Outside the palace, the figures of twelve Dao Shadow Soldier stood in the void like eternal golden-blue flames. They were of uniform height, and translucent energy fluids surged like the long river of the Dao. Gold and silver runes shimmered on their surfaces, as if the fundamental will of the Dao was breathing. At this moment, the aura emanating from their entire bodies was clearly manifested— Annihilation Dawn Realm: Supreme!
This is an extreme level capable of reshaping the logic of a world; the heavens and earth tremble slightly beneath their feet.
Two colossal statues guarding the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace originally stood on either side of the gate, wielding giant swords and halberds, like ancient Adjudicator suppressing all. Their bodies were forged from endless Annihilation Ancient Bone Stone and primordial soul energy; any ordinary person who took a single step closer would be reduced to ashes. But just as the Dao Shadow Soldier stepped down, the air seemed to be sucked away, golden-blue Dao Flame ignited simultaneously, and the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier raised their "Origin-Returning Blade" in unison.
The next moment--
"Boom!!!!"
Golden-blue ripples spread out accompanied by a deep Dao chant, like billions of stars exploding simultaneously in the universe, forming rings of cyclical light capable of swallowing heaven and earth. The moment the ripples swept over the two statues, their bone and stone defenses instantly collapsed, and billions of ancient runes peeled off like sand. Before they could even fully lower their weapons, they were swallowed up by the invisible "Power of Return to Origin".
Click click click--!!
The giant sword and halberd of the statue shattered inch by inch, as if erased by time; then, the entire massive body exploded, turning into countless shattered afterimages of cause and effect. The originally indestructible power of the guardian was as fragile as paper before the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier.
Just as the two statues completely collapsed, the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace behind the gate trembled violently, as if acknowledging the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier's right to enter. Ripples of gold and cyan swept across the palace gate, and the towering, heavy doors slowly opened.
Without a moment's pause, the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier marched in unison, as if as a single entity, carrying an immense philosophical pressure as they entered the gate. Golden-blue Dao Flame ignited within the palace, illuminating the endless ancient corridors and completely awakening the secrets that had slumbered in the distant past.
At this moment, the palace completely transformed into their hunting ground.
Before the rumble of the palace gates had completely dissipated, several powerful cultivators at the Only Book Realm from different temples had already ventured into the corridors deep within the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace. Their auras surged, their soul light spreading out in the void like scrolls, their brushstrokes gleaming, each word a rewriting of cause and effect and destiny. They had initially been wary of each other, attempting to seize opportunities in this unknown land.
However, just as they stepped across an ancient patterned bridge, twelve Dao Shadow Soldier appeared silently.
It wasn't teleportation, but rather a kind of "conceptual projection." It was as if they had never been far outside the door, but had existed in this corridor from the very beginning, only to be allowed to be perceived at this moment.
The Soul Book of the experts at the Only Book Realm trembled simultaneously, and they subconsciously unfolded their natal books:
"Writing: The Chapter of Destiny's Transformation!"
"Revised Laws: The Chapter of Soul Narrative!"
A burst of light erupted, and billions of words flowed out, transforming into long rivers of rules, intending to lock onto the existence of the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier and imprison them in the narrative cage.
But the next moment, all twelve Dao Shadow Soldier simultaneously raised the "Origin-Returning Blade".
Buzz!!!!
Golden-blue ripples spread across the blade, like the booming sound of time and space itself. The ripples were about to erupt, and all the written words in the river of text instantly stopped, then line by line "blurred" and disappeared.
"How... how could this be?--?"
One of the experts at the Only Book Realm roared in horror. He was clearly writing "Heaven and Earth Cause and Effect," but he watched helplessly as the words under his pen turned into dust, which was "absorbed" by the fluctuations of the blade and returned to that invisible cycle.
The next breath--
Boom!!
Twelve Dao Shadow Soldier slashed down simultaneously, and where their blades passed, countless phantom images of life's reincarnation appeared in the void: stars burned out, worlds collapsed, souls returned to their origin... This was not an attack, but an inevitable philosophical conclusion.
