After Qin Yu tore open the prison-like void with the power of the Fate Cause Master Seal and the Azure Ring, the blazing light of the Life Seal intertwined with the afterglow of the azure light, and the elders and disciples who had been sealed in the spatial abyss finally regained their freedom. Those figures who had been trapped for so long staggered out of the restricted area, their faces pale and their auras weak, clearly their souls and seas of consciousness had been greatly eroded.
One of the elders from the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall spoke slowly, his voice heavy with both sorrow and relief. "So it was Junior Nephew Qin... If it weren't for your divine power and life seal working together to break the deadlock, we would have been completely reduced to dust. That cage was no ordinary trapping formation; it was derived from the 'Dark Order Causal Flow' within the origin of the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm. It specifically locks the Fate Soul and the power of logic, so even though our cultivation was at the Annihilation Dawn Realm, we could only be reduced to mortal bodies and left to be refined by the restrictions."
Another elder, his expression grave, pointed to the lingering black causal currents around them. "We are trapped because, while exploring the depths of the secret realm, we accidentally entered an area contaminated by the aftershocks of the Dao Shadow Soldier. Once these Dark Order Causal Flow are touched, they reverse the logic of our consciousness, directly severing our external connections. If you hadn't arrived today, we would have already completely lost our right to exist."
Qin Yu scanned the crowd, his mind stirring slightly, but he found no trace of Wang Yuan among them.
He frowned and asked, "Elders, have you seen Senior Brother Wang Yuan? He entered the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm with me, why isn't he here?"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the core disciples changed, and one of them lowered his voice and replied, "Senior Brother Qin... Senior Brother Wang Yuan wasn't trapped with us. He was swept into a deeper spatial rift while heading to another area, which... seems to be the most dangerous corner of the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm. We tried to save him, but as soon as we got close, we were directly repelled by that force and ended up trapped here ourselves."
Another person added, "We vaguely heard Senior Brother Wang Yuan's voice, but it quickly disappeared... I'm afraid there's a higher-level being or an array suppressing that place."
A cold glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes, and his heart grew heavy: if it was truly as they said, and they could trap someone of Wang Yuan's level, then it must be extraordinary.
At this moment, an elder from the Annihilation Dawn Realm spoke up, "Junior Nephew Qin, your strength far surpasses your peers. You have already done a great service by saving us. However, the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm is fraught with danger. We elders must first escort these disciples back to the outer region to prevent further losses. As for Wang Yuan... if anyone can rescue him, it can only be you."
Qin Yu took a deep breath, his eyes as firm as the starry sea. "Alright. You escort the disciple away first, I'll take care of this place."
He turned to the core disciples, his voice steady and powerful. "You will come with me. Wang Yuan is a core pillar of our Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall. No matter what, I will bring him back."
Upon hearing this, the disciples' eyes gleamed, and they responded in unison, "We will obey Senior Brother Qin's command!"
Thus, the situation became clear: the elder, along with most of the disciples, slowly retreated along the life seal rift opened by Qin Yu; while Qin Yu, leading a few core disciples, embarked alone on the rescue journey to that "forbidden land."
Deep within the void, the lurking, eerie aura seemed to have sensed something beforehand, faintly emanating a tremor as if one's mind were being torn apart, indicating that the terror there far exceeded what had been seen before.
Qin Yu, along with several core disciples, ventured deep into the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm, into what was designated a "forbidden land."
From afar, the void there appeared to have completely collapsed, as if an entire spacetime had been shattered and reassembled, forming a bizarre "Sole Book Remnant Realm." Countless broken pages floated in the air, each page inscribed with unfinished commands, interrupted destinies, and blurred fragments of narrative. The world there seemed to be constantly writing and tearing apart, endlessly repeating, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.
Several disciples stared at the scene before them, their hearts chilling. "This is... the illogical prison of the Only Book Realm? It can actually trap Senior Brother Wang Yuan in this way?"
Qin Yu did not answer. His divine sense had already pierced through the mist and witnessed a scene that made his heart sink.
Wang Yuan was trapped in the very center of that ruined realm, sitting cross-legged. However, his body was densely bound by chains made of "torn pages," as if a specially constructed shackle had completely sealed off his "Recognition Annihilation Without Remnant." His Innate Martial Soul, "Recognition Annihilation Without Remnant - Nonexistence Form," could not even be manifested. His aura was weak, like a fleeting shadow that could be erased at any moment.
