Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace · Before the Gate of Life and Death

Before that magnificent palace, a cacophony of voices filled the air. Disciples from various temples and clans converged into a surging tide, their auras mingling like a flowing galaxy. Countless figures stood silently or conversed in hushed tones, their spiritual light and imposing presence intertwining in the air, illuminating the heavens with a dazzling brilliance. Yet, amidst these thousands of figures, Qin Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings like lightning.

The women of the Dawn Cloud First Hall, clad in flowing robes, stood neatly around Elder Liu Mei. Hong Xiuxiang had rejoined their ranks, and several junior sisters gazed at her with awe and pity. The disciples of the Glazed Immortal Hall stood on the other side, their expressions arrogant, their auras clear as crystal, radiating waves of pressure. Further away, forces such as Ming Yuan Ghost Palace, Silent Shadow Asura, Annihilation Dream Sacred Hall, Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate, Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion, Profound Frost Sacred Hall, and Vast Abyss Sea Clan had also gathered in groups, each eyeing the palace with a burning desire for its secret treasures.

Despite the sea of people, Qin Yu felt a subtle unease. He looked around, carefully discerning every aura and the light of every Purple-Gold Crystal Core, but he couldn't detect any fluctuations belonging to the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall.

The disciples of the Annihilation Star Hall should have come with him, but now, neither the outer perimeter nor the palace gates are filled with the radiance of the Eternal Pole Crystal Core.

Qin Yu's heart sank slightly, and a shadow crossed his brow.

"Strange... Why haven't even half of my Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall's disciples left any trace here? Is it deliberate avoidance, or...?"

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his robes fluttered without wind. At this moment, although the scene in front of the palace was bustling and noisy, Qin Yu felt an inexplicable chill in his heart, as if an undercurrent was lurking, without ripples, yet waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Before the vast palace, the auras of tens of thousands of disciples intertwined, like a nebula about to explode. The air was filled with restlessness and desire, and the fluctuations of divine sense were layered upon each other, like surging waves. Just as everyone was silently staring at the two huge divine souls guarding the palace gate, a cold and sharp voice suddenly broke through the noise.

A powerful cultivator at the Only Book Realm of the Annihilation Dream Sacred Hall slowly stepped forward, a boundless spiritual book appearing in his hand, its characters leaping like flames. His aura was as dark as ink staining the sky, and with each turn of the pages, it seemed as if the very order of heaven and earth trembled. He surveyed his surroundings and sneered:

"Are you all just standing here like fools waiting? When will it ever end? In the Sole Book, books are truth. If you don't move, I can rewrite the restrictions of this gate with a single book."

These words immediately caused a stir among those around them.

A core disciple of the Ming Yuan Ghost Palace grinned, his voice sinister and hoarse, as if it came from the Nine Nether abyss. "Hahaha, well said! The Annihilation Dream Sacred Hall is indeed domineering. We, the Ming Yuan Ghost Palace, don't mind joining forces, but... if we open the gate, don't let all the treasures fall into the hands of you Sole Book Bearer."

Among the Silent Shadow Asura Clan, a Severed Observation Realm · Supreme clad in Black Bone armor coldly shouted, "Hmph! This treasure is an unclaimed object nurtured by the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm. Why should it belong to one family? If we can truly open the palace, it will be distributed according to strength!" The Asura Clan disciples behind him roared in unison, their killing intent surging, and blood light soaring into the sky.

An elder of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes cold. "We can take action. But if you want to seize it by force, you need the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate's permission." Crimson flames surged around him, as if they would burn away the void, and his voice boomed like thunder.

The disciples of the Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion whispered softly, their voices seemingly coming from the darkness. "Heh... the opportunities in this palace only recognize fate, not people. Whoever can live and not die will obtain them. There's no point in saying more." Behind them, the dark spiritual mist churned, half-concealing their figures, making them appear even more sinister.

A female disciple of the Profound Frost Sacred Hall snorted coldly, and icy light spread from beneath her feet, instantly freezing hundreds of feet of void. "You all only know how to talk big. If you make any more noise, don't blame me for sealing you all here with the power of Xuanshuang." Her voice was icy and chilling, with a hidden killing intent.

The powerful member of the Vast Abyss Sea Clan let out a low laugh, its sound rolling like ocean waves, "Hahaha, all this arguing will only make us a laughingstock. If this palace is truly a supreme relic, why would it easily bow down because of a few empty words? Once we join forces and give it a try, we will surely see the truth."

In an instant, the auras of the seven great temples and various races intertwined in front of the palace, causing the heavens and earth to rumble, as if they were about to collapse due to this tension. Before the gate, the eyes of the two guardian spirits suddenly flashed with a dark light, coldly scanning all living beings as if they were examining a group of ants waiting to be slaughtered.

