Amidst the layers of blue-green mist spreading through the Soul Cavern Dense Forest, Qin Yu walked steadily, his sword intent undiminished. Between the subtle movements of the soul chains and the Azure Ring within his body, he continuously sensed the logical disturbances in the area ahead.
The deeper one goes, the denser the fog becomes. The oppressive atmosphere, which seems to devour one's will, is no longer just caused by chaotic consciousness. It is more like a higher-dimensional "Fate Soul" rule that is trying to assimilate all invading things.
Just then, there were light footsteps behind them.
"Mo Chen!"
A Wenwan yet clear voice came from the mist. Qin Yu's brow twitched slightly, and he slowly turned around.
That was Yao Zhiyan, dressed in a blue and white double-ringed battle robe, holding the Cloud-Clearing Wheel Seal, and stepping out of the mist along with four other disciples. The mist shimmered between her brows, as if the fire of her soul was reflected in silver sand.
"We've both come here to rid this Soul Cavern Dense Forest of evil," she said softly. "Why don't we join forces? This forest is so deep, and the Soul Cave is so treacherous; it's not easy for a lone traveler to get through. If we can travel together, we can help each other."
Behind her, Ling Yingying smiled sweetly, but her tone was not frivolous. "Yes, Brother Mo Chen, we all witnessed your power in slaying the Crimson Gold Demon Dragon. It would be too strenuous for one person to travel alone in such a dangerous secret realm."
Although Yin Zishuang remained aloof, she did not object, clearly acquiescing to the decision.
Nangong Quan and Li Xiayue also bowed respectfully. Li Xiayue said, "If you don't mind that our cultivation levels are not high enough, we are willing to travel together."
Qin Yu stared at the five people, his eyes as deep and calm as a night sea. He naturally recognized them, and even remembered that in the Ring Erosion Ruined Realm, they had thought more about their own escape than about fighting side by side in the face of danger.
--But they are not inherently malicious people.
More importantly, within this blue-green labyrinth, if they can use their power to detect the anomalies in the mist domain and the migration of soul beasts in advance, they can also help themselves deduce the overall sequence of changes in the mist domain.
After a moment's thought, Qin Yu nodded slightly.
"Alright, then let's travel together."
His tone was calm and fearless, yet in that one sentence, he effortlessly became the backbone of the team.
All five breathed a sigh of relief, especially Yao Zhiyan, whose faint unease had quietly dissipated.
For some reason, she felt a sense of security whenever she stood beside Mo Chen —even though he never showed much emotion.
Just as everyone was about to set off, Ling Yingying suddenly tilted her head and looked towards the north of the dense forest. "... What's that?"
Amidst the distant swirling mist, a strange sonic structure was spreading, a mournful rhythm seemingly emanating from the Ruin Abyss floating in the air, instantly causing a resonance within the Consciousness Realm of everyone present!
Yao Zhiyan's expression changed. "This is bad, it's the 'Spinning Soul Forest Realm' in the third fog zone. It's said that the 'Consciousness-Memory Resonance Array' of the out-of-control temple disciples is buried there. If the fog awakens their consciousness... it may give rise to 'Dead Consciousness Remnant Spirit' - that's a soul-like entity that cannot be eliminated by ordinary spells."
Yin Zishuang said coldly, "If its melodic structure is not disrupted, the fog surrounding the third node will likely spread completely."
Qin Yu's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"Now that we've embarked on this journey—let's enter the Forest of Souls and sever their remaining consciousness."
He took a step forward, his figure as dark as ink splitting the night, his sword intent bursting forth from the mist.
The five exchanged a glance and then followed closely behind.
Deep within the Soul Cavern Dense Forest, at the heart of the rotating "Memory Summoning Array," an unnamed "remnant spirit of consciousness" slowly opens its eerie green eyes...
Amidst the dense, blue-green mist of the Soul Cavern Dense Forest, Yao Zhiyan stepped forward, her eyes filled with respect and solemnity. She took out a hexagonal crystal gleaming with a deep blue light from her sleeve. "Senior Brother Mo Chen, this is the [Logic Mist Abyss-Blocking Crystal] personally refined by our Lord of the Sequence Wheel Eternal Hall. Once activated, it can form a sealed barrier for a short time, isolating it from the erosion and alteration of the mist."
She handed the crystal to Qin Yu, and the other four disciples of the Sequence Wheel Eternal Hall also turned their heads. Although they did not know Qin Yu's true identity, anyone who could venture deep into this place alone and kill the Crimson Gold Demon Dragon was naturally an extraordinary person.
However, Qin Yu merely smiled slightly and said gently, "Thank you for your kindness, but this item is precious. You should keep it for yourselves. I already have a suitable method to counteract this fog."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Azure Ring in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly, and a wisp of azure light, like the first rays of dawn, slowly overflowed from between his brows, flowing like mist and swirling like starlight, layer upon layer enveloping Qin Yu's entire body.
In an instant, the azure light seemed to form its own world, completely isolated from the surrounding eerie mist. The mist churned and tried to seep in, but was shattered the moment it touched the azure light, turning into countless tiny particles of light that vanished into the void.
