The void trembled, the air seemed to solidify as if it had been sucked dry, and the golden-blue runes Dao Shadow Soldier Commander suddenly ignited, his eyes revealing an extremely cold light. He raised his hand, and a void "Annihilation Drama Seal" appeared in his palm. The entire world suddenly dimmed, as if the narrative itself had been erased from its source. In the next instant, billions of light runes transformed into a black-gold storm, sweeping across the sky and rushing straight towards Qin Yu.
Qin Yu's heart tightened, and he instantly mobilized the two supreme beings deep within his sea of consciousness. The Azure Ring suddenly unleashed endless annihilating azure light, transforming into the Unborn World of the "Realm-Overturning Primordial Cosmos," enveloping the entire battlefield. At the same time, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword was drawn from its sheath with a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth. The sword body displayed endless afterimages of Eleven Severing Forms, as if billions of causal judgments were superimposed at the same moment.
The power of the two intertwined around Qin Yu, forming an unprecedented combined attack. Azure Ring's Annihilation Edge severed the Commander's "Existence Chain" first, Unborn World dragged it into the desolate universe Wudao could not be continued. At the same time, the Origin Extinction Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword cleaved down, releasing a terrifying sword light that "Sever the Epoch Without a Trace," directly tearing apart the Commander's protective concept.
Boom--!
In an instant, heaven and earth fell into a complete vacuum, all sound and light were erased. The annihilation ripples of the Azure Ring transformed into a destructive azure storm, while the broken sword light of the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword pierced through the void, slashing towards the commander's chest. Although the commander tried his best to resist, his body was still torn open with several deep, bone-revealing cracks, and his chest suddenly exploded, the golden-azure Dao Flame transforming into a gushing blood mist that shot into the sky.
However, Qin Yu was also severely injured in this terrifying counterattack. His chest was pierced directly by the aftershock of the Annihilation Drama Seal, and blood gushed out. His body flew backward like a meteor for hundreds of feet. The light of the Azure Ring protected his sea of consciousness; otherwise, this attack would have completely annihilated him.
Even as he coughed up blood, Qin Yu's eyes remained icy cold. He forced himself to stand firm, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword hovering beside him, its blade humming like an eternal war song, while the Azure Ring of light flickered eternally behind him.
The commander in front, also kneeling in the void, continuously spewed golden-blue blood flames from its chest. For the first time, a look of surprise and killing intent appeared in its eyes. It coldly let out a low roar, its aura weak, yet still incredibly powerful.
The battlefield was deathly silent.
In the void, before the Dao Shadow Soldier Commander had completely fallen, the golden-blue Dao Flame surging from his chest transformed into a raging sea of fire, spreading outwards with a deafening roar, as if sacrificing himself to obtain a signal for support. At that very moment...
Deep within Qin Yu's sea of consciousness, the Azure Ring suddenly resonated!
Countless rings of azure light suddenly burst forth, instantly breaking through the shackles of the sea of consciousness and transforming into real azure ripples that enveloped the heavens and earth. The three women at the Only Book Realm · Supreme only had time to widen their eyes before they saw a "Silent Realm Rift Curtain" constructed of rings of light unfold behind Qin Yu, a mythical barrier that instantly encompassed them and Qin Yu together.
Boom--!
The Azure Ring suddenly appeared behind Qin Yu. As it rotated, a rain of azure light poured down, like billions of light arrows tearing through the void. Within the ring, time, space, and the chain of cause and effect all became invalid. The rage and pursuit of the external rulers dissipated outside the barrier, unable to touch them in the slightest.
The next instant, the Azure Ring Eye suddenly opened, and a stream of azure light shot out from the center of the ring, tearing open a void tunnel that stretched across the heavens and the earth. Inside the tunnel, billions of broken spatial fragments churned, as if the underlying logic of the entire world had been violently ripped apart, and outside the rift, the collapse of an endless sea of stars was reflected.
"Go!" Azure Ring's voice, unusually cold and urgent, echoed in Qin Yu's mind.
