Qin Yu walked side by side with the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss, the two of them traversing the abyss-like sky of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer. The void rifts around them occasionally emitted residual auras of annihilation, as if telling the story of the turmoil this world had recently encountered.
The figure of the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss was towering, bearing the light of chaos on his back. His footsteps resonated with a heavy cosmic echo, and his voice was deep and resonant, seemingly capable of shaking the Soul Sea: "Young friend, although the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer was originally home to many races, constantly fighting, it at least maintained a delicate balance. However, now those... Phantom Demonic Spirit have suddenly appeared on a large scale, disrupting the balance. Do you know if there is a deeper source behind this?"
Qin Yu remained calm, his eyes always revealing caution and coldness. He knew the old man was testing him, and he understood that the deeper meaning behind such a person should not be easily revealed. So he shook his head slightly, his tone polite but containing a hint of distance. "Senior, I am merely a Rogue Cultivator. My ability to kill a few Phantom Demonic Spirit was only due to some fortuitous encounters. As for their origins, I know nothing about them."
The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss glanced at him, his gaze sharp as lightning in the abyss, as if trying to pierce through everything about Qin Yu: "Young friend, you are indeed cautious." He changed the subject, his gaze fixed on the surging spatial fluctuations in the distance, his tone thoughtful, "But based on my Chaotic Consciousness, they are not ordinary alien races. Their mode of existence is 'without propositions, without logic,' as if they should not exist in this world... This is the most terrifying thing."
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, but he showed no sign of it, merely feigning deep thought and nodding slightly, "Senior is absolutely right. Their methods are extremely bizarre; many powerful individuals have been wiped out without a sound. Although I have fought them several times, it is truly a stroke of luck that I have survived."
Azure Ring's voice rang in Qin Yu's mind, coldly reminding him. "Qin Yu, remember not to reveal too much. The true origin of the Phantom Demonic Spirit is related to the Source Dao Supreme Return Emperor. If it is revealed, the entire Source of Epochless will regard you as the fuse."
Qin Yu's heart tightened slightly, but he remained calm on the surface and smiled, "However, since you have already killed them, you must be able to sense that their power does not belong to any realm of our Source of Epochless. As for why they appeared... perhaps it's just that the barrier of spacetime has loosened, allowing things from other realms to infiltrate."
The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss nodded slightly, a profound light flashing in his eyes, seemingly both agreeing and doubting, as he murmured softly, "Space-time infiltration... perhaps so."
The two talked all the way, with the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss constantly probing, while Qin Yu always responded as Rogue Cultivator, polite and respectful, yet revealing no true secrets. At the same time, Qin Yu's heart was always on edge, ready to deal with the old man's probing at any moment.
The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss and Qin Yu walked side by side, the heavy chaotic aura in the void flowing with their footsteps. Suddenly, the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss twitched his fingertips slightly, and an almost invisible chain of logic quietly emerged, like an invisible thread of runes, pulling at the depths of time and space. His gaze was cold and deep, as if he was silently probing something.
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm. Azure Ring had already whispered a reminder in his mind, "He's testing the mark you erased earlier. Don't worry, that thread of logic has been completely annihilated by me; he absolutely won't be able to find a trace."
Sure enough, the threads of logic swirled in the void for several breaths, but failed to capture any response, as if swallowed by the endless void. The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss frowned, a hint of doubt and gloom flashing in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
He glanced at Qin Yu sideways, his gaze deep and unfathomable. Qin Yu's heart tightened slightly, but he maintained the composure of a "Rogue Cultivator from the Mo Chen," his demeanor humble yet vigilant, revealing no flaw whatsoever.
The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss said nothing more, only raising his hand and waving it. The chaotic light transformed into a massive curtain of light, enveloping the two of them and shattering the void layer by layer. He said in a low voice, "Ahead lies the gathering place of the Phantom Demonic Spirit. Young friend, please come with me. No matter where they come from, since they dare to set foot in this realm, we two will make them pay for their blood debts."
As he took his first step, the heavens and earth roared, the void trembled like a drum, and the faint murmur of Phantom Demonic Spirit echoed from the depths of the dark rift. Qin Yu narrowed his eyes, his heart already filled with murderous intent.
Azure Ring said coldly in her mind, "He's becoming increasingly suspicious, but for now you must stay with him, otherwise you'll only bring trouble upon yourself. Once we reach the place where the Phantom Demonic Spirit gather, we can then find a way to maneuver around them."
Qin Yu sighed inwardly, but did not back down in the slightest. He nodded slowly, a cold glint in his eyes, and followed the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss towards the terrifying battlefield covered by a sea of black mist.
As Qin Yu and the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss gradually approached, the area shrouded in endless black mist finally became clearly visible.
The entire world seemed to have been stripped of its color, leaving only a deathly hue of gray, black, and deep blue. Cracks crisscrossed the void, like the wounds left by a giant beast, and eerie light flowed from each crack, as if the remnants of dead stars were constantly dripping down.