Tens of thousands of gazes froze in the same instant. The Only Book Realm expert from the Annihilation Dream Sacred Hall, holding a spiritual book, approached the gate of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace step by step with an arrogant and cold smile. As his foot landed, the void trembled slightly with the trembling of Dao patterns. His figure seemed to resonate with heaven and earth, and his aura pressed down on the surrounding disciples, causing them to hold their breath.

However, just as he stepped into the area several dozen feet in front of the palace gate—

Boom!!!

The first guardian spirit suddenly opened its eyes! The once silent and motionless giant shadow suddenly released endless sword cries, like thunder from the heavens piercing through the earth. Its entire body was formed from gray-white bones and obsidian soul flames, with billions of annihilation soul flames churning within its chest cavity. A giant sword lay horizontally in its hand, as if bearing the annihilation power of the past and present.

The next instant, the giant sword's shadow raised its hand and moved!

Buzz--!

As the sword light flashed, the entire sky was instantly torn apart, the void shattered like a mirror, and the surrounding energy solidified into silence. Only the sword light transformed into a pillar of light ten thousand feet long, crashing down on the person at the Only Book Realm.

"--Bang!!"

With a deafening roar, the expert at the Only Book Realm was instantly cleaved away, his body flying hundreds of feet away like a kite with a broken string before crashing heavily onto the ground. The spiritual book also trembled violently, its pages scattering into countless afterimages.

The tens of thousands of disciples in the arena paled instantly, their eyes filled with terror, and a collective gasp filled the air.

"Hiss... That's the Only Book Realm, yet... he was actually forced back by a single sword strike!"

"My god! This was just a casual attack from the Temple Guardian. If he really used his full strength, wouldn't that be..."

"No wonder the major temples haven't dared to act rashly yet; the guardian spirit of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace... is no ordinary being!"

The giant sword's shadow still stood before the palace gate, its eyes empty and lifeless, yet radiating supreme pressure, like a cold Adjudicator of heaven and earth. It did not speak, but its sword intent already revealed a cruel truth— the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace would not allow any reckless individuals to approach.

The silence lasted for a long time until, from the crowd, an old man of the Severed Observation Realm with white hair and beard, and an aura as deep as the ocean, slowly stepped forward.

His gaze was deep, reflecting the silhouettes of two colossal guardian spirits. His voice was low and carried an ancient, imposing aura that reverberated throughout the surrounding area.

"What idiots... Can't you even see that? This isn't an ordinary guardian, but—the protective statue of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace."

As soon as he finished speaking, the countless cultivators in the square were shocked and immediately began to discuss it.

"Guardian deity statue?"

"No wonder... no wonder he could repel Only Book Realm!"

"If things get serious, Severed Observation · Supreme might perish!"

The old man stood with his hands behind his back, his tone growing increasingly chilling. "Since its creation by the Source of Epochless, the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace has been imbued with countless taboos and secret treasures. How can mortals dare to desecrate the gates of this palace? Those two statues are neither souls nor artifacts, but are forged from ancient 'Fate Soul Origin Stone' and 'Annihilation Ancient Causal Bone,' embodying the supreme will of the palace. Those who rashly approach are all 'intruders' in its eyes, and their fate is only one—death."

He paused, then slowly raised his hand, pointing to the gray ripples spreading across the void in front of the palace gate.

There is only one way to enter the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace.

His gaze was sharp as a knife, and his tone carried an ancient solemnity:

"By merging one's own Fate Soul Crystal Core with the gray ripples, one offers a sincere oath. Only by gaining the approval of the divine statues can one pass Anran beneath their swords and blades. If one harbors ill intentions, or if Fate Soul is unstable... the divine statues will directly judge one as a liar, shattering the soul essence and causing immediate Annihilation."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the square instantly froze. Countless disciples exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions changing drastically, a chill running down their spines.

"What? It requires a Fate Soul Crystal Core to fuse with? That's the foundation!"

"What if I'm judged to be a fraud? Wouldn't I be utterly humiliated on the spot?"

"Isn't this gambling with your life?"

The old man gave a cold laugh, his voice like the striking of iron. "The Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm is a place where life itself is the catalyst, where opportunity and peril coexist. If you don't even dare to take this step, then don't even dream of peeking into the true secrets of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace."

As he finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Only the low breathing of the guardian statue could be heard in the room, a rumbling sound like iron rubbing against bone, making people tremble.

