Qin Yu changed his appearance and aura, walking alone on the bustling main street of Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital. The bluestone avenue under his feet shimmered with fine light under the sunlight, and the buildings on both sides were layered, with red and gold eaves and relief patterns intertwined and reflected each other, making it even more lively than before he left.
The streets were teeming with people, cultivators coming and going, some from various temples, some from extraterrestrial groups, and even Rogue Cultivator from afar. Countless shops and stalls lined the streets, the cries of vendors, the roars of spirit beasts, and the drumbeats of the auction hall intertwined, creating a cacophony as if ten thousand rivers were flowing into the sea.
However, what truly captivated Qin Yu were the "portraits" scattered throughout every street and alley of the capital.
Dark blue cloths were pasted on the walls, wooden pillars, and even on the floating light screens hanging in the air. In the center of the image were twelve Dao Shadow Soldier with golden blue "Dao Flame" heads, semi-transparent energy flow bodies, and "Origin-Returning Blade" gleaming coldly in their hands. Their figures were exaggerated to be hundreds of feet tall, and the phantoms behind them seemed to swallow the entire imperial capital, making people's hearts tremble with fear.
Below each portrait, large, cold characters were written in crimson gold ink:
Bounty Target: Phantom Demonic Spirit.
"Estimated cultivation level: Annihilation Dawn Realm - Supreme"
"A reward of one million Annihilation Starlight Crystal will be given to anyone who kills the target or provides valid clues."
Countless practitioners on the street stared at these notices with different expressions - some were excited, some were frightened, and some were lucky and ready to take action.
"A million Annihilation Starlight Crystal... that's enough to trade for a half-finished Sacred Artifact!"
"Bah! What do you think the Phantom Demonic Spirit is? It's a terrifying being that even the elders of the Annihilation Dawn Realm wouldn't dare to confront head-on. Going to find it is just suicide!"
"But if someone actually succeeds, they could become famous overnight."
A cacophony of voices filled the air, and a tense atmosphere permeated the atmosphere.
Qin Yu walked among the crowd, his face changed, but a cold glint shone deep in his eyes. He finally understood why the capital was more crowded than usual, with even small sects and Rogue Cultivator from the outer perimeter pouring in—the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer had been thrown into turmoil by the appearance of the Dao Shadow Soldier.
On the street corner, a child timidly gazed at the wanted poster, clutching his mother's clothes tightly, and whispered, "Mother, if this monster finds us, will we disappear too?"
The young mother looked flustered and quickly pulled her child away.
Qin Yu stood in the shadows of the crowd, his heart trembling slightly. He remembered the truth Azure Ring had told him: these "Phantom Demonic Spirit" were actually the Dao Shadow Soldier —the first legion of the Source Dao Supreme Return Emperor.
Now, the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer are hunting them down.
But little did they know that these beings, known as "Phantom Demonic Spirit," were far beyond the reach of a mere million Annihilation Starlight Crystal.
Qin Yu clenched his fists secretly, silently whispering to himself:
"This is just the beginning."
Qin Yu slowly walked through a bustling square, where a cacophony of voices filled the air. Dozens of cultivators were gathered around a huge light screen, discussing animatedly. The screen flickered with the phantom images of twelve Dao Shadow Soldier, their blades humming in the light, seemingly ready to shatter reality at any moment.
A cultivator who had reached the Only Book Realm · High Stage was filled with excitement, patting his chest and shouting:
"Let's team up! As long as we set up an encirclement formation, even if that so-called Phantom Demonic Spirit is powerful, we can trap it and kill it!"
"Trapped to death?" A cultivator from the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate sneered, his eyes greedy, his tone tinged with madness.
"Hmph, I'd risk my life for a million Annihilation Starlight Crystal! Aren't you tempted? If we succeed, not only will we receive the crystals, but we'll also become famous Source of Epochless · Middle Layer!"
Another disciple at the Annihilation Source Realm gritted his teeth:
"That's right! There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. No matter how strong the Phantom Demonic Spirit, they are still just alien species that escaped from the secret realm. They can't be invincible! If we form a great formation, we might be able to kill them one by one!"
A restless atmosphere arose in the crowd, with low humming sounds rising and falling, as if greed was igniting the fire in everyone's heart.
Qin Yu stood in the shadows of the crowd, his gaze cold. He didn't say a word, but simply watched the eyes of these so-called "hunters"—a kind of ignorant excitement.
In his eyes, the future of these cultivators was like a shattered painting; once they truly faced the Phantom Demonic Spirit, only one fate awaited them:
Annihilation.
Suddenly, an old cultivator who called himself a formation master stepped forward, waved his hands, and sketched a rudimentary light pattern array in the void. He then said in a stern voice:
"Look, this is the 'Spirit-Trapping Sundering Formation' I set up! As long as we lure the Phantom Demonic Spirit into it, the ten of us can trap one! Once we trap one, we can dismember it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, as if the million Annihilation Starlight Crystal before them had already fallen into their hands.
