Soul Domain Conspiracy · The First Blood Shadow Appears
The Dawn Cloud First Hall is located atop Yunqi Liuxia in the Eastern Region of Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital. The entire palace complex floats ethereally like a fairyland in the clouds. Its main hall complex resembles a nine-tiered jade terrace, with thousands of waterfalls of rosy clouds cascading down from where the sunlight falls, flowing with starlight and rain. There are no stone steps between the halls, but rather vine bridges made of blooming flowers and illusion bridges constructed of floating light, so that every step feels like walking on flowing light and flying flowers.
Throughout the entire Dawn Cloud First Hall, there were no male disciples; their spiritual energy was as pure as the first dew of dawn. Every female disciple possessed extraordinary beauty, some practicing music, others studying life weaving, spirit arrays, and soul medicine. Their flowing sleeves and fragrant aura made them appear like ethereal flower spirits from another world. Their spiritual attire was not extravagant, yet exquisitely elegant, dancing in the wind like flowing robes, each step like a lotus blossom.
As Hong Xiuxiang led Qin Yu through the "Dusk Glow Flower Steps" of the Dawn Cloud First Hall, all the female disciples turned around, curiously looking at the young man who had been granted an exception to enter the Dawn Cloud First Hall. Qin Yu didn't say much, only quietly following Hong Xiuxiang forward, secretly marveling at how the Dawn Cloud First Hall truly lived up to its legend: a place of boundless beauty, where female cultivators were like divine flower spirits, and the entire palace seemed to be cleansed by the glow of dawn, fragrance, and pure energy—a beauty that seemed almost otherworldly.
Finally, after crossing a floating bridge made of a thousand fragrant petals, Hong Xiuxiang led Qin Yu to her residence—
A palace that looked like a dreamlike fairyland suddenly came into view.
This palace, entirely in shades of pink and gold, is named [Rosy Cloud Flower Jade Terrace] and is one of the most central areas of the Dawn Cloud First Hall. The dome of the main hall is composed of shimmering light, like a piece of dawn frozen in the air. On both sides of the palace gate, there are "Miao Ling Teng Hua" flowers that never wither, their petals shimmering with light, like the eyes of a small world, each petal exuding the fragrance of the soul.
In front of the palace is a shimmering pool, in which blooms seven-colored "Dream Firefly Flowers." Tiny Xiao Ling butterflies float on the flowers, their wings translucent, and a gentle flapping of their wings can create ripples and shimmering light on the lake's surface. The entire palace is surrounded by a gentle spiritual array, and the air is filled with the "fragrant whispers of all spirits," which clears the mind and soothes the heart.
Stepping inside, one finds the floor paved with "Spirit Jade Shattered Cloud Stone," each step silent yet capable of eliciting starlight. Thin, cloud-like soul-woven curtains hang in the palace, swaying gently in the breeze like whispered dreams. Each thread is inlaid with shattered crystals of glass, which, when refracted by sunlight, resemble thousands of shooting stars swirling within the hall. Inside, there are the Heart-Whispering Spirit Flower Platform, the Heart-Viewing Water Mirror, and the Dream-Fragrance Spirit Vine Bed—all extraordinary spiritual objects.
At this moment, Qin Yu stood in this dreamlike fairy palace, and even as a master of the Annihilation Origin Supreme Realm, he couldn't help but be momentarily stunned.
Hong Xiuxiang turned around and smiled, "This is my residence in the Dawn Cloud First Hall, named 'Rosy Cloud Flower Jade Terrace'. If Young Master Qin doesn't mind, we can discuss the matter of those three suspicious people here."
With a wave of her hand, the fragrance of incense guided the way, and petals drifted slowly down from the sky like a gentle rain, falling into the depths of the pristine palace.
This place is no ordinary place; it is like a realm formed by the condensation of flowing light and clouds.