There was no soil or rock on the ground, only large patches of black debris, like the ashes solidified after billions of logical factors were pulverized. Occasionally, a gust of wind would sweep by, and the ashes would immediately fly up, turning into sharp runic light fragments, piecing together half of a fragment in the air, and then collapsing in an instant, as if countless annihilated "narratives" were still struggling.
Even more terrifying was the atmosphere; it wasn't quiet, but filled with low murmurs and distorted howls. The sounds didn't come from any specific being, but rather seemed like the space itself was weeping. Listening closely, one could hear that each echo seemed to recount the fall of some being and the deleted script of some past life, sending chills down one's spine.
In the distance, a dark mountain range emerged, yet its form was constantly shifting: one moment it was a towering peak, the next it twisted into a palace-like structure, and then in an instant it collapsed into a bottomless abyss. The entire scene had no fixed shape, like a chaotic projection of disordered logic and causality.
At the heart of this chaos stood a colossal black monument, seemingly forged from nothingness. No words were inscribed upon it, only countless illusory figures of Dao Shadow Soldier patrolled its surface. They stood motionless, yet exuded a pressure far Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme. This pressure did not stem from mere aura, but rather from a pervasive illusion deep within the soul—a feeling that one should not exist here, and could be erased at any moment.
The sky hung low, as if bent by an invisible force. Countless golden-blue light spots appeared and disappeared, like embers of "Dao Flame" scattered among them. Once you got close, they would turn into the eyes of Phantom Demonic Spirit, staring intently.
Qin Yu lowered his gaze slightly, a strong chill rising in his heart.
Azure Ring's voice was cold and solemn in her mind. "This is no longer an ordinary battlefield, but a 'Narrative Graveyard'... Anyone who steps into it, without true Annihilation power, will ultimately be swallowed up by the logic here."
Chaotic flames surged in the eyes of the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss, yet his expression was more solemn than ever before. He spoke in a low voice, "Young friend, this is their lair. Remember, the slightest carelessness will mean no return."
Qin Yu remained silent, only slowly tightening his grip on the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword. As the sword trembled slightly, the Karma Ripple around him resembled a surging galaxy, enveloping him in a silent, serene light.
Qin Yu and the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss slowly stepped into the "Narrative Graveyard". The air was as solid as iron, and every step felt like stepping on the edge of a broken void. The surrounding mist surged in instantly, turning into countless golden-blue eyes that stared intently at the two of them.
The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss stood with his hands behind his back, his face still ancient and composed, but a barely perceptible cold glint flashed deep within his eyes, which were churning with chaotic flames.
He didn't really want to fight alongside Qin Yu.
On the contrary, he already had a plan in mind: if he could use the Phantom Demonic Spirit to force this young Rogue Cultivator into a desperate situation, he could not only find out Qin Yu's true trump card, but also see the Phantom Demonic Spirit's bottom line without suffering any losses himself. If Qin Yu was devoured, he only needed to gather the remaining power, and perhaps he could further explore the secrets of these alien races.
"Mo Chen," the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss gently, yet with a hidden guidance, "This place is incredibly sinister. I will restrain those leaders; you go and draw their attention head-on. As long as you can force out their 'Source Flame,' I have a way to completely Annihilation."
Qin Yu's eyes narrowed; he could naturally sense the sinister undertone in those words. If what the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss said was true, he would have been sent to the Phantom Demonic Spirit's clutches immediately, his life or death entirely in the hands of others.
Azure Ring's voice then rang in his mind, cold as a sword's edge. "Qin Yu, don't trust him easily. He's trying to push you into a deadly trap, secretly using the Phantom Demonic Spirit to test you. Remember, the true secret of the Dao Shadow Soldier must not be known to anyone. If you fall into the trap, you will not only be swallowed up by them, but you will also expose me."
A cold smile flashed across Qin Yu's face, but his expression remained unchanged as he cupped his hands in response, "Since Senior has made this arrangement, then this junior will naturally obey."
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding void trembled violently.
Eight phantom Phantom Demonic Spirit simultaneously emerged from the void, their forms intertwined with reality, as if torn apart from the very concept itself. Each of their heads burned with golden-blue "Dao Flame," and runes flowed across their bodies like a galaxy. They did not roar, but simply stretched out their hands, and the entire world was instantly covered by golden ripples, as if an invisible Daoist script had directly drawn Qin Yu's existence into the "deleted script."
In that instant, Qin Yu felt his sea of consciousness tremble, and his Fate Soul and physical body were being erased.
"Now!" A cold glint flashed in the eyes of the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss. He flicked his sleeves, but did not attack directly. Instead, he stood behind and used the Chaos Flame to block Qin Yu's retreat, preventing him from easily withdrawing.