But Qin Yu sneered softly to himself:
"Foolish. You can't even hold onto its shadow? You can't even trap a single one."
Deep within his consciousness, Azure Ring's voice softly resounded, carrying a hint of icy sigh:
"They don't understand that the Phantom Demonic Spirit is not a bounty hunter, but an army marching to annihilate destiny. Anyone who dares to move against it will be reduced to ashes."
Qin Yu didn't look any further and turned away from the restless crowd. Behind him, the cultivators were still shouting about how to distribute the bounty and how to hunt down the Phantom Demonic Spirit. Laughter, arguments, and shouts of greed mingled together, like a ridiculous farce waiting to be annihilated.
But Qin Yu already knew in his heart:
"It probably won't be long before the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer are met with their screams and bloodshed."
Night gradually enveloped the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer.
In a desolate mountain plain 100,000 miles away from the Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital, a small team of cultivators of nearly 100 people were restless around a huge array plate.
They are the first hunters shouting "Hunter of the Phantom Demonic Spirit" in the capital's square today.
Thick fog enveloped the surrounding mountains and plains, and the world Silent Void, with only the causal light patterns on the array plate flickering as if to tear the darkness apart.
The leader, a cultivator at the Annihilation Dawn Realm, raised his arm and shouted:
"The formation is complete! Once the Phantom Demonic Spirit enters, even Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme will be completely trapped and killed! After the hunt, the million Annihilation Starlight Crystal will be ours!"
A low growl erupted from the crowd, greed burning like a raging fire on every face.
However, the next moment-
The void suddenly cracked open, and ten golden-blue figures emerged from the depths of darkness.
Their bodies were slender and elongated, neither human nor inhuman, with blank faces, except for a pulsating "Dao Flame" hanging between their foreheads.
Each body is a translucent flow of energy, with runes flowing like fire, flashing ancient and untranslatable characters for "Tao" and "Return" with each step.
It is indeed -- Phantom Demonic Spirit · Dao Shadow Soldier.
In that instant, the world seemed to freeze in an "indescribable" state.
All the hunters felt a sudden tightness in their chests, as if their breath had been taken away, and their minds were violently turbulent, as if they were being forced to confront a logic that should not exist.
"Here it comes! Spirit-Trapping Sundering Formation, activate!"
The array master roared and slammed his palm down on the array plate.
Countless runes soared into the sky, weaving together to form a massive light curtain that enveloped the ten Dao Shadow Soldiers.
The mountains and plains trembled, the earth cracked, and the sea of light surged like an overturned galaxy.
The hunters were extremely excited and activated their Innate Martial Soul, determined to kill the Phantom Demonic Spirit.
However, at the very instant the light barrier sealed off, the ten Dao Shadow Soldier almost simultaneously raised their "Origin-Returning Blade".
A silent strike.
--Buzz!
The entire formation shattered silently, like a sheet of paper gently sliced by a blade.
All the runes turned into golden-blue dust in mid-air and vanished in an instant.
The array master's pupils constricted, his throat tightened, and before he could utter a word, he was pulverized by an invisible wave of causality.
Before even a scream could be uttered, the figure and the very concept of existence vanished.
"H-How is this possible?!"
The leader of the Annihilation Dawn Realm cultivator roared, releasing his martial spirit with all his might, but before he could even stand firm, the sky above the entire team was already enveloped by ten golden-blue ripples.
That was the "echo of the Tao" --
The power within all the hunters was instantly absorbed, transforming into a stream of golden particles that were then swallowed by the Phantom Demonic Spirit.
Their terrified screams echoed in the darkness, but in an instant, all sound ceased.
All one hundred hunters Annihilation without a trace.
Heaven and earth returned to deathly silence.
Only ten Dao Shadow Soldier stood silently on the shattered mountain plain, their golden-blue flames flickering erratically, as if nothing had happened.
A moment later, they all turned their heads and looked deeper into the Source of Epochless.
A deep "Dao chant" echoed in the void, causing the entire mountain range to collapse completely, turning into Does Not Exist.
The first group of cultivators who attempted to hunt down the Phantom Demonic Spirit were all wiped out.
That deep "Dao chant" was like an ancient funeral bell, reverberating throughout the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer.
From the moment the mountain collapsed, unhealable cracks appeared in the texture of space, and from the depths of these cracks, more golden and blue light and shadow quietly emerged.
Dao Shadow Soldier began to appear in various areas of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer.
In the Vast Sky Ancient Plain of Changkong outside the Radiant Heaven Imperial Capital, countless merchants and cultivators were coming and going, discussing the bounty for hunting down the Phantom Demonic Spirit. Suddenly, twenty narrow golden lines split open in the sky, and a neat squad of Phantom Demonic Spirit emerged from the void.
With each step they took, the causal particles on the ground automatically peeled away, and the pedestrians' bodies instantly became transparent. Before they could even scream, they turned into ashes and vanished with the wind. The Vast Sky Ancient Plain were instantly Silent Void, with only golden-blue runes flowing in the air.
