The Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace magnificent beyond compare, with ninety-nine ancient halls standing in the endless void, each seemingly bearing a secret beyond the ages. After obtaining the incredible scroll in the Bookless Hall, Qin Yu's expression remained calm, yet his heart surged with indescribable turmoil. He did not linger but continued into the other halls. The interior of each hall seemed like a fragment of shattered spacetime: some halls held the sighs of countless slumbering souls, while others left only countless empty traces of the annihilated past. Qin Yu's gaze swept over them one by one, but he did not linger for long. His steps were slow, yet carried a suppressed determination, like a silent shadow moving among countless slumbering illusions.
On the other side, Elder Liu Mei led the Dawn Cloud First Hall group into the Hall of Dream Colors. Unlike the somber atmosphere of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace, this palace resembled an eternal dream transformed into a palace. The palace gates were towering, and the crystal walls flowed with seven-colored dream light. Dream mist cascaded down like water, making the entire land seem like an illusion. The moment they stepped inside, Hong Xiuxiang and her junior sisters felt a sudden jolt in their consciousness, as if the boundary between dream and reality had completely blurred at that moment.
Within the Hall of Dream Colors, an endless sea of dreams surged, and countless colorful butterflies-like lights swirled in the void, transforming into fragments of dream books as they fell. Whispers emanated from the turning pages, as if someone were narrating their destinies and obsessions.
Hong Xiuxiang raised her eyes, a look of shock and awe flashing in them. This was the projection of the Ultimate realm that her martial soul, "Spirit Brocade Book Realm," could reach. Every iridescent page in the Hall of Dream Colors seemed to resonate with her Soul Realm, causing her aura to flow involuntarily.
Elder Liu Mei's expression was solemn as her voice echoed through the dreamlike mist, "This hall is the remnant of the ancient 'Great Sage Dream Soul.' Every cultivator who enters is forced to confront the most authentic illusions and obsessions deep within their soul. If they can overcome them, they will receive great fortune. If not..."
Before the words were finished, countless shattered phantom figures suddenly appeared in the sea of dreams. These were the remnant souls of those who had tried to cross the threshold to the palace but failed to return, exuding an aura of resentment and confusion.
Hong Xiuxiang's heart trembled slightly, and she slowly grasped the fragment of the map on her chest. A resolute look appeared in her eyes—she knew very well that this hall would be a place where opportunities and dangers coexisted for her.
Within the Hall of Dream Colors, seven-colored dream light rises and falls like waves, as if countless illusions are being conceived within it. The palace's dome is immeasurably high, seemingly reflecting billions of layers of dreams, sometimes displaying the brilliance of stars, and sometimes transforming into the deep silence of an abyss.
Hong Xiuxiang and several junior sisters from the Dawn Cloud First Hall stepped into the Dream Color Book Sea. As soon as their feet touched the ground, the flowing pages began to slowly drift down. Each page shimmered with colorful light, yet carried a whisper that could make one lose their composure.
"Those who have not severed their attachments will find everything here to be an illusion."
"If the soul is not pure, it will be swallowed by the colors of dreams..."
The women trembled, instinctively activating their respective martial spirits to defend themselves. The Dream-Colored Pages fluttered in the wind, but not randomly; they landed precisely in front of them. A unique illusion gradually appeared beneath each person's feet, spreading out with multicolored light, instantly isolating them from one another.
The place where Hong Xiuxiang stood was now completely separated from her junior sisters. The surroundings had transformed into an endless sea of books, with thousands of volumes turning in unison, the pages rustling like thunder, as if the heart of heaven and earth were writing her soul. Countless illusions overlapped and arose: there were the powerful enemies she had once faced, the fears buried deep in her heart, and the secrets she dared not touch.
The terror of the Hall of Dream Colors lies in the fact that it does not suppress through external means, but rather uses the life force and soul of the entrant as a guide, materializing their deepest obsessions into illusory enemies. If these enemies cannot be broken, they will forever slumber in the Dream Sea, becoming a page of its scroll.
Outside the hall, Elder Liu Mei's expression turned slightly somber. She could clearly sense the fluctuations in her disciples' souls, all scattered within their respective dreams. She sighed softly and murmured, "The Hall of Dream Colors is not a place that can be traversed by strength alone; only those with clear minds and souls can pass through it..."