"This is not a naturally formed cage." Qin Yu's eyes suddenly turned cold.
Just then, the void suddenly trembled, and the surrounding broken pages all stopped, as if frozen in time when someone turned the pages of a book.
A deep laugh echoed from the depths of the void, "Finally here... Qin Yu."
As the words fell, several figures emerged from the void. They wore black and gold cloaks, their faces hidden behind a veil of indistinct logic, undetectable even by their souls. The leader slowly extended his hand, pointing at the trapped Wang Yuan: "He was merely a 'narrative bait' we laid. If you hadn't come, he would have been completely erased; but now that you've come—the prey is complete."
Several core disciples' expressions changed drastically, and they shouted in unison, "You actually used Senior Brother Wang Yuan to set a trap for us!"
The cloaked figure remained unmoved, instead gently waving his hand. The pages of the book in the void instantly burst into black flames, turning the world into a pitch-black sea of books. "This is the stage prepared for you, Fate Constructor."
Qin Yu's eyes flashed coldly; he immediately understood—all of this was aimed at him from the very beginning. Wang Yuan was merely the "bait," while the real prey was him, Qin Yu!
The mist deep within the void surged silently, and an extremely oppressive aura slowly emerged. The next instant, several burly figures stepped out, clad in black and gold cloaks that seemed to conceal an endless Annihilation Abyss, causing even the heavens and earth to tremble beneath their footsteps.
The moment these people appeared, the entire space of the secret realm seemed to collapse instantly. Countless shattered fragments of rules floated around them, as if even "existence" itself was forcibly altered by their aura.
The leader's voice was deep, yet carried a cold, controlling quality. "They've finally arrived... Qin Yu."
The voice seemed to come from the depths of chaos, carrying an irresistible power that made all the disciples present gasp for breath.
They were the very forces initially planted in the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm —a deadly trap personally set up by Chen Chao, the core elder of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, hidden in the shadows!
Beneath the black and gold cloaks, pairs of cold eyes slowly rose, locking onto Qin Yu's figure. At that moment, the world seemed to stand still, all killing intent and hunting light converging on only one target— Qin Yu.
The oppressive feeling in the void suddenly intensified, and the person in the black and gold cloak approached step by step, their aura so heavy that it dimmed the color of heaven and earth. At this moment, in the light curtain bound by chains of rules in the distance, Wang Yuan's figure clearly came into view.
He was covered in blood, his Purple-Gold Eternal Pole Crystal Core was forcibly imprisoned, and his soul consciousness was nailed to the void lock array by black thorns on his back. Every time the thorns vibrated, a large amount of soul light collapsed.
"Senior Brother Qin--!" Wang Yuan roared, his voice a heart-wrenching scream, filled with intense pain and burning stubbornness. With his last breath, he shouted, "Run! This is a trap! They don't want me, they want you! Run—!"
His voice seemed to burn in his blood, reverberating through the heavens and earth.
Qin Yu's eyes were deep and cold, his fingertips trembling slightly.
Meanwhile, the core disciples who had accompanied Qin Yu were consumed by raging fury. Seeing Wang Yuan being tortured like this, their anger and resentment erupted like a volcano.
"Brute!"
"They actually used their fellow disciple as bait!"
"We, the disciples of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, will not tolerate such trampling!"
Their fists clenched, their soul power surging wildly, and they were all eager to charge out, disregarding their own safety.
The men in black and gold cloaks sneered, completely disregarding them. The leader spoke in a chilling voice, "Anger? Very well. Anger will only hasten your demise."
In the void, the chains of rules trembled violently, and the thorns piercing Wang Yuan's body tightened abruptly, forcing him to let out a shrill scream!
Qin Yu's eyes flashed with a cold light, yet his aura suddenly calmed, becoming as chilling as an abyss. Within his mind, Azure Ring's voice rang out in a low, urgent tone:
"Qin Yu, calm down. They're using the Wang Yuan as bait to lure you into a dangerous trap. If you act rashly, you'll fall right into their hands."
Qin Yu took a deep breath, a blue light swirling in his palm, his killing intent condensed to its Ultimate. He spoke slowly, his voice steady and cold:
"Wang Yuan, I will save you."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step, and the void immediately rumbled. In his sea of consciousness, the Nine-Ring True Evolution Dharma Wheel trembled in unison, releasing a dazzling divine radiance, like nine star rings illuminating the entire battlefield.
The core disciples who came with Qin Yu also released their Innate Martial Soul at the same time, their fighting spirit surging like a tide.