Yao Zhiyan was slightly taken aback, while Ling Yingying beside her murmured softly, "What kind of protective light is this? It can actually repel the mist to this extent..."
Yin Zishuang's eyes held a hint of admiration, but she did not press for details; instead, she felt a surge of curiosity and respect.
Nangong Quan and Li Xiayue exchanged a glance, and the latter whispered, "This person has extraordinary trump cards to protect himself; no wonder he dared to venture in alone."
Although everyone was curious about Qin Yu's background, they knew that in this Soul Cavern Dense Forest, every bit of help they received meant a greater chance of survival. So they said no more, but instead gripped the crystals in their hands and continued to walk deeper into the forest along the path of beast bones that was almost completely hidden by the mist.
As the group ventured deeper into the Soul Cavern Dense Forest, a nearly silent fluctuation of energy slowly rose from the ground. The originally dark blue-green mist began to churn like ink, the light dimmed as if being swallowed up, the temperature plummeted, and the atmosphere suddenly became several times more tense.
"... No." Yao Zhiyan's expression suddenly hardened, and the Logic Mist Abyss-Blocking Crystal in her hand trembled slightly, its light flickering.
Almost simultaneously, the crystals in the hands of the other four people also resonated, and fine red patterns appeared on the surface of the crystals. The red light was like a living thing, wriggling in the crystals, and there were signs that it was about to break through the surface!
"The nature of the mist... is changing." Ling Yingying frowned, her voice filled with obvious vigilance.
The space ahead seemed to distort, and the originally thick, cloud-like blue-green mist slowly transformed in a very short time into a chilling red-black fog.
Black as ink, red as blood, it seemed as if some writhing fragments of flesh and soul were floating in the air, completely mingling with space and perception.
Qin Yu's gaze sharpened, but he remained silent.
Meanwhile, the Azure Ring intensified automatically, completely enveloping him like a protective star shell. Several ripples resembling starlight chains even appeared on the outer layer, silently confronting the red and black mist.
"This... this fog contains an extremely high level of logical reversal!" Yin Zishuang said in a deep voice. Her divine sense was instantly distorted by the red and black fog, and the image fed back into her sea of consciousness turned into her own mutilated corpse.
"This... is not ordinary fog erosion. This red and black color is most likely due to 'Soul Source Logic Corruption'," Li Xiayue said in a low voice, his expression extremely solemn.
Qin Yu focused his mind briefly and instantly determined that the essence of this mist had transcended the simple category of erosion. It possessed three characteristics: "Backlash against the soul," "alteration of cognition," and "contamination of the Fate Soul's trajectory." Even a powerful expert at the Annihilation Lord Realm would likely perish if exposed to it for an extended period.
"Everyone, stop." Nangong Quan said in a deep voice.
"We can't go any further... The intensity of this fog is almost approaching the [Soul Consciousness Severance] level!" Ling Yingying bit her lip. "If we take another step forward, the crystal might be eroded by the reverse structure."
At this moment, Yao Zhiyan looked at Qin Yu and asked in a low voice, "Senior Brother Mo Chen, have you noticed anything different?"
Qin Yu did not answer immediately. He was quietly analyzing the energy level changes in the fog ahead through the Azure Ring of light: this was a domain-level superimposed fog, which was very likely that a high-level, strange soul beast was gestating or constructing a "mutated domain" deep within it.
He frowned slightly and replied in a low voice, "This area seems to have been taken."
Qin Yu's gaze was calm. He slightly pinched his fingers together, and the Azure Ring slowly rotated in his palm. Strands of azure light, carrying the quiet starlight, emerged from his body like silk threads, as if a will that governs destiny was silently wielding a brush in the void.
"--Ring protector open."
A sudden burst of azure light spread outwards, like a flowing azure radiance, originating from Qin Yu and expanding outwards, drawing a six-layered star-patterned protective ring in the air, enveloping the five people one by one. When each ring of light landed on them, the mist would automatically retreat three inches, as if instinctively fearing and hesitant to advance in the face of this Azure Ring.
Yao Zhiyan's eyes trembled slightly. She felt the oppressive feeling that had been torn apart by the red and black mist in her sea of consciousness recede rapidly like a tide, replaced by a gentle and refined sense of will that was enveloped in absolute rules.
"Mo Chen..." she spoke softly, her tone carrying a hint of girlish tenderness, "Thank you."
Qin Yu smiled calmly, "Just be careful to stabilize your sea of consciousness and don't resist this azure light."
Although his tone was calm, it was like a jade sword brushing against the wind, possessing an invisible majesty that subconsciously commanded respect.
Ling Yingying and Yin Zishuang exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a deep meaning and subtle appreciation—this composure was something far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Only Li Xiayue curled his lips coldly, a hint of barely perceptible mockery appearing in his eyes.
"Hmph, he's just relying on a magical artifact that can alter logic..." he thought disdainfully. "Pretending to be something he's not, acting like a righteous leader... If you didn't have this, you probably wouldn't even dare to set foot on the outskirts of Soul Cavern."
