As Qin Yu and Chi Ning slowly approached the enormous ancient tree, the leaves drooped low, and the light shimmered. They could clearly see the outlines of the houses on the tree trunk. The houses were like phantom palaces embedded in the branches, and under the interplay of light and shadow, they looked like a dream.
A gentle breeze rustled through the branches, and ripples of light, like golden threads, swayed in the wind. Dozens of hanging lanterns swayed slightly, as if responding to the approach of the visitor. And at that very moment, the wooden door of the main house at the top slowly and silently opened.
"Junior Brother Qin, that door... is open." Chi Ning reminded him softly, her voice tinged with a hint of tension and vigilance.
The two held their breath and stared intently, when a slender figure slowly emerged from the house—a boy of about fifteen years old, with stunning yet extraordinary looks. A few strands of light golden hair fell across his forehead, and his skin was as clear and transparent as if cast from glass. His eyes were like a deep blue Star Abyss, radiating an indescribable, profound light. There were faint traces of light wings on his shoulders, and half-hidden patterns of radiant veins seemed to emerge on his back.
He gently pushed the door open one step, and at that moment, the entire treetop house seemed to resonate with him. Streams of light poured down from the eaves, making him look like a divine infant emerging from starlight, both pure and distant.
The boy tilted his head, his gaze, calmer than his age, scrutinizing Qin Yu and Chi Ning: "You two are human cultivators from outside the Mist Soul Severed Realm?"
His voice was as light as a morning breeze rustling through the forest, yet it instantly penetrated their consciousness, causing Qin Yu's brows to furrow—this was not a simple illusionary interference, but some kind of higher-level "consciousness penetration."
Qin Yu remained calm and focused, replying, "You are... the owner of this ancient tree?"
The boy smiled gently, slowly walked out of the house, and stood on a branch. There were no footholds, yet he seemed to stand on starlight, the golden light emanating from him illuminating a half-hidden "Boundary Gate" behind him.
"I am not the master of the tree, I am merely the recorder of this 'Broken Branch of the Realm'... You have come here to search for the 'Heart of the Annihilation Origin Severed Realm', haven't you?"
As he spoke, the pure innocence in his eyes seemed to be replaced by some higher-dimensional consciousness, making it impossible to tell for a moment whether he was just a boy or... a projection of some mysterious being.
Chi Ning's expression changed drastically, and he whispered, "He... knows our target?"
Qin Yu frowned slightly, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes. "Who are you?"
The boy gently extended a finger, pointing downwards to the Mist Soul Severed Realm, which was slowly and erratically shifting.
"From this moment forward, the place where you stand will no longer be the territory you thought it was... The 'Heart of the Annihilation Origin Severed Realm' has begun to awaken."
The boy stood at the end of a branch, light cascading down from behind him like countless golden dusts falling into the void, landing on the distant Mist Soul Severed Realm, making the ever-changing terrain even clearer and more eerie. Qin Yu and Chi Ning gazed down, only to see the entire realm seemingly being gently pushed by an invisible giant hand. Mountains were slowly shifting, abysses were tumbling and floating, and misty forests were as if being torn apart and reshaped. The boundaries, pathways, and even the earth's core rhythms of the entire world were being rewritten irregularly.
The golden-haired youth remained standing on the branch, speaking calmly and slowly:
"Currently, all areas of the entire Mist Soul Severed Realm are migrating and transforming in unpredictable, unequal, and irregular ways... It is not the 'world' you think it is, but a mutated structure derived from the imbalance of the realm."
He gently raised his right hand, and a semi-transparent ring of boundary patterns appeared in his palm. Within the ring, a microcosm of the Mist Soul Severed Realm flickered, and countless terrains slowly changed, rotated, and reconstructed within it, like a star map rotating, without any pattern.
"Therefore—if you wish to find that 'Heart of the Annihilation Origin Severed Realm,' you cannot accomplish it on your own. Because every inch of land you tread upon could appear a thousand miles away in the next instant."
His voice paused for a moment, his gaze suddenly deepening as he stared at Qin Yu and Chi Ning:
"... But I can help you."
His extremely calm words were like a piece of deep gold falling into still water, causing Qin Yu's heart to tremble slightly.
Chi Ning was also taken aback, and subconsciously said, "You... you can really help us? But you—"
The boy suddenly withdrew his boundary ring, looked down at the shifting terrain beneath his feet, and a slight smile played on his lips, as if he were holding back some unspoken message:
"Only--"
His tone shifted, and his eyes, no longer as pure as before, held a subtle hint of mischief and mystery.
"... Not all help is unconditional."
His voice was clear and deep. After a slight pause, he suddenly turned to look at Qin Yu and Chi Ning, adding:
"But... you have to do me a favor first."
Qin Yu frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Chi Ning asked softly, "What kind of help?"
The boy lowered his eyes, as if concealing some unspeakable emotion. He gently raised his hand, pointing towards the distant depths of the misty soul.
"Please help me find my sister."
Chi Ning and Qin Yu were taken aback. Qin Yu tentatively asked, "You have an older sister? What about your parents?"
The boy's expression darkened slightly, and he shook his head. "Our parents left a long time ago... As far back as I can remember, my older sister has always taken care of me. She's smart, brave, and my closest relative."
He paused, gazing at the ever-changing Mist Soul Realm, his tone lowering slightly:
"But three days ago, she said she was going out to collect some special spiritual energy, and that she would be back soon... But now three days have passed, and she still hasn't returned."
