure Basin. The patriarch of the Ancient Clan [Eternal Consciousness Evolution Clan], [Ji Hengtu], sat on the Starry Ring Platform, with dozens of the Annihilation Lord Realm descendants gathered on his left and right.
At this moment, a golden-feathered messenger, holding the "Records of the Abyss - Approaching Chapter" in both hands, knelt down and urgently reported, "Our clan leader... Netherworld Lord Liang Jichen, Annihilation Principle Record Venerable... have all perished."
"Rumors say that Qin Yu, the target of this battle, not only survived, but also defeated ten Dark Annihilation Dawn within the inner layer of the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm, and even Yan Yue back from the brink of death!"
For a moment, dozens of the most talented individuals from various clans were all astonished.
Ji Hengtu frowned and sighed softly, "If this child were to enter the Sole Book, it might disrupt the balance of the Epoch Origin..."
Meanwhile, in the far south of the Fate Realm, on the Nether Light Broken Shore, a divine tower radiating an eerie, annihilating light was floating and rotating in the air. Inside the [Fate Cause Spirit Tower], the tower master [Fate Spirit Annihilation Woman] used her divine arts to glimpse the cause and happened to see the complete scene of Qin Yu wielding the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword and annihilating "Annihilation Principle Record Venerable" with a single strike. Her expression changed slightly.
"This boy... actually possesses the complete form of [Origin Destroyer Eleven Severances]?!"
She quickly shut down the observation wheel, formed a hand seal with her fingers, and whispered rapidly:
"If this child is not eliminated, only Space Silence awaits him in the future..."
In the [Dream Lock Palace], all the Dream Lords gathered. A "Dream Soul True Pupil" cracked open between the brows of the Dream Lord [Jun Xujing], his tone as cold as death:
" In the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm, Qin Yu... He broke the 'Fate Seal Sealing Technique: The Final Wheel' and has mastered the Book of Annihilation Principles."
"If this person doesn't die, Meng Fate Soul may not be safe."
The Epoch Origin clans, including Epoch Book Sealing Abyss, Law God Origin Court, and Ink Spirit Annihilation Clan, were all shaken after hearing the news that Qin Yu had overwhelmed all the hunters and even forcibly seized the "Source-Cause Construct Heart" against all odds in a desperate situation.
Inside the high hall, the ancestors who had been silent for thousands of years awoke one by one, revealing the "forbidden deductions" from the secret histories of various races. The results of these deductions, however, were all...
The name of Qin Yu caused disturbance, and the matter was cut off.
In an instant--
Throughout the entire Epoch Origin, all beings connected to Yan Yue, Ring Seal, and the Sequence of Fate all turned their gaze toward that one who had not yet stepped into it.
The figure of a young man in the Only Book Realm.
A voice quietly emerged in the hearts of countless Ancient Clan:
"Qin Yu... this young man should not be underestimated."
Above the main core of the Hall of Fate, countless observation turbines whirred ceaselessly, the vast hall seemingly submerged in an eternal tide. At this moment, on the main seat of the hall, the Venerable One who wielded the [Source of Epochless - Hall of Observation and Judgment]—Tong Ning, clad in the Robe of Annihilation of Fate, his dark eyes concealing the cause and effect of the Wheel of Time, was quietly watching the familiar figure of the young man in Qingyi below.
Qin Yu before the hall, his expression calm yet sharp. He recounted in detail and calmly the entire process of his journey in the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm—from his initial entry into the inner layer, the hunt and ambush, Yan Yue Star-Silence Phoenix Sovereign Sword, the severe injury to Annihilation Moon, the descent of Huayan, the Ten Dark Sovereigns, the final battle of Annihilation, to the complete recognition of the Source-Cause Construct Heart as its master.
As soon as the words fell, the entire hall fell silent for a moment. After a short while, the Venerable Lord Tong Ning, seated on the high throne, exhaled softly:
Your Anran return... is the greatest victory.
Her gaze shifted slightly as she stared at the vast, empty sky, and she added softly:
"Since Miss Yan Yue was taken away by your Fate Soul Huayan, she must be unharmed. As for Yunyi and Extinguished Light, their injuries will heal sooner or later under the nourishment of your Ring of Light. You have done enough; there is no need to push yourself any further."
A resolute glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes, and he responded in a low voice:
"My lord, every step I have taken has been accompanied by life-or-death battles, and I have fought with everything I have to achieve what I have today. But for some reason, there is always an empty void in my heart that has never been filled."
"I want to... go back to the Great Yan Continent."
Tong Ning raised her eyebrows slightly, speaking gently yet calmly:
"You want to... see your mother?"