"Ah--!"
The bodies of several powerful Only Book Realm shattered instantly, their Soul Book collapsed, and the narrative chapters on the pages were erased by "Return to Origin," as if they had never existed. Before they could even let out a complete scream, they turned into countless particles and merged into the energy flow of the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier.
That scene was extremely shocking.
In the Only Book Realm powerful beings, capable of writing destiny and rewriting reality, are as fragile as ordinary paper.
The corridor fell silent again, save for the low, echoing footsteps of the twelve Dao Shadow Soldier, each step like the tolling of a death knell for the universe.
The twelve Dao Shadow Soldier stood silently in the corridor. The remains of the Only Book Realm turned into dust and vanished into nothingness, as if those powerful beings had never existed in the world. As the last wisp of ashes from the book page drifted away, the entire Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace trembled.
Golden-blue Dao Flame rose from Dao Shadow Soldier's body, converging into an indescribable oppressive wave that spread outwards along the countless stone walls, halls, and secret passages of the Divine Palace. It was no ordinary aura, but a "declaration of existence" that completely transcended cultivation levels—any being below the Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme would feel their mind go blank the moment they sensed it, as if their soul had been ripped away.
At this moment, Qin Yu was in another palace.
Unlike the solemnity of the Bookless Hall, this palace is entirely constructed of silent black stone and a golden array base. Ninety-nine dark golden lamps float on the ceiling, each reflecting a different "illusory fragment": some are bleeding and dying, some are comprehending the Dao in the sealed realm, and some are fighting against the void. Each scene is like a fragment of a potential destiny.
Just as Qin Yu stepped into the depths of the main hall, his heart suddenly tightened.
"Um?"
He felt as if the entire palace space was resonating, and the already pervasive atmosphere of death was amplified into a suffocating and terrifying oppression. He looked up and saw that a layer of golden-blue Dao patterns was shimmering on the stone walls of the palace, slowly creeping across like wildfire.
Hong Xiuxiang, also deep within the other wing of the palace, suddenly turned pale and asked in a low voice, "What... what kind of power is this? Why is even my sea of consciousness trembling?"
Qin Yu's gaze, however, was even more profound than hers.
He knew in his heart that this was no ordinary reaction from a secret realm. That fluctuation carried an extremely distinct "origin-returning aura."
"It's them."
A chilling premonition washed over him. Those "Dao Shadow Soldier" that Azure Ring had just mentioned had truly entered the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace and had begun to slaughter and clear away everything in their way.
The tremors in the void continued, and the ninety-nine illusory lamps in the entire palace shook violently, their reflected fragments of destiny collapsing continuously until they were finally swallowed up by an invisible black and blue ripple.
Qin Yu slowly tightened his grip on the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword, his eyes colder than ever before.
As the aura of the Dao Shadow Soldier completely permeated the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace, the entire palace complex seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
Boom--!
In every corner of the Divine Palace, almost all the cultivators who entered changed their expressions at the same time. Whether they were at the Only Book Realm, the Annihilation Source Realm, or even the higher Severed Observation Realm, their seas of consciousness trembled violently at this moment, as if they had been directly invaded by an external force.
Hong Xiuxiang stood within the Hall of Dream Colors, her jade-like face instantly turning pale as she clutched her chest. She felt an unseen golden-blue wave surging from the depths of her consciousness; this power was not a simple attack, but a "Return to Origin Tremor" that transcended all definitions. She murmured in disbelief, "What... is this? Even my Spirit Brocade Book Realm is trembling..."
The other female disciples of the Dawn Cloud First Hall turned deathly pale. Some had bloodshot eyes, while others knelt on the ground, their very souls nearly shattered. Their innate Innate Martial Soul instinctively retreated into their sea of consciousness, as if they had encountered a supreme natural enemy, too terrified to resist.
On the other side, cultivators from the Ming Yuan Ghost Palace were infiltrating another Yin Abyss Palace, intending to explore the mysteries of the divine palace. However, at this moment, they all groaned, blood spilling from their mouths and noses, as if the order of their destinies had been forcibly altered. They were horrified to discover that their soul power had instantly failed to be mobilized, and even their thinking had become sluggish.