Qin Yu slowly sat down in the main hall of Rosy Cloud Flower Jade Terrace. A faint mist floated on the tea table in front of him, and a wisp of spiritual vine hung down from the side of the table, entwining itself around a jade cup with a flower-shaped base. The cup contained no ordinary tea, but the "Dream Spirit Dew" unique to the Dawn Cloud First Hall. After taking a sip, his Spiritual Sense rippled and his mind became clear.
He looked around; the light and shadow in the hall intertwined, like a flowing river of stars, and he saw ethereal clouds and Illusory Spirits flying across the walls, as if countless dreamlike souls were floating within. He then said softly:
"The Miss Hong's fairy palace is truly magnificent. Stepping into it is like entering a dreamlike celestial realm."
Hong Xiuxiang smiled gently, flicked her sleeve, and sat down. Her words were soft, yet contained a hint of sharpness.
"This is just a normal arrangement in the Dawn Cloud First Hall, nothing special. But you, Young Master Qin... a cultivator at the Supreme Annihilation Source Realm, yet you were able to wipe out a branch of the Soul-Devouring Demon Sect single-handedly. The sect leader's cultivation is far more than just superficial. I dare say that your current combat strength is far beyond what the word 'Annihilation Origin' can encompass."
Her gaze narrowed slightly, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. "You've crossed the line."
Qin Yu paused slightly, but remained silent, simply sipping his tea. In his heart, however, he did not deny what the other party had said. He and Azure Ring were one, the Ring Master's Innate Martial Soul had awakened, and with the addition of the Fate Cause Master Seal, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword, and other components, he was indeed far beyond the reach of ordinary Annihilation Origin cultivators.
Hong Xiuxiang did not wait for his reply. Instead, she lightly flipped her right palm, and a delicate crystal core appeared in her palm. The spiritual light on it rotated and projected a dynamic picture - three figures were hidden in a place where the light fluctuations were extremely weak. The shadowy figure behind them was slightly distorted, as if it was covered by some kind of residual logic.
"Young Master Qin, please take a look." She raised her hand and pointed to the crystal core.
"This place is called 'Gloomshadow Source Village,' located more than 20,000 li southeast of the capital. On the surface, it is a gathering place for reclusive cultivators, but in reality, undercurrents are surging, and remnants of the Demonic Sect and illegal cultivators often go there to trade. Those three once completed a transaction with an elder of the Soul-Devouring Demon Sect right under my nose. Although I could not directly attack them, I took the opportunity to implant [tracking logic identifiers] into the brocade pouches they carried."
Her gaze was fixed on the crystal core, her voice cold and clear:
"Right now, those three are still inside the Origin Light Flowing Abyss, unaware of my actions. If we are to make our move, this is the perfect opportunity."
Qin Yu stared at the three figures within the crystal core, his expression unchanged, but a sense of killing intent and vigilance rose within him.
If they possess that legendary secret technique, and truly offer a mortal city as a sacrifice in exchange for the Soul-Devouring Skill, then... this battle is not only for themselves, but also for the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer.
He nodded slowly, his eyes as deep as stars:
"Don't worry, Miss Hong, I've already agreed to this and have no intention of backing down."
Hong Xiuxiang smiled slightly, lightly tapped the crystal core with her finger, and the image on it changed, showing a winding and secluded path. A mark of obliteration quietly lit up, seemingly as a coordinate guide.
"Then—we'll depart after tonight," she whispered.
The night was as dark as the sea, pressing down heavily on the capital's sky. Starlight quietly fell, but deep within the Dawn Cloud First Hall, a room was filled with undying silver light. Above the Myriad Flower Water Mirror, a crystal core floated in mid-air, refracting a clear image.
Hong Xiuxiang stood beside the mirror, her clothes fluttering lightly in the wind, her eyes reflecting the three figures slowly leaving the Origin Light Flowing Abyss.
Her voice was soft yet extremely clear as she said, "Young Master Qin, they have set off."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu immediately turned his gaze. In the crystal core light screen, he saw three figures swiftly moving through the night, their movements cautious, avoiding the main spiritual paths and array nodes wherever they went, clearly doing so intentionally.
The scene slowly pans, their route clearly pointing towards the outskirts of the Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital.
