First Meeting over Flame Honey Brew · Hong Xiuxiang Reappears

Within the Azure Evolution Core, all phenomena are still.

The boundless black void was like an eternal night sky. Qin Yu stood within it, his divine sense wandering through the boundless hidden realm. Countless Annihilation Starlight Crystal shone with dazzling light, piling up into mountains. The torrent of wealth, like the quicksand of a star sea, seemed capable of crushing the timeline of a realm.

His gaze swept across this vast "realm of wealth":

The ten streams Annihilation Starlight Crystal, shone brilliantly, floating in all directions like the divine core of the Source Realm.

Ten thousand Limitless Resonance Crystal Fragment, each like a solidified star core, radiate the faint light of rule-based fission;

A top-grade energy crystal, its entire body resembling the core of the sun, with billions of energy streams emanating from its surface. Every breath is enough to ignite a region of the heavens, valued at 30 billion Annihilation Starlight Crystal;

Five Divine Annihilation-Grade Resonance Crystal, their light extinguishing the void, capable of reforging the power of the divine soul's origin, each worth a total of 50 billion Annihilation Starlight Crystal;

Final Summary: Ten Streams of Annihilation Starlight Crystal + 30 Billion Annihilation Starlight Crystal + 50 Billion Annihilation Starlight Crystal!

Qin Yu took a deep breath. The total wealth before him was a staggering 80 billion Ten Streams Annihilation Starlight Crystal, a terrifying figure that could power a super-large temple for ten epochs!

He considered himself resolute, yet at this moment he couldn't help but whisper aloud:

"If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I couldn't have imagined that such a wave of wealth could truly accumulate in the world."

Just then, Azure Ring sprang out of his sea of consciousness, stood with her hands behind her back, and proudly ascended the crystal platform, as if receiving worship.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat deliberately, looking down at everyone. "See? This isn't entirely your doing. If I hadn't stepped in to refine the Azure Evolution Core, you'd still be racking your brains over how to move it!"

As she spoke, she raised a finger, and billions of streams of light around her flowed like a tide, all mobilized by the Azure Evolution Core Rules and gathered in front of Qin Yu.

"So, I deserve half the credit for all those Annihilation Starlight Crystal, don't I? Hehe--Shouldn't we head to the Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital now? I've heard that the 'Jade Marrow Banquet of the Origin Light Flowing Abyss' there can even elevate the soul of the Annihilation Source Realm to light and dimension, and there's also the 'Flame Honey Brew of the Nine Luminaries Heavenly Celestial,' which can explode your five senses upon tasting, and drinking it can set your deadpan face on fire."

As she spoke, she blinked and leaned closer. "Come on, Mr. Qin Yu, you've made such a fortune, how about treating me to a meal?"

Qin Yu's gaze softened as he looked at her slightly smug expression and smiled calmly.

"Okay, let's go."

With a wave of his hand, a gate to the outside world appeared within the Azure Evolution Core, its vast domain converging like a sea of stars and rotating outwards from the center.

Azure Ring flashed back into the depths of her consciousness, not forgetting to leave a message: "Remember to order from the one I recommended! Don't get it wrong!"

Qin Yu chuckled softly, stepping onto the flowing light of the silent sky, and soared straight into the void.

The imperial-level wealth of 80 billion Ten Streams of Annihilation Starlight Crystal is unprecedented in the heavens, and the entire star realm is astonished.

The Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital, located at the heart of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer, is known to all travelers of the myriad realms, and countless geniuses dream of setting foot there. This place floats above the high-dimensional void, surrounded by a golden dome and radiant clouds, and is perpetually bathed in the light of countless illuminating rays. The Imperial Capital is as vast as the length of three thousand boundary rivers; and within it stands a legendary establishment—the [Source Light Flowing Abyss Restaurant]—renowned as the most luxurious and grandest banquet hall in the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer.

Today, Qin Yu stepped before it.

He was dressed in a long, dark robe, while Azure Ring, in her phantom form, lazily sat cross-legged on his shoulder, munching on the Source Realm spirit fruits and clicking her tongue in amazement, "Wow, we've finally arrived! Today, it's your treat!"

Qin Yu chuckled and swept his divine sense into the Azure Evolution Core. Looking at the mountain of wealth and resources, even he, in his current state of mind, couldn't help but be shaken.

A total of 80 billion Annihilation Starlight Crystal, plus 10 Extreme Annihilation Starlight Crystal.

With such wealth, even some temple elders would have to give way.