He looked up at the two of them, his eyes revealing a hint of pleading and helplessness:
"I'm alone... I dare not step out of this tree. The Mist Soul Severed Realm is teeming with wandering spirits, strange beasts of the soul mist, and... even more terrifying things hidden deep within the mist. I don't know where my sister went, or if she's still safe."
Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, while Chi Ning squatted down and asked softly, "So how would you like us to help you find her? The Mist Soul Severed Realm is so vast, didn't your sister leave any clues?"
The boy seemed to have been prepared all along. He slowly took out a crystal-clear, pale golden core from his bosom. Inside, it swirled like a nebula, with a slender golden aura floating within.
"These are the Fate Soul Crystal Core of my sister and me."
He handed the crystal core to Qin Yu:
"As long as you get close to my sister, it will resonate. The patterns on the crystal core will automatically align with her location. Once you find her... I will lead you to the true location of the Heart of the Annihilation Origin Severed Realm."
A gentle yet undeniable emotion seeped from the boy's voice. At this moment, he was no longer the mysterious figure surrounded by radiance, but simply a fifteen-year-old boy, an orphan searching for his family in a chaotic world.
Qin Yu silently accepted the Fate Soul Crystal Core, looking down at the faint light that slowly moved between his fingers.
He nodded. "Okay, we'll help you."
Chi Ning smiled gently, "Then let's set off now. Don't worry, we'll find her."
The Fate Soul Crystal Core trembled slightly in Qin Yu's palm, as if it sensed some kind of faint pull.
Just then, the little boy pointed to a distant, misty, hilly area, and his voice rang out softly:
"My sister said she was heading east before she left. Let's go check that out first."
Qin Yu and Chi Ning exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.
The three of them moved swiftly, breaking through the annihilation mist in the void, and embarked on their journey to the Eastern Region of the Mist Soul Severed Realm.
The void in this area was extremely unstable. The mist soul energy layer rippled slowly like water, and spatial undercurrents surged beneath their feet from time to time. Streams of gray-white soul energy swept across the sky, as if invisible spirits were moving through it. Qin Yu steadily protected the Xiaotong as they flew in the center, while Chi Ning was wary of the ripples in the soul domain flowing around them.
During the flight, Chi Ning looked at the focused little boy and suddenly asked with a smile:
"By the way, little friend, what's your name?"
The little boy looked up and obediently replied, "Brother and sister, my name is Xiaotong."
Chi Ning said gently, "Xiaotong, have you and your sister always lived in the Mist Soul Severed Realm?"
The Xiaotong nodded, a hint of innocent pride in his voice. "Yes. We've lived on this 'Mist Realm Soul Origin Tree' for a very, very long time. My sister said... although it's dangerous here, it's our only home."
He looked down at the churning mist at his feet, and added softly:
"My sister said that things in the Mist Soul Severed Realm... can easily hurt people. Many spirits hide in the mist to deceive you, minimize you, or even take you away. That's why she usually doesn't let me go out."
Upon hearing this, a hint of pity flashed in Chi Ning's eyes. She nodded gently and subtly gathered a Limitless Evolving True Flow in her hand to protect the Xiaotong.
Qin Yu frowned slightly, a wary glint in his eyes, and muttered to himself:
"This Mist Soul Severed Realm... seems far more complex than it appears."
The three figures gradually ventured deeper into this unstable soul domain. Within the light mist, fragmented Soul Seal drifted by, seemingly whispering tales of some unfinished, eerie silence...
After flying over the Annihilation Mist Severed Ridge, the three suddenly emerged from a layer of dark blue soul mist, and the view before them suddenly opened up.
They arrived at the deepest forbidden area of the Spirit Marsh in the Eastern Region the Mist Soul Severed Realm.
What comes into view is a magnificent, almost dreamlike, shimmering spiritual lake—countless enormous lotus leaves are scattered across the spiritual pool, each leaf reaching ten feet in width, their colors a mix of deep blue and emerald green, with pale gold shimmering at the edges. Each blooming lotus flower has a heart as bright as a burning star, its petals, a blend of pink, blue, and Zixia, unfolding layer by layer, reflecting a dazzling array of colors on the water's surface.
The entire lake is like a mirror reflecting the starry sea. Countless points of light are scattered in the air like fine rain. Each ray seems to be carrying a spirit as it slowly flows. These points of light are not dust, but some kind of spiritual particles, quietly gathering and drifting on the water's surface, dyeing the entire space with a mysterious and tranquil glow.
In the distance, towering mountains rise majestically, like celestial palaces, with blue and white waterfalls cascading down the cliffs, pouring into the lake like a silver river flowing backwards, creating countless ripples.
Among the trees below the waterfall, lanterns with faint lights hang high on the branches, like ethereal boats floating among the branches in the night. Along the edge of the lake, several small wooden houses can be vaguely seen, like a dream formed by fallen stars in the landscape.
Chi Ning stared blankly at the scene before her, and couldn't help but whisper:
"This place... it's like a fairyland."
The Xiaotong seemed somewhat anxious, raising the Fate Soul Crystal Core in his hand. At this moment, it faintly glowed with a pale red light, and its frequency was several times stronger than before.
"It's here... my sister is nearby!" the Xiaotong said earnestly, his face showing a hint of nervousness and anticipation.
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his gaze slowly sweeping over the spirit lake, a faint light appearing between his brows. He spoke in a low voice:
"This place is beautiful, but it may very well harbor otherworldly spirits or Illusory Spirits... Let's be careful."
In this land of spiritual energy, guided by the Fate Soul, a new and strange clue is quietly unfolding—