His eyes darkened, and his fists clenched silently.
Nangong Quan noticed Li Xiayue's expression, glanced at him discreetly, hesitated, and ultimately said nothing. He understood that this was not the time for internal strife; the terror of the Soul Cavern Dense Forest was not something these "unresolved issues" could withstand.
The blue light slowly rotated and continued to expand forward, illuminating the path ahead and creating a brief safe passage for the six-person team.
From the depths of the mist, a low, eerie sound emanated, as if some enormous being was breathing, twisting, and writhing.
At this moment, Qin Yu's gaze was fixed on the deepest layer of red and black rifting mist where overlapping images floated, and he murmured to himself:
"The second mutated Source Spirit... you should be up ahead by now."
Just as the group steadily advanced, their azure aura illuminating their path for ten feet, a chilling, eerie sound suddenly echoed from the surrounding, silent red and black mist:
"Squeezing... squeezing... squeezing..."
The sound was like the tearing apart of some kind of flesh and blood, or like the sound of bubbles boiling and bursting in hot blood plasma, one after another, spreading rapidly through the air.
"Did you hear that?" Ling Yingying's expression changed, and she whispered.
"In the rear." Yin Zishuang's gaze narrowed slightly, her fingers already subtly tightening around a star-marked needle.
"--Not from behind," Yao Zhiyan whispered, her eyes slowly sweeping across the surroundings, her voice like a clear spring flowing out. "... from all directions."
The next moment--
"Laugh--!!!"
Within the dark red mist, crimson arc-shaped cracks suddenly appeared—they weren't marks of the mist being torn apart, but rather open eyes!
They appeared densely packed within the mist, as if they were symbiotic with it. They had no pupils, yet they exuded an immeasurable power of observation, each eye revealing elements of death and madness.
One, ten, a hundred...
In the next instant, Qin Yu and the other five were surrounded by thousands of black and red eyeballs!
"These are... Soul Spirit Constructs!" Yao Zhiyan's face paled. "They are remnants of soul consciousness corrupted by the mist... How could they possibly exist in this area!"
"Every single eye... is peering into our sea of consciousness?" Yin Zishuang's face turned pale.
Really!
Li Xiayue was the first to clutch his hair and let out a low growl, "Ah!!!"
A violent tremor erupted from between his brows, and one of the ghost eyes suddenly opened, releasing a soul-burning wave that directly invaded Li Xiayue's soul core!
"!!!" Li Xiayue knelt on the ground and spat out a mouthful of black blood, his soul being torn apart!
"Retreat back into the Azure Light Circle!" Qin Yu's expression turned cold. He made a ring seal with his right hand, and the Azure Ring Light Circle suddenly contracted, transforming into a triple ring screen that protected the six people in the center!
"--A Fate Trajectory Profiling!"
He gave a low shout.
In an instant, beams of light appeared in the void, reflecting the Fate Soul trajectories of hundreds of "Soul-Peeping Ghost Eyes"! These mirrors were like a spectrum peering into the Fate-Cause, quickly dissecting the action logic and corrosive structure of the ghost eyes.
"... Their actions rely on 'empathic links'... contagion through the soul, a kind of 'collective consciousness' invasion." Qin Yu said solemnly.
"Mo Chen, do you have any ideas?" Nangong Quan asked while trying to calm Li Xiayue down.
Qin Yu's eyes suddenly turned cold.
Of course.
--
The next instant, he stepped into the void and pointed out with one finger:
"Destiny Seal - Abyss-Turning Star Platform!"
A golden soul platform, burning with starlight and karma, appeared from the void, reversing logic and forcibly reverting the logic of all Soul-Peeping Ghost Eyes skills to their "before activation" state.
Boom--!
A series of eerie lights surged back like waves, and the ghostly eyes that had locked onto the group trembled violently. Their attacks were forcibly canceled, and the entire logical chain broke, returning to the "pre-construction state."
Immediately afterwards!
Five intertwined Soul Seal suddenly appeared on Qin Yu's body—
"Silent Origin - Wheel-Breaking Seal!"
The ring seal slashed like a blade, the five-layered wheel seal slashing into the soul domain. The eyeball soul structure within the black and red mist was directly destroyed by the core soul wheel in one blow, as if glass had shattered!
Boom boom boom boom--!!
Countless ghostly eyes exploded in the air, like death fireworks blooming in the night, bursting out clusters of out-of-control fragments of soul consciousness, and the red and black mist then dissipated over a large area!
"W-What's going on?" Ling Yingying's eyes widened. "He can actually... rewrite their logic of existence?"
"This is no ordinary Rogue Cultivator..." Yin Zishuang murmured.
Only Yao Zhiyan, her beautiful eyes burning, remained silent, staring intently at Qin Yu, as if trying to see some truth behind that figure.
--
The edges of the blue-green mist began to shrink again.
But the next moment-
From the depths of the mist, a low "hissing... hissing..." sound emerged once more, unlike before.
That was a breath that grew heavier and heavier.
It was as if the true ruler had already awakened.