He slowly raised his gaze, looking at the magnificent golden palace that rose from the ground and reached into the sky before him—that was the [Source Light Flowing Abyss Restaurant] --

The entire complex resembles a golden divine realm descended to the mortal world. The seven-tiered dome is layered with peaks, and the relief sculptures depict the Realm God. Gold and annihilated white divine jade intertwine to form the roof ridge, and hundreds of steps are paved with pure crystalline stone, like the steps of a divine realm leading to the pinnacle of the void.

Beneath the sea of clouds, five side palaces cluster around the main palace like stars, with a radiant ring of water flowing above them—not water, but "Time-Shining Liquid," reflecting the passage of time, where the past and future intertwine and shift.

Countless guests gathered here, including Star Abyss elites, temple envoys and elders, and some super strong individuals who had stepped into the Chaos Realm, all of whom considered it an honor to be able to feast here. But the moment Qin Yu stepped into this place, the entire aura seemed to change instantly.

With a slight ripple of energy and a soft murmur of rules, a logical ripple of "Welcome, Distinguished Guest" slowly and spontaneously flowed across the Annihilation Radiance Staircase, drawing the attention of many cultivators around.

"That's... an automatically recognized Annihilation-level identity welcome?"

"Only those who possess a golden crystal core or higher, and carry a divine annihilation-level crystal, are qualified to trigger this welcoming logic, right?"

"Who is he..."

Qin Yu ignored the gazes of the crowd. He walked step by step up the main staircase, which shimmered with starlight, and the steps seemed to resonate with a soft hum, as if responding to his primal power. Azure Ring said with a grin, "What a magnificent view! I knew we'd come to the right place."

Upon entering the main hall, one is immediately struck by its unparalleled grandeur.

The main hall is hundreds of feet high, with a dome painted with a "multi-dimensional star map". Each star is suspended in the void, but in fact, they are star-evolving soul cores that contain the light of true rules. Below the dome is a nine-tiered spiral banquet hall, surrounded by water. Each tier is like a palace, connected by cloud bridges. There are nearly a thousand banquet tables in the hall, yet they are still full.

Amidst the sea of people, beings of all races, including those of divine lineage, Spirit Clan, and Star Abyss Clan, were drinking and celebrating, yet not a single person made a sound, all captivated by the atmosphere that resembled a divine realm descending upon them.

A female attendant dressed in Annihilation Radiance gold robes, with a silver radiance mark between her brows, led the way. Upon seeing Qin Yu, she immediately bowed respectfully, her voice gentle as the breeze. "Honored guest, you possess a high-level logic core and a special Fate Soul seal. Please follow me to the Star Abyss VIP seating area."

Qin Yu nodded, took a light step, and stepped onto the floating platform surrounded by annihilation light, slowly ascending into the [Heavenly Abyss Level] under the awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd.

This is the top floor of the Source Light Flowing Abyss Restaurant, open only to the elders of the main halls of Source of Epochless, high-ranking members of the Ji Ming clan, and even the divine envoy himself. But now—

This place, because of Qin Yu's arrival, was suddenly restarted for him.

At the center of the platform, in a huge circular jade pool carved from platinum and jade, flows not water, but "Origin Spirit Elixir," a rare and precious brew that can enhance the soul's consciousness. Around it, twelve banquet tables float, each suspended in mid-air, containing different dimensions of time and space; one side offers a view of daytime, while the other offers a view of starry night.

Azure Ring leaped down, then jumped onto the jade throne with a smile, her eyes shining. "Um, um! I want [Divine Bone Spirit Dew], [Soul-Evolving Flame Jade Flower], Jade Marrow Banquet, Flame Honey Wine, and that other thing... basically, one of everything!"

Qin Yu chuckled and shook his head, then sat down. He picked up the "Flowing Light First Brew," its shimmering light filling the air. He took a small sip and felt a slight ripple in his Soul Sea, his Consciousness Realm cleansed, as if he could instantly break through all illusions and illusions.

At this moment, the sky above the Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital was filled with inverted rosy light, and a pale golden boundary pattern slowly rose above the entire [Source Light Flowing Abyss Restaurant] under the gaze of all realms.

At this moment, within the Heavenly Abyss Level, each of the twelve floating platforms reflected a different dimension of spacetime, with shimmering light and golden radiance intertwining. The banquet atmosphere, enhanced by the higher-dimensional temporal sequence, possessed an ethereal beauty. On the third platform, where Qin Yu stood, the Origin Spirit Pool rippled with pure golden light, and Azure Ring had already settled into the circular, glazed cloud-shaped throne she had long admired.