Gray ripples spread slowly in front of the palace gates, like a silent, lifeless sea, coldly watching everyone. A long, oppressive silence fell over the room, and no one dared to be the first to step forward.

Finally, a core disciple from the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate slowly stepped forward. He was a young man exuding an aura of blazing flames, his eyes burning with crimson divine fire. He stared intently at Lianyi and sneered in a low voice:

"With such an opportunity before me, what kind of cultivator would I be if I didn't even dare to gamble with my life? Since it requires the compatibility of Fate Soul Crystal Core, then I'll give it a try!"

He suddenly raised his hand, and a crimson crystal core appeared in his sea of consciousness, swirling with the fluctuations of flames and iron blood—it was his original Fate Soul. As the crystal core appeared, the heavens and earth roared, and a blazing fire aura dyed the surrounding void crimson.

"Fate Soul Sacrifice - Perfect Match!"

Before he finished speaking, he touched the crystal core and merged it into the gray ripples.

In an instant, ripples surged!

A chilling aura that shattered the very soul erupted from the gray ripples, sweeping across the entire plaza. All the cultivators' pupils constricted as they saw an ethereal hand emerge from the gray ripples, plunging fiercely into the crimson crystal core.

Boom!

The disciple of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate groaned, his face turned deathly pale, and he coughed up blood. His Fate Soul Crystal Core was forcibly pulled into the depths of the ripples, as if he were undergoing some kind of judgment.

The next moment, the sky suddenly darkened, and the two guardian statues opened their eyes simultaneously.

Those were eyes older than the stars, and the runes on the sword and blade suddenly lit up, emitting a deafening roar. Everyone's mind trembled violently, as if the entire world was holding its breath for this "judgment".

The disciple of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate trembled all over, his knees almost buckling to the ground, his sea of consciousness constantly crumbling. Just when everyone thought he was doomed, the gray ripples suddenly calmed down.

From within the gray mist, an ancient rune slowly emerged between his brows—the "Annihilation Ancient Seal," a symbol of approval.

He... succeeded!

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

The disciple of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate gasped for breath, his face pale, his clothes soaked with cold sweat, but his eyes gleamed with wild joy. He suddenly turned around and laughed loudly at the crowd:

"Hahahaha! As expected! As long as the Fate Soul is resolute enough, it can pass the judgment of the guardian statue! The opportunities of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace await me!"

The words resonated, immediately causing a stir among the crowd. Countless eyes were fixed on the gray ripples, flames of greed and ambition burning within them.

The disciple of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate still had his chest heaving, as if he were still immersed in the fear of life and death, but the wild joy in his eyes was almost bursting out of his body. He took a deep breath, slowly lifted his foot, and stepped into the gray ripples.

Boom--

The moment his foot landed, it was as if the heavens and earth were sliced open.

The ripples opened on their own, like an invisible gate, swallowing his figure. As he completely disappeared into it, the towering gates of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace trembled slightly, and then a ray of ancient golden light flashed out, indicating that he had truly entered the palace.

The crowd erupted!

"Did he really go in?!"

"The gates of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace have opened to him!"

"As expected... the guardian statues are not insurmountable; the key lies in the compatibility and resilience of the Fate Soul within them!"

Countless cultivators had burning eyes, their greed almost turning into flames.

At that very moment, the second cultivator could no longer contain himself. He was a core disciple from the Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion, his face sinister, shrouded in black mist. His eyes were icy, and he let out a cold snort:

"Hmph! It's just good luck. How could my Fate Soul be weaker than his?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand, and a black, eternal moon appeared in his mind, radiating a chilling aura that could devour everything. The moon's shadow hung in the air, and the world instantly dimmed, as if time itself was reversing.

He also pushed the Fate Soul Crystal Core into the ripples.

Buzz--

The gray ripples suddenly trembled violently, and the moment the black eternal moon touched it, the entire space in front of the palace gate was directly distorted! The pupils of the two guardian statues widened suddenly, and the runes on their swords and blades lit up simultaneously, releasing an Annihilation pillar of light.

"Ah--!!!"

The disciple of the Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion let out a shrill scream. His Fate Soul Crystal Core shattered in an instant, turning into countless fragments of light. His entire body, along with his soul, disintegrated as if he had never existed.

Only a lingering echo remained in the air, the silence so profound it sent chills down one's spine.

The entire room fell silent.

The disciples who had been restless moments before now had their pupils contract and their breathing become rapid. As the gray ripples returned to calm and the guardian statue closed its eyes again, they felt a chill run from head to toe, as if the fingers of death were gently stroking their backs.

Someone whispered:

"Success comes from divine intervention..."

"Losers... leave no trace..."