Qin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly, his aura flowing like ink, and although he didn't unleash the slightest fluctuation, a killing intent was already faintly visible in his eyes. He slowly nodded:
"Let's go, let's follow them."
The moment the words fell, Azure Ring silently appeared behind him, without taking human form, but instead transforming into a stream of azure light that wrapped around his body, like a flowing wind possessing him. Qin Yu's clothes fluttered, and the Fate Cause Master Seal in his hand flashed with an extremely fine thread of logic light, which instantly wrapped into the crystal core, locking the three of them in their sea of consciousness.
With a gentle wave of her delicate hand, Hong Xiuxiang scattered several golden butterfly wings outside the palace. In an instant, a hidden path of light quietly opened up above the entire Dawn Cloud First Hall, like a wisp of sky tearing open in the night sky, leading towards the outskirts of the capital.
She parted her lips slightly and whispered, "This path bypasses the Everlasting Pole Light Array and the Imperial Capital's surveillance logic. It is exclusively for the use of core disciples of the Dawn Cloud First Hall, leaving no trace."
Qin Yu nodded and stepped out. Hong Xiuxiang then transformed into a streak of pink light and followed him.
Thus, two figures silently disappeared into the crack in the night sky, chasing after the direction the three had gone. Under the starlight, a night of hunting, destined to shake the undercurrents of the middle layer, quietly began.
The mountain wind howled, and the sky and earth grew dark.
Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang stood on a rugged hill ten miles in front of Gloomshadow Source Village, watching the three figures disappear into the brownish-gray mountain. The desolate mountain was silent, no birds perched there, and the rocks were jagged and intertwined like cracked bones, exuding a deathly aura.
Hong Xiuxiang lowered her head and stared at the tracking crystal core in her hand. The crystal light suddenly went out, and the logical identifiers of the three were instantly blocked.
"They went in," she said softly.
Qin Yu's expression hardened slightly, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. "It seems we have to go in too to find out the truth."
Hong Xiuxiang slightly, her figure flashed, and she and Qin Yu leaped into the place where the three had disappeared. As they approached, the mountain wall silently opened, revealing a deep, abyss-like crack, as if it had been actively split open by some higher-dimensional rule.
As the two entered the crevice, a sense of confinement immediately enveloped them, swallowing up their escape route and leaving only a dark passage ahead.
This cave is extraordinary.
Stepping inside, the ground beneath one's feet is neither rock nor jade, but rather "Bone Spirit material" that has been refined, gleaming with a faint, cold silver light. With each step, one can hear the marrow murmur, as if ancient souls are weeping.
The surrounding cave walls were winding and irregular, inlaid with gray-gold inscription lines, and between the inscriptions, there were also distorted streams of light from the inscriptions—those were not the characters commonly seen in the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer, but some kind of ancient high-dimensional language, exuding an aura of annihilation.
The entire space was permeated with extremely faint yet eerie fluctuations of soul consciousness interference, as if the remnants of countless powerful beings had been buried here. The air was viscous as glue, and the light was dim as if it had been swallowed up; every step forward felt like traversing an abyss.
Deeper inside, pillars of demonic bone lamps, burning with dark purple flames, stood on both sides of the cave passage. Although the flames had no heat, they cast an extremely oppressive light on the space, as if illuminating not the path ahead, but some kind of "slumbering mind" about to awaken.
Suddenly— Qin Yu's eyes sharpened.
On the wall ahead, he saw the emblem of the "Soul-Devouring Demon Sect." Beneath a Soul Moon, three chains of demonic flames swirled around it, and there were also Ancient Clan marks that had been erased—clearly, this place had once been a secret location of some high-level demon sect!
Hong Xiuxiang whispered, "The layout here doesn't seem like it's for living; it's more like some kind of 'transformation field'... Those three people are probably not here to hide, but to access the core secret techniques of the Soul-Devouring Demon Sect."
Qin Yu frowned slightly, his eyes calm and steady. "No matter what they want to do, we cannot let them leave alive."