Qin Yu nodded slightly.
"Yes. With Annihilation Abyss Epoch still in charge of the Annihilation Yingling and Yan Yue's life not in danger, I want to take this opportunity to spend some time with her. Even if it's just an ordinary meal or a short walk, it would be enough for me to truly catch my breath from the constant battles of cultivation."
After listening, Venerable Lord Tong Ning revealed a rare smile, his words profound:
"Hmm, very well. Your act of slaying the Ten Dark Lords in the inner layer of the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm has shaken the entire Source of Epochless. All the major temples, the Ji Clan, and the Yuan Clan are aware of the outcome of this battle. Now, you are not someone anyone can attack at will."
"This breath you've earned from the carnage is what you deserve."
She paused slightly, then added:
"Go, spend time with your mother, and also with your former self. When you return... perhaps that will be the true beginning of a new era for you."
Qin Yu bowed deeply. "Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency."
As soon as he finished speaking, a blue light rippled around him, and the Azure Ring in his sea of consciousness emitted a deep, calm hum. The next moment, Qin Yu pushed out with his right palm, and the space rippled like the surface of water, splitting open a silver-white Gate of Origin.
"Mother... I'm back."
As the soft whisper fell to the ground, he stepped into the void gate.
All was silent, except for the slowly dissipating trace of time and space above the Hall of Observation, which recorded the warmth of Qin Yu's farewell.
Amidst the tremors in the void, a beam of azure light Realm Breaking.
The next moment, a Qingyi man in blue robes slowly descended from the rift in the sky. His blue hair fluttered without wind, and his eyes held a hidden Xing Ji. Wherever he stepped, dust and light receded, and time seemed to gently brush against his sleeves. He was none other than Qin Yu, the master who had returned from the Heavenly Emanation Treasure Realm and the inheritor of the Fate Soul Ring Seal.
He stood atop the heavens, on a solitary mountain forgotten by time and space yet brimming with celestial aura.
Beneath his feet, countless ravines rippled like scales, and mysterious light surged like waves. Streams of causal fragments flowed around him like a galaxy flowing backward, daring not to disturb him in the slightest.
And ahead, the entire panorama that truly belonged to this world unfolded completely before his eyes.
--This realm is called [Taiyan Heaven - Great Yan Continent].
It is neither a continent nor a star, but a realm island swept along by the river of cause and effect, adrift in the long night of the void.
This realm is not within the genealogy of the Three Thousand Great Realms, nor does it exist within the ordinary stellar era. It does not belong to the "Primitive Era" at the beginning of heaven and earth, but is a "Reborn Realm" that was spontaneously reshaped from the ashes and remnants of countless eons after the collapse of the Five Eras.
Amidst the ruins of countless dead worlds, and in the Space Silence river of endless cause and effect, Taiyan Heaven reignites like a spark defying fate, becoming the only remaining "hope for the future."
Above this realm, there are nine heavens, like layers of a world-destroying divine palace pressing down upon us;
There is a place 30,000 zhang deep, whose bottom seems to merge with the Lethe Epoch Sea, its depth unfathomable and its mystery unknowable.
The mountains rise in competition, like the spine of gods stretching across the land;
The abyss lies hidden, like the remnants of chaos merging with the last glimmer of order;
The ancient bones of the gods are buried beneath the Yellow Springs, yet even now, their World Extinguisher divine intent still seeps into the mortal realm.
The blood of the Ancient Clan transformed into a lingering, mournful wind beyond the void, whispering almost inaudibly, "This world should not be reborn..."
Above all, the nine ancient domains hang high atop the causal fault line, known to the world as the "Nine Origin Heavens," controlling the order of each domain and the flow of dimensions.
Above the Nine Realms, there is another domain called the [Three Heavenly Origin Forbidden Realms].
Legend has it that this was the place where the Master of the Book, the Realm God of Boundaries, and the One Who Establishes Orders last solidified the records and established the boundaries.
Above the three prohibitions are. "Unfathomable, ineffable, and unascendable."
This realm is where Qin Yu came from, and also the place of his destiny source that he has not yet fully comprehended.
At this moment, Qin Yu stood with his hands behind his back, his Qingyi robes fluttering in the wind. He stood on the Immortal Cliff, overlooking the Taiyan where rebirth and ruins intertwined. His gaze traversed thousands of mountains and pierced through the nine heavens, his divine sense faintly touching the unreachable "Three Heavenly Origin Forbidden Realms".
The wind howls here, like a whisper from countless ages ago.
He quietly closed his eyes and whispered:
"Mother, I'm back."