In the deepest part of the Dream Color Book Sea, Hong Xiuxiang's figure was gradually submerged by countless illusions. Colorful butterflies transformed into sharp blades and rushed towards her, while the pages of the illusory book solidified into chains, attempting to entangle her soul. A flash of light appeared in her eyes, and her Innate Martial Soul, "Spirit Brocade Book Realm," unfolded in the void. The sea of books and the book realm overlapped with each other, and in an instant, the entire Dream Color Hall resounded with the vast sound of reading, echoing her aura.
The true trials of the Hall of Dream Colors have now begun.
The Dream Color Book Sea surged violently, as if the entire palace was shaken by the manifestation of Hong Xiuxiang's martial spirit.
In her mind, a sudden burst of inspiration erupted. As the "Spirit Brocade Book Realm" unfolded, it was as if ten thousand volumes of books had transformed into a sea of light. The pages flowed, and words and runes soared into the air, weaving together a self-contained book realm. The vast text was like an endless galaxy, shimmering with a cold brilliance. Each word carried the power of rules, intertwining in the void to sever the chains of illusion.
However, the Hall of Dream Colors did not back down. Countless illusions coalesced into a swarm of colorful butterflies, their wings not etched with patterns, but with her past memories and thoughts: the images of her junior sisters falling in the blood-red mist, the fear and helplessness in her own eyes, all stared at by countless illusory eyes. Each butterfly that fluttered down was a blade formed from her obsession, slicing through her soul.
Hong Xiuxiang's eyes turned cold. She turned the pages of her book and whispered four words:
"The Book Emotions Enter the Mirror."
In an instant, a page of a scroll unfolded in the void, completely recording the emotions of the swirling phantom butterflies in the mirror, reflected on the illusory page. The swarm of butterflies suddenly stopped, their wings began to transform into words, but in their struggle, they were stripped away by the power of the scroll into pure runes, which then dissipated in a rain of light.
However, Dream Color Book Sea's counterattack was even more ferocious. Above the sky, the Book Sea transformed into a giant screen, revealing a tall illusion: it was the image of her master whom she least wanted to face, with cold and ruthless eyes. With a wave of his hand, a vast torrent of rules rushed down, as if to completely crush her.
Hong Xiuxiang's body trembled violently, but her fingertips gripped her Soul Realm even tighter. Countless pages flipped rapidly, the sound like thunder, booming between illusion and reality.
"Realm Words Book Seal Script!"
Her aura surged forth, and the Spirit Brocade Book Realm expanded completely, rewriting the entire dreamlike illusion and replacing it with her own logical rules.
The illusion of the sea of books began to collapse. The blade of obsession that the dream butterfly had transformed into shattered into countless colorful lights. The enormous phantom of the master also peeled away inch by inch under her book runes, turning into a pile of ashes and scattered with the wind.
But Hong Xiuxiang knew in her heart that this was only the first layer of illusion. The horror of the Hall of Dream Colors had only just been revealed.
The sea of light in the Dream Color Hall did not cease. After the collapse of the first illusion, the world became even more splendid, with seven-colored light mist spreading like brocade, covering the entire void. Unlike the oppressive and chilling illusions before, the atmosphere at this moment carried a gentle and tender beauty that made one's soul tremble.
Hong Xiuxiang's eyes sharpened. She instinctively sensed that this second illusion was not a direct attack of hostility, but rather... a penetration into the deepest desires and longings in her heart.
Countless pages slowly turned in the void, reflecting not the cruelty and bloodshed of battle, but the tender scenes that she once held in her heart that she could not express.
She saw herself as a child, standing alone on the cold stone platform of the temple, tears streaming down her face. A blurry figure gently held up an umbrella for her, shielding her from the wind and rain. The figure had no face, only a warm silhouette, yet her heart trembled, for a longing she had buried deep for many years had been—a longing to be protected, a longing to no longer be alone.
The light and mist shifted, and the illusion changed abruptly. She saw her future self, draped in a magnificent long dress, her brows less cold and more gentle with a smile. Beside her stood a person, his gaze resolute, bearing the weight of endless stars and calamity, yet always walking alongside her. That person... was none other than Qin Yu.
Hong Xiuxiang was startled, her breath quickened, and her fingertips trembled slightly. She had never truly allowed herself to touch this feeling, but the illusion tore out her deepest, most suppressed desires and laid them bare before her.
"Absurd..." she murmured, as the pages of the book around her suddenly began to dance wildly, the Spirit Brocade Book Realm flipping erratically, trying to completely cover up the illusion.