She shed her former phantom form and appeared as a young girl in human form, her robes a deep blue like an ink-splashed starry river, a jade belt lightly tied around her waist, and her eyes gleaming with an almost visible light.

"This, this, this is a feast fit for an immortal! Waaah, Qin Yu, you don't know, I, Azure Ring, have never eaten so lavishly since I became human!" As she spoke, she picked up the "Jinyuan Scale Fried Food" with the silver fork engraved with spirit patterns, and then snatched a piece of "Annihilation Origin Shark Slice". Her movements were smooth and quick, like a phantom.

"And this, and this... Isn't this the 'Nirvana Soul Blossom'?! No, no, no! That's—Flame Scale Snowfire Bone!...!"

Qin Yu watched her eat with great relish and couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. He picked up the crystal jade wine cup, took a small sip, and instantly, a stream of blazing light flowed from his lips and teeth, like a blooming fire lotus, and an indescribable sweetness rushed straight into his mind!

That was a sip of "Flaming Honey Wine".

Flame Honey Brew, though not an alcoholic beverage, surpasses all other wines.

It is a secret brew exclusively by Source Light Flowing Abyss Restaurant and Nine Luminaries Heavenly Celestial, made by combining the marrow transformed from the "Flame Realm Remnant Core" with "Spiritual Star Honey", and simmering for a hundred years with three kinds of seasonal fire sources. The resulting liquid is not completely liquid, but a "honey-fire symbiosis". It tastes like sweet spring water when you enter your mouth, but after half a breath, it turns into blazing flames that surge through your internal organs, ascend along your soul, and stir your sea of consciousness!

His sea of consciousness surged like waves, his mind became clear, and he could even glimpse the deepest layers of his memories, the "reflections of his Fate Soul."

Qin Yu's brow twitched slightly, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "... Good wine."

Before Azure Ring had even taken a second sip of the Flaming Honey Wine, she suddenly leaned closer and whispered gossipy, "That girl to your left has been staring at you the whole time."

Qin Yu's divine sense stirred slightly, and he slowly turned his eyes, only to see a beautiful figure quietly leaning against the side of the spirit pool on the adjacent altar.

She was a woman dressed in a long red dress, her clothes fluttering lightly, like fire but not flame, and she carried a faint fragrance around her, like a peony in bloom. This made her bright eyes look like cold stars, clear yet with a hint of the supernatural.

Qin Yu recognized her at a glance.

--Red Hong Xiuxiang.

On the day of the grand auction, at the highest-level "Starlight Auction" of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer, she resonated with the last unsolved item—a "Soul Epoch Ice Crystal" sealed within countless logical barriers. At that moment, everyone was watching as she resonated with that crystal core, which had remained unsolved for tens of thousands of years, with her own consciousness. The intensity of her spiritual resonance even triggered the automatic reconstruction of the "Annihilation Cause Anchor Formation" within the entire auction hall.

Qin Yu had secretly remembered this person back then. And now, they had unexpectedly met again here.

She seemed to have noticed Qin Yu's gaze long ago. She turned her head slightly, nodded gently, and her eyes, shimmering like Star Abyss, turned slightly up as she softly said:

"I never expected... you'd be in this 'Heavenly Abyss Level' too."

Her voice was clear yet not frivolous, carrying a blend of innate pride and Wenwan; at that moment, time and space seemed to stand still.

Azure Ring whispered in Qin Yu's ear, "She's the one from the auction house... Remember when I said the 'Remnant Flame of Fate Soul' aura on her was very peculiar? Now it seems she's definitely not an ordinary person."

Qin Yu nodded, took a sip of the Flame Honey Wine, glanced back at Hong Xiuxiang, and said in a gentle voice:

"Fate has brought us together, uninvited. Shall we share a drink today?"

Hong Xiuxiang smiled and replied, "If it's 'Flaming Honey Brew,' I won't refuse."

She already held a crystal jade cup in her hand, the wine inside shimmering with light that seemed to reflect their faces. The two drank while gazing at each other across the spirit pool, the light of time and space slowly swirling between the two altars, as if across eras, their destinies gently touching.

Just then, three tall, golden figures slowly ascended the steps from afar, their robes Annihilation Wind, bringing with them an oppressive aura of celestial power. Azure Ring stood up gently, her gaze sharpening.

"Hmm? Over there... the visitors are no ordinary people."

Qin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly, and the last wisp of flame in the cup extinguished at his lips.