In an instant, Qin Yu and the three women were lifted up by the azure light and disappeared into the rift like specks of light. Before the women could even cry out, everything before their eyes turned into an illusion, and the surrounding battlefield vanished in an instant.
Boom boom boom--!
The moment the space completely closed, the area swept by the raging flames was utterly annihilated, and the aftershocks shattered the void into countless fractures. However, the rift torn open by the Azure Ring had already teleported Qin Yu and the others to countless miles away.
The entire process was Ultimate fast; the external commanders didn't even have time to pursue. The broken body only let out a low, furious roar filled with endless killing intent, which echoed deep within the void of the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm.
In another completely unfamiliar region, the azure light suddenly dissipated, and the figures of Qin Yu and three women slowly emerged. Qin Yu's face was deathly pale, the bloodstains on his chest were still wet, and the Azure Ring light between his brows gradually faded, as if he had expended a great deal of power to forcibly tear through space this time.
The three women were utterly shocked; they simply couldn't comprehend what that power they had just witnessed was.
The three women were still shaken, their eyes filled with undisguised shock and disbelief. They were all at the Only Book Realm · Supreme, capable of standing alone in a region, yet before that absolute power, they felt as insignificant as dust. It was a power that could not be defined or written down; they even doubted whether they were still living in the real world.
One of the women spoke first, her voice filled with caution and respect. "Thank you for saving us, young master. If it weren't for you, we would probably have been completely Annihilation by those terrifying Dao Shadow Soldier, just like our fellow disciples... Who exactly are you, young master? And why are you here?"
Qin Yu composed himself, exhaled, and his gaze remained gentle. Not wanting to reveal any weakness, he gave a slight fist salute and politely replied:
"Fellow Daoists, there's no need for such formalities. My name is Mo Chen, merely a rogue Rogue Cultivator from the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer. I happened to be passing by when I saw the Phantom Demonic Spirit wreaking havoc. Knowing that such beings, if not eliminated, would only harm more cultivators, I dared to intervene. Saving the three of you is simply my duty."
His voice was not arrogant, but rather humble and steady, as if he were truly a Rogue Cultivator who did not wish to show his face in public.
The three women exchanged glances. They wanted to press for more information about the inexplicable power they had just witnessed, but seeing Qin Yu's composed expression, they could only suppress their questions. Another woman said softly, "Mo Chen possesses a magnanimous heart. We will remember your kindness today. If the opportunity arises in the future, our Dawn Cloud First Hall will certainly repay your kindness."
Qin Yu simply smiled faintly and shook his head, "There's no need for that. The Phantom Demonic Spirit is wreaking havoc on the entire middle level; it's only right that we do our part. If you are all alright, I'll take my leave first."
Having said that, he turned and walked away, his robes fluttering gently in the lingering ripples of the shattered void, his figure tall and solitary. The three women watched him go for a long time, their hearts filled with gratitude, but also with a sense of doubt and awe for this "Mo Chen".
At this moment, deep within Qin Yu's sea of consciousness, Azure Ring's voice came again, carrying a hint of coldness. "Well done, Qin Yu. But remember, no matter who it is, no matter how trustworthy they are, the truth behind the Dao Shadow Soldier must never be revealed. Otherwise, you will not only be hunted down by one force, but by the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer."
Qin Yu's thoughts stirred slightly, though his expression remained unchanged; in his heart, he silently nodded.
Qin Yu stood alone on a broken wasteland. The cracks under his feet resembled the texture of withered bones accumulated over the years. A cold wind swirled up wisps of sand, which lashed against his robes, carrying a chilling sensation.
His expression was calm, but a certain repressed thought was gradually surging in his heart.
"Dawn Cloud First Hall... Hong Xiuxiang..." Qin Yu murmured to himself, a barely perceptible tenderness flashing between his brows.
Scenes from the past flashed through his mind: in Gloomshadow Source Village, her figure fighting alongside him, the image of pages turning and characters solidifying in the air as the Spirit Brocade Book Realm unfolded; in the Annihilation Ancient Divine Palace, her calm and resolute gaze always revealed her composure in the face of life and death; and that time when she was covered in blood, standing alone before the Tower Hunter, yet still gritting her teeth and holding on, waiting for him to arrive.