In the Bottomless Sea Abyss of the Annihilation Abyss Sea Clan, the seawater boiled, and millions of demonic beasts fled in terror. But beneath the surface, phantom Phantom Demonic Spirit slowly emerged, their "Dao Flame" illuminating the waters and altering the rhythm of the entire ocean. Giant whales, merfolk, annihilation fish... none were spared; they were all Annihilation, their bloody scent not even having a chance to spread. The Bottomless Sea Abyss collapsed into a void abyss.
In the Crimson Hell Mountain Range of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate, flames roared, and the mountains resembled a prison. Tens of thousands of Crimson Annihilation disciples were gathering, preparing for a large-scale hunt of "Phantom Demonic Spirit." Suddenly, the sky shattered, and a force of Phantom Demonic Spirit traversed the mountain peaks. With a single strike of the "Origin-Returning Blade," the entire Crimson Hell Mountain Range were sliced in two. The flames extinguished, the mountains and rivers vanished, and the disciples' Fate Soul Crystal Core shattered, instantly turning into nothingness.
In the secret forest of the Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion, the dense forest once blocked out the sky. But when the Phantom Demonic Spirit stepped in, the logic of the entire forest was rewritten. The tree rings reversed into golden runes, and the disciples in the forest disappeared along with heaven and earth, leaving only an empty plane, as if that forest had never existed.
Within a single day, at least a dozen super zones in the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer saw the appearance of Phantom Demonic Spirit.
Whether it was the elders of the Annihilation Dawn Realm, the deacons of the Only Book Realm, or even the core disciples of the Severed Observation Realm, they were all completely Annihilation in an instant.
Panic gripped the entire middle management.
The bounty was still displayed at the entrance of the main halls, but no one dared to mention the word "hunt" again.
Everyone is clear about one fact:
The Phantom Demonic Spirit is not prey, but the master.
In the vast Source of Epochless, the middle level, the winds and clouds suddenly change.
As Phantom Demonic Spirit appeared one after another in various places, Annihilation all living beings wherever they went, the entire middle layer could no longer conceal their fear. Countless sects and clans' elders and supreme rulers lit emergency talismans, summoning all forces to the oldest and most central Holy Domain Council Hall.
As the top Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall Temple naturally became the core organizer of this council.
At this moment, above the Hengyuan Dao Hall at the deepest part of the Holy Temple, billions of runes flowed, resembling a palace formed from the very origin of the heavens. Layers of annihilation barriers trembled in the void, shielding outsiders from prying eyes. As soon as the palace door opened, elders at the Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme, core representatives of the Only Book Realm, and even a few ancient beings at the Ultimate level of the Severed Observation Realm appeared one after another.
The three white-robed elders of the Dawn Cloud First Hall entered side by side, their expressions solemn and cold. They had already learned of the true terror of the Phantom Demonic Spirit through Hong Xiuxiang's telepathic message.
The elder of the Annihilation Dream Sacred Hall leaned on his long staff, engraved with life runes, his eyes deep and unfathomable, and murmured, "The one who is not a proposition, the one who is not logic... has actually appeared."
The Flame Elder of the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate roared, "My Crimson Hell Mountain Range was cleaved in two by their swords, and tens of thousands of disciples perished! This is a declaration of war against the entire Middle Level!"
The Pavilion Master of the Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion said grimly, "Hundreds of my core disciples have been annihilated without leaving a trace. This is not war; this is reckoning."
The entire hall roared, the auras of numerous supreme beings intertwined, causing the void to collapse layer by layer.
Just as the discussion was about to descend into chaos, Zhang Qiang, the deputy temple master of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, slowly rose to his feet. His voice echoed like a great bell, "Please be quiet, everyone. The matter of the Phantom Demonic Spirit is beyond the capacity of a single temple or clan to contend with. They are the 'Ultimate disturbances' that have never been written about or prophesied. Anyone who attempted to hunt them has already turned to ashes."
After these words were spoken, the entire palace fell into a deathly silence.
Then, Chen Chao, the core elder of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, stepped forward, shrouded in chaotic light. His eyes were cold, yet tinged with ambition. "Since they cannot be countered by conventional means, we must immediately activate the 'Supreme Abyss Sealing Law,' summoning all temples, clans, and families to use the primal power of the entire middle layer to set up a seal. Otherwise, the entire middle layer will cease to exist."
Elder Dawn Cloud First Hall coldly retorted, "A seal? You and I both know this is merely a delaying tactic. The power of the Phantom Demonic Spirit surpasses the comprehension of the Annihilation Dawn Realm; there may be even higher beings behind them. If it were to spread to the core layer, even the Ancestor might struggle to stabilize the situation."
Immediately, opinions clashed fiercely among the various factions inside the hall.
Some insisted on "jointly attacking and killing," while others advocated "complete sealing." Still others were secretly observing, seemingly pondering how to use the Phantom Demonic Spirit to achieve ulterior motives.