A subtle spiritual energy rippled beneath his feet, and the aura of the Azure Evolution Core flowed quietly in the shadows. A wisp of Annihilation Demon Flame slithered through the void like a snake, ready to suppress this deep and dark place at any moment.
The two walked slowly deeper into the area.
The passage gradually sloped downwards, like Sacrificial Dao leading to hell. A faint red glow of soul light flickered in front of them, and whispers seemed to drift over, making them all the more alarmed.
The eve of battle has arrived at Threshold.
Deep within the dark Demon Bone Cave, the vibrations of soul energy grew stronger. At the end of the passage, a blood-red soul light seemed to pulsate, like a heart beating within some forbidden magic circle.
At this very moment--
Qin Yu slowly extended his right hand, and a deafening sword cry that shook the space resounded in the silence!
With a silent flick of his fingertips, a sword light piercing through the void, composed of Annihilation, shot forth from between his brows, revealing a divine sword, its black surface gleaming with ghostly golden runes—
The Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword!
The sword is like a blade that can cleave the sky. The entire sword is forged from "Fate Soul Silent Substance". Eleven "Severance Form Inscription Marks" appear on the blade, flowing with the three laws of destruction, annihilation, and source destruction. Wherever its edge points, space spontaneously combusts, soul light is annihilated, and even the soul language inscriptions engraved in the cave tremble as if in fear of heavenly punishment.
Qin Yu whispered, "Origin Destroyer - Obeying the Command."
As his voice fell, the sword trembled, and countless chains of Annihilation runes surged forth, swirling around it, revealing the afterimage of "Source Silence Severs All," and the aura of destruction emanating from the sword's edge caused the surrounding space to peel away layer by layer.
At the same time, Hong Xiuxiang gently extended her fair hand, and a crimson light bloomed from her sea of consciousness!
A myriad of scrolls of spiritual light unfurled from the void, and her Innate Martial Soul instantly descended upon the world:
My Innate Martial Soul: "The Spirit Brocade Book Realm"
Type: Spirit Book Domain - Sole Book- Level - Contextual Transmission Martial Soul
An overwhelming sea of spiritual books slowly unfolded, their pages like a tide, each scroll floating in the void, flowing with the primal light of "emotions, energy, and will".
A "Brocade Mirror Book Seal" floats in the center, reflecting the image of the soul's consciousness. Behind it, the illusory image of the realm of Sole Book appears, its aura stretching endlessly, profound and distant.
Martial Soul Characteristics:
The Book Emotions Enter the Mirror the target's key emotional fluctuations, revealing their weaknesses.
Brocade Words Seal the Clamor: Creates an illusory world within the book, isolating the enemy's logic from the battlefield and suppressing the release of most soul skills.
Soul Book Cuts Off Breath: Reverses the enemy's soul power activation logic, causing it to fail or backfire.
Realm Words Book Seal Script to write down and visualize the rules and logic of the battlefield, forcibly changing the situation.
The Sole Book Ultimate Style Soul-Forgetting Brocade Words Record: Awakens the "Soul-Forgetting Book Spirit," devouring the enemy's soul consciousness and logic, causing them to lose their self and be unable to maintain the composition of their soul skills.
Immediately afterwards, a weapon appeared in her hand—
A long blade, entirely crimson gold and forged with an interlocking, page-like structure, is called "Mirror Inscription Cutting Brush." This blade is neither gold nor stone, but is formed from Sole Book condensed essence of the soul's seal script. With each swing, it can sever the logical chain of the soul's consciousness and Reversal Soul skill's operation.
Hong Xiuxiang's eyes were like mirrors as she whispered, "The mirror opens, the soul of the book follows."
Suddenly, wind and thunder arose deep within the cave, and the soul light trembled, as if two heavenly punishments were about to descend.
Qin Yu's sword represents annihilation;
The spirit book of Hong Xiuxiang represents the master.
Between the two, there was a sense of oppression that seemed to govern the logic of the world.
At the end of the secret cave ahead, a burst of blood-red light exploded, and three figures finally emerged slowly from the soul array.
A life-or-death battle is about to begin.