However, at the very moment when this dead end loomed—
A sudden flash of blue light appeared between Qin Yu's brows.
Azure Ring made a silent move, and an invisible wave of Annihilation spread from Qin Yu's body, instantly interrupting the Phantom Demonic Spirit's "deletion logic". Countless runes were shattered, and the pages of the Book of Void turned into light dust before they could be completely covered.
Azure Ring's cold voice echoed in Qin Yu's mind, "I have severed their first layer of logical attack. Just counterattack as the situation escalates, and don't reveal my presence."
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and his gaze suddenly sharpened.
The Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword was unsheathed with a thunderous roar, its cry like a tearing veil of eternal silence.
"Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword - Sever the Cause, Preventing Birth!"
As the sword flashed, countless causal chains snapped under the sword light, and the bodies of those Phantom Demonic Spirit abruptly stopped, instantly scattering into a large number of fragments between reality and illusion.
The Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss's eyes narrowed slightly in that instant; he was shocked.
This kid actually managed to sever the core logic of the Phantom Demonic Spirit?
His original trap not only failed to eliminate Qin Yu, but instead allowed Qin Yu to reveal his extremely terrifying trump card.
Qin Yu knew in his heart that if Azure Ring hadn't secretly intervened, he would have been swallowed up by that invisible "script deletion."
Qin Yu severed the first round of logical attacks from the eight phantom Phantom Demonic Spirit. The golden and azure Dao Flame between heaven and earth suddenly shattered, as if a hole had been forcibly torn open in the void. Amidst the violent tremors, an Ultimate "Dao chant" resounded, as if it were not a sound, but rather the entire skeleton of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer resonating.
The next instant, the world suddenly darkened.
As if an invisible hand were peeling away the layers of emptiness, five tall, blurry figures slowly emerged from the deepest, Annihilation crevice.
Five Dao Shadow Soldier Commander--
Their aura was completely different from that of ordinary Phantom Demonic Spirit, with a more thorough overlap between the real and the illusory, as if "existence" and "nothingness" were constantly exchanging within their bodies. Each leader was a thousand feet tall, their bodies composed of translucent torrents of energy, with dense golden and blue runes flowing across their surface. The runes were not static, but constantly recombined and changed, each recombination releasing a logical shock powerful enough to crush an entire realm.
Their heads were engulfed in even more terrifying "Dao Flame," with golden-blue flames churning and interspersed with galaxy illusions, reflecting countless phantoms of birth and death. Their eyes were devoid of emotion, yet colder than any killing intent.
When the five commanders fully appeared, the entire world was instantly covered by their domains:
The collapse of spacetime is like an ancient scroll being constantly rewritten, with every word and line potentially being erased at any moment.
The chain of cause and effect shattered, spreading out like invisible chains, completely sealing off the space where Qin Yu and the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss were located.
The conceptual fluctuations spread, even disrupting the boundary between "existence" and "Does Not Exist," making people doubt whether they are still in this world.
The five leaders remained silent, but their appearance was like five blank scriptures being opened simultaneously. Countless illusions suddenly appeared in the void:
Some saw themselves Annihilation into ashes, some saw the erasure of all civilizations, and some even saw the entire Source of Epochless turn into a blank sheet of paper, with all traces completely wiped away.
Qin Yu felt a tightness in his chest as Azure Ring's voice exploded in his mind. "Be careful! These are five Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme! Their existence far surpasses that of ordinary Phantom Demonic Spirit. If you don't rely on my power, you will surely die!"
At the same time, the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss's eyes were also undergoing drastic changes.
The chaotic flames behind him churned, and for the first time, a solemn expression appeared on his face. He murmured, "Five commanders have appeared at the same time? This is already a deadly trap set by the Annihilation Dawn Supreme... Mo Chen, it seems there's something on you that has triggered them."
The five commanders simultaneously raised their hands, and five balls of golden-blue flames rose from their palms, countless runes appearing within them, like five ignited universes. The next instant, these five flames exploded, and countless chains of cause and effect and logical symbols transformed into a storm that swept across the entire battlefield.
This is "Fivefold Dao Flame - Annihilation Concert," a group killing move that only a commander-level Dao Shadow Soldier can unleash.
Its power is not a single attack, but a confluence of five "conceptual destructions":
One layer obliterates the existence of the physical body;
A double severing of the causal threads of the soul;
The path of cultivation is deleted three times;
The logical points of fourfold erosion of memory;
Fivefold denial of future possibilities.
Under these five layers of protection, even the Ancient Venerable of the Chaotic Abyss changed his expression drastically, instantly raising the barrier of Chaos Fire to desperately resist.
At this moment, Qin Yu's blood was churning, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword was trembling violently in his sea of consciousness, and the light of the Azure Ring was also spinning rapidly, as if it was ready to unleash its strongest protection at any moment.
The atmosphere between heaven and earth had solidified to its Ultimate.
A true battle against all odds has begun.