Those scenes now resonate vividly deep within Qin Yu's heart.
"She holds the first map, while I possess the third." Qin Yu's gaze was deep, like two starry seas settling. "Adding hers, we're only one map away from a complete incomplete map..."
Thinking of this, Qin Yu slowly picked up a wisp of the Limitless Evolving True Flow's fragmented light with his fingertips. The light flowed around his fingertips, but it also reflected the heaviness between his brows.
"But..." Qin Yu lowered his gaze slightly, a complex emotion lingering in his heart. "Now that I've changed my appearance and identity, using the alias Mo Chen, if she finds out I'm still alive, how can I tell her? How can I face her gaze? Will she resent my concealment, or will she... feel relieved?"
Azure Ring's voice slowly echoed in his mind, carrying her unique blend of calmness and playfulness. "Qin Yu, you're overthinking it. Fate in this world is a tapestry of cause and effect. If she is truly destined for us, the maps will eventually converge; as for whether you will appear, that depends on whether you are prepared to bear the consequences."
Qin Yu listened quietly, a resolute glint in his eyes. He raised his head, gazing into the distance at the abyss of the secret realm shrouded in black mist.
"Miss Hong... don't worry, I will definitely see it through to the end. When I completely Annihilation this darkness, wipe out the Chen Clan and the Dao Shadow Soldier, and piece the fragmented map back together, I will personally tell you that I, Qin Yu, am still alive."
The wind howled, making his robes flutter and rustle, as if proclaiming his solemn vow.
Deep within a secret realm in the middle level, the deathly silence between heaven and earth was suddenly shattered.
The shattered void rumbled with a low rumble, and gray-black fragments of spacetime fell one by one, as if the entire region was trembling with some kind of uncontrollable rage.
The Dao Shadow Soldier Commander covered in golden-blue Dao Flame that surged like raging fire. The "Flame of Nothingness" in his eyes suddenly exploded, and billions of runes around him shattered and perished, turning into an annihilation storm that stained space and time.
He slowly raised his head, letting out a low roar, but it was not a language that mortals could understand; rather, it was an extremely ancient and terrifying "Source Language." The sound spread like a collapse of logic, causing the surrounding space to collapse layer by layer, and even the flow of time was torn to pieces.
As the deep incantation resounded, the void cracked open, and more than thirty Dao Shadow Soldier suddenly appeared as support.
Their figures blurred together, their bodies enveloped in a semi-transparent flow of energy like a long river, while the golden-blue Dao Flame burning above their heads swayed silently. More than thirty figures stood in formation in the void, like a World Extinguisher army from another world, with the illusion of reincarnation faintly appearing behind them: billions of stars burning, Annihilation, and being reborn, only to return to nothingness in the next instant.
"Thump--"
The Dao Shadow Soldier Commander suddenly waved his hand, and amidst the tremors in his sea of consciousness, an extremely strange power erupted.
A burst of golden-blue light suddenly tore through the void, condensing into a human figure like a mirror image—it was Qin Yu transformed into Mo Chen!
Mo Chen's figure stood in the radiance released by the commander, and the fine Daoist runes flowing around him clearly imprinted his appearance.
The next moment, the commander's voice rang out again. The language was completely incomprehensible to outsiders, but the thirty-odd Dao Shadow Soldier trembled, and the image of Mo Chen appeared in the depths of their eyes at the same time.
A single command was simultaneously imprinted in their minds:
"The target is this person!"
Boom!
The auras of more than thirty Dao Shadow Soldier erupted simultaneously, and golden and azure Dao Flame converged, as if more than thirty stars were burning together in the void. Thousands of runes vibrated, and chains of cause and effect intertwined, forming an overwhelming "hunting net" that spread out in the abyss of black mist, pointing directly at that shadow of Mo Chen.
The entire void of the mid-sky collapsed and trembled in that instant, as if the whole world had been locked under this command.
Qin Yu has been completely identified.