However, in the illusion, Qin Yu turned his head slightly, and the calm and protective light in his eyes instantly cracked the ice in her heart.
She clenched her teeth, her eyes turning icy cold, and uttered a low growl:
"The Soul Book Cuts Off Breath!"
Countless runes exploded out, like billions of lightning bolts striking the void, tearing apart the gentle illusion. The sea of books trembled, and the colorful light surged violently. The Qin Yu and her future figure in the illusion slowly collapsed, turning into countless fragments of starlight, dissipating into the boundless void of the sea of books.
The void returned to silence, leaving only the lingering sound of turning pages.
Her Hong Xiuxiang was ragged and her chest heaved, yet she maintained her aloof and elegant demeanor. Though her gaze was resolute, it could not conceal the fleeting tremor in her heart.
She survived the second illusion of the Dream Color Hall.
Dream Color Hall, the seven-colored sea of light churned once more, as if an invisible hand was tearing reality apart, slowly unfolding the third layer of illusion. Unlike the previous two layers, this time it was not an illusion slowly seeping in, but rather the entire world was directly rewritten, as if it had been rewritten by an invisible pen, forcibly pulling Hong Xiuxiang into a judgment of fate.
The void transformed into Endless Beginningless, stretching out beneath her feet and above her head, with even time and space embedded in words and symbols. She stood within it, as if her body were nothing more than an insignificant speck of ink.
Suddenly, countless "book titles" appeared on the entire scroll, representing her possible future fates—"annihilated on Nameless battlefield," "turned to ashes, her soul scattered," "alone, dying in a silent narrative corner"... Each line of text shimmered with a cold, sharp golden light, carrying a merciless judgment.
As these words appeared, a blurry, colossal figure emerged from the depths of the void. It was a judge composed of countless pages, clad in a robe of flowing light, its face indistinct, only a "pen of judgment" in its hand. It spoke in a deep voice, its tone like the superposition of billions of laws:
"Hong Xiuxiang, disciple of the Dawn Cloud First Hall. Your destiny is written here; whether you resist or not, you must return to annihilation."
As the voice faded, the book was opened, and a destructive pressure crashed down. Each page transformed into a blade of rules, attempting to forcibly carve her into the words, turning her into a footnote.
Hong Xiuxiang's eyes suddenly turned cold. She could clearly sense that this was not a mere illusion, but a trial that truly involved the logic of fate. If she were written into the book, her destiny would be completely rewritten, and she would never be able to escape it.
"Don't even think about it!" she hissed coldly, as the Spirit Brocade Book Realm behind her suddenly unfolded. Countless spiritual books transformed into a sea, swirling up endless soul light. Using her own will as a pen, she ignited the pages of the Book of Destiny in the void, one by one.
"The Book Emotions Enter the Mirror!"
Her spiritual book suddenly flipped, forcibly reflecting a line of text from the Book of Destiny into her own book realm. That line of text, "lonely and desolate," was instantly distorted, sucked into the ocean of the book realm, and disappeared.
The giant shadow judge spoke in a low voice, seemingly with a hint of cold laughter:
"Trying to rewrite destiny? In the Sole Book, it's nothing more than a child's pen!"
Immediately, the void trembled violently, and tens of thousands of pages of books flipped open simultaneously, transforming into countless sharp judgments of fate that swept in from all directions.
Hong Xiuxiang gritted her teeth, her soul energy surging wildly, and the runes in the book realm lit up page by page. Using blood as ink and her sea of consciousness as paper, she roared:
"Realm Words Book Seal Script —Using myself as the vehicle, rewriting judgment!"
In an instant, her Spirit Brocade Book Realm collided with the illusion of the entire Dream Color Hall, countless light runes exploded, and a seven-colored sea of light intertwined with the judgment of fate, creating a scene resembling a Hollywood- level apocalyptic collision:
The Milky Way burned to ashes, the scrolls of heaven and earth overturned, and billions of pages of light tumbled and exploded in the air, like countless meteors cascading down.
Hong Xiuxiang stood in the center of the sea of light, her breath ragged and blood trickling from the corner of her lips, but her eyes remained cold and sharp. She forcefully resisted the third trial of fate.
The void returned to silence, the scroll slowly closed, and the colossal shadow of judgment gradually dissipated. Dream Color Hall, only her figure remained, standing amidst the sea of light from the tattered pages, her body still shimmering with aftershocks.