"What's going on?!" a powerful figure shouted, his eyes filled with horror.
Deeper within the Battle Stele Hall, a Supreme Elder of the Supreme Severed Observation Realm clung to his body, his eyes filled with disbelief. "This isn't a restriction on the palace itself... This is some kind of external force intruding! And... it's even more terrifying than the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace itself!"
Rumble--
The dome of the entire divine palace shimmered with countless golden and azure Dao patterns. Those patterns were like a sea of stars slowly rotating. With each pulse, the sea of consciousness of all cultivators was shaken, and countless low Dao chants seemed to resound in their ears.
Qin Yu in another hall, his face cold and stern. Although his sea of consciousness had not collapsed thanks to Azure Ring's protection, he still felt that extremely familiar pressure. Azure Ring's voice echoed in his mind in a low voice, "That's right, Qin Yu... these are them. The Dao Shadow Soldier have entered the palace, and everyone will be treated as meaningless variables and settled."
In an instant, countless cultivators within the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace were gripped by overwhelming fear.
They finally realized that this place was not only a place of opportunity, but also a place where they might perish.
Boom!!!
The deepest stone staircase corridor of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace suddenly exploded, and endless streams of golden and azure light poured out like a flood, as if the entire space had been torn apart from the inside. Twelve tall and slender phantoms slowly stepped out from the stream of light. Their figures were delicate but carried an irresistible solemnity. Invisible Dao Flame burned on their heads, and as the flames flickered, they illuminated the entire corridor as if it were a golden purgatory.
They were none other than the Dao Shadow Soldier.
With each step they took, a deep, resonant chant arose in the void, as if countless scriptures were being recited on their own. As they walked, the ancient runes on the stone steps crumbled, and even the murals and inscriptions of the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace itself were forcibly erased, turning into dust and dissolving.
Rumble!!!
A dozen or so cultivators at the Annihilation Source Realm and the Only Book Realm were exploring this area when they suddenly encountered each other. They were terrified and immediately unleashed their strongest abilities. The Only Book Realm's scrolls unfurled instantly, with billions of characters surging like a tide; the Annihilation Source Realm's soul weapons shone brightly, transforming into a roaring galaxy, attempting to block the intruders.
However, the Dao Shadow Soldier simply raised their hands together.
Buzz--
The Origin-Returning Blade in their hands seemed to be ignited by invisible laws, instantly slicing through the void. What they slashed out was not a simple sword light, but an "Origin Ripple." The ripple was interwoven with gold and blue, and wherever it passed, all the colors of heaven and earth were stripped away, leaving only a cold, desolate monochrome outline.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
The dozen Sole Book instantly became ineffective in mid-air, and the written symbols disintegrated one by one in the tremors of the golden-blue ripples, turning into ashes. The Annihilation Origin Soul Weapon even disintegrated directly into its original energy flow, which was absorbed into the bodies of the Dao Shadow Soldier and transformed into supplementary power for their actions.
The screams rang out for a moment, then vanished in an instant.
The physical bodies, Fate Soul, narrative sequences, and life sequences of these cultivators were all assimilated into the original particles and merged into the light and flames of the Dao Shadow Soldier. Between heaven and earth, only the golden-blue vortex remained, echoing endlessly in the deep Dao chanting.
Boom boom boom!!!
The enormous explosion shook the entire Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace as if a thousand worlds were collapsing. Everyone, whether it was Hong Xiuxiang group in the Hall of Dream Colors or the other cultivators in the Battle Stele Hall and the Forbidden Abyss Hall, was shaken to the core.
They witnessed twelve Dao Shadow Soldier descend from the void like twelve merciless judges, wiping out more than a dozen powerful individuals with a single blow, leaving not even their corpses behind.
"This is... the Annihilation Legion..." an elder at the Severed Observation Realm whispered in horror, his voice filled with a chilling aura.
At this moment, the atmosphere of the entire Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace instantly plummeted into an abyss of absolute oppression.