"Senior Brother Qin, we swear to follow you to the death!"
"Rescue Senior Brother Wang Yuan!"
Amidst the tremors in the void, a figure in a black and gold cloak sneered and waved his hand, tightening the oppressive black chains around Wang Yuan once more, causing blood to splatter and his life force to nearly crumble.
"Want to save people?" the man said coldly. "Then you'll have to get over here first."
In an instant, the cause and effect of heaven and earth intertwined, and billions of chains seemed to emerge from the depths of nothingness, completely sealing off the surrounding space, like a death cage, trapping Qin Yu and several core disciples inside.
Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Yu's killing intent finally ignited completely. As he raised his hand, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword suddenly appeared from his sea of consciousness, its blade soaring into the sky, its sword cry resounding throughout the heavens and earth!
"Gentlemen, fight your way out!"
With a furious roar, the Nine-Wheel True Evolution Dharma Wheel around him spun simultaneously, and the radiance of the Azure Ring suddenly flashed from between his brows.
At this moment, the rescue operation officially began!
The surrounding space collapsed completely the moment the man in the black and gold cloak made his hand gesture. Hundreds of millions of pitch-black chains seemed to grow out of the void, each engraved with ancient "annihilation runes," as if they were not metal, but life chains drawn from the causal river of the universe! They intertwined to form an absolutely sealed prison, trapping Qin Yu and several core disciples inside.
Wang Yuan hung suspended in the center of the cell, his bones cracked inch by inch, his flesh a bloody mess, but his eyes remained defiant as he roared with heart-wrenching agony, "Senior Brother Qin! Run! This is a trap! They only want you—"
Before he could finish speaking, a chain tightened suddenly, piercing straight through his chest! Blood rained down in the air. Qin Yu's eyes twitched, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white as iron.
The cloaked figure's cold laughter echoed through the cell, "Truly loyal, aren't you? You'd rather die than hand over Qin Yu's whereabouts. Too bad now—you're all going to die here."
As he finished speaking, the surrounding chains suddenly transformed into black and gold soul beasts, each with a different form. They were all enemies that Qin Yu had killed in illusions and battles— the Soul-Devouring Devil Master, the Tower Hunter, and even the Billowing Annihilation Dream Vulture! Each time these soul beasts pounced, they were accompanied by the erosion of memories and killing intent, forcibly shaking their fighting spirit.
"Damn it... This is the 'Karmic Illusion Prison'! They actually turned your past slaying shadows into Soul-Locking Beasts!" Azure Ring whispered angrily in her mind.
Qin Yu frowned deeply. He instantly understood—this was Chen Chao's doing. The chains weren't meant to kill them immediately, but rather to use Qin Yu's past to construct a trap, to use memories and karmic connections to erode his will and force him to lose his composure in a desperate situation!
"That old dog—a hundred times more cunning than I thought!" Qin Yu's heart was filled with murderous intent, but he still suppressed his rage, only shouting, "Everyone, stabilize your spirits! Don't look at the illusion!"
However, before he could finish speaking, one of the core disciples beside him was struck by the phantom. His eyes were filled with confusion, his soul was annihilated, and he was torn apart by the black-gold soul beast. Even his soul could not escape!
"Damn it!" another disciple roared, but he too was bound by several chains and was caught in a fierce battle.
Qin Yu gritted his teeth, his gaze as cold and sharp as a knife. The Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword suddenly appeared in the air, its blade erupting with an overwhelming light of annihilation!
"Fate Cause Master Seal Cause-Determining Silent Judgment!"
Suddenly, a gigantic phantom seal burst forth from his sea of consciousness, condensing into a dazzling star seal that crashed down, shattering several black-gold chains. But before he could even catch his breath, more chains regenerated from the void, faster and with more ancient runes, seemingly endless!
Azure Ring said coldly in her sea of consciousness, "This is a logic-based prison array left behind by Chen Chao, capable of continuously reviving using the Limitless Evolving True Flow as its source... Unless you eradicate it completely, it will never end!"
Qin Yu knew this battle was no ordinary one—to save Wang Yuan, he had to tear apart this "Karmic Illusion Prison" by force.
While frantically slashing at the chains to resist the erosion of the Shadow Soul Beast, he secretly gathered his strength, preparing to unleash a deeper level of killing power.
The entire battlefield, an Asura landscape of black and gold chains intertwined with Shadow Soul Beast, was completely engulfed in flames.