Under the suppression of the Azure Ring's power and the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword, the three Dao Shadow Soldier completely collapsed, and the golden-azure Dao Flame that originally covered the heavens and earth gradually dimmed. After the roar and collapse, the void fell into a suffocating silence.
In the midst of this deathly silence, three faint lights quietly floated in mid-air.
That was -- the Ember of the Ruins of Return.
They resemble three unstable stars, their golden-blue glow pulsating incessantly. Their shape is like a broken, multifaceted crystal, each with an ancient rune embedded in its center, some representing "Tao," others "Return," and still others "Source." Dim afterglow flows from the cracks in the runes, like the embers of apocalypse, illuminating the heavens with each flicker.
Around the fading light, phantom-like scenes of reincarnation appeared: stars crumbled in flames, only to be reborn from the ashes; mountains and rivers disintegrated into dust within the light and shadow, only to coalesce once more into new realms. It was as if the entire cycle of birth and death was compressed within this tiny ball of light, playing out continuously, with a low, faint Daoist chant echoing from within, seemingly telling of "the Ultimate destination after Annihilation."
Three orbs of light slowly descended, floating silently before Qin Yu. Azure Ring's voice resounded in his mind, carrying a hint of solemnity:
"Qin Yu, this is the only trace left after the Phantom Demonic Spirit's annihilation. Ember of the Ruins of Return —they are not truly dead, but rather witnesses to the return of energy to its Dao Source. Each one bears the remnants of their battle, and is the only proof from the outside world that they were Annihilation."
Qin Yu stared intently at the three Ember of the Ruins of Return, his gaze deep. The golden-blue light flowed in his pupils like a burning galaxy. He slowly raised his hand, and the Azure Ring in his palm flashed slightly. The three Ember of the Ruins of Return were then absorbed into the Azure Evolution Core, suspended in the deepest space of Annihilation, like three eerie lights eternally floating and sinking.
The world remained deathly silent, except for three streaks of light that pierced the void as they disappeared, leaving pale golden trails as if reminding the world: though the Dao Shadow Soldier were destroyed, the traces they left behind would continue to bring unknown shocks in the future.
The three Ashes of Ember of the Ruins of Return were absorbed into the Azure Evolution Core, and the world returned to Annihilation once more. In this deathly silence, Qin Yu's brow twitched, and a faint yet clear pulse came from his chest. That was the vibration of the third ancient diagram.
Azure Ring's voice instantly echoed in his mind, "Qin Yu, it's an incomplete map... it's responding."
Qin Yu's eyes suddenly lit up. This wasn't the first time he had sensed the fragment of the map; the last time was when Hong Xiuxiang and his fragment of the map intersected. His mind raced, and without hesitation, he locked onto that faint resonance. The light beneath his feet surged, and his figure transformed into a blur as he broke through the void.
In the blink of an eye, he stepped into a broken, ancient wilderness.
The sky here was torn into countless fragments, as if cleaved by the power of the Dao Shadow Soldier, leaving wounds that could not heal. Endless streams of golden-blue light flowed down from the cracks, exuding an aura of death and desolation. On the earth, black dust waves surged, and the broken mountain peaks were crushed as if by an invisible hand, with corroded white bones embedded all over the ground.
In the center of this almost wiped-out battlefield, Hong Xiuxiang, dressed in red, was surrounded by countless spiritual books surging like the sea. Her Innate Martial Soul, "Spirit Brocade Book Realm," unfolded, its pages stretching across the void, and its light bound the two towering Dao Shadow Soldier like chains.
The two Dao Shadow Soldiers were surrounded by translucent energy, their runes flashing, and each step they took distorted the heavens and earth. With each swing of their "Origin-Returning Blade," the air was instantly cut into layers of cracks, forcing Hong Xiuxiang to retreat repeatedly.
Blood trickled from the corner of her lips, but her gaze remained cold and sharp.
"The Soul Book Cuts Off Breath--!"
With a low shout, a huge book of souls suddenly appeared in the void. As the pages turned, reverse runic power erupted, forcibly slowing down the blade of a Dao Shadow Soldier for half a breath.
However, another Dao Shadow Soldier's Origin-Returning Blade had already slashed down, golden-blue ripples tearing through the void, heading straight for Hong Xiuxiang's chest!
At this critical moment—
The void suddenly roared, and a black and blue annihilation blade of light tore through layers of space and time, traversing the heavens and earth!
"Sever the Void in a Single Thought!"
Qin Yu's figure descended along with the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword, the sword's edge trailing countless layers of annihilating sword light in the void, shattering the incoming fatal slash, and the world fell silent in an instant!
Hong Xiuxiang looked up in surprise and saw that unfamiliar figure in her blood-stained vision.
--Mo Chen.
But deep within her heart, a certain intuition that had never faded was quietly stirring.
The sword light annihilated heaven and earth, and then the man named Mo Chen slowly descended. His posture was straight, and there was no extra fluctuation around him. Only the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword was suspended in his hand, and the blade was flowing with boundless aura of Annihilation.
The two Dao Shadow Soldier turned around simultaneously, their eyes flashing intensely with golden-blue Dao Flame. Their Origin-Returning Blade were raised high, as if to slice through the entire space and annihilate the newcomer in one fell swoop.
However, Mo Chen only glanced up.
"Sever the Cause, Preventing Birth."
The Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword swept across with a deafening roar, its blade transforming into endless arcs of annihilation light in the void, like a long river erasing billions of stars. With a deafening boom, the body of the first Dao Shadow Soldier split open from the middle, its runes, energy, and causal chains all turning to dust, along with the golden-blue Dao Flame, which was extinguished in an instant.
Another Dao Shadow Soldier roared and swung his blade, the cyan-gold slash spreading out in waves thousands of feet wide. Mo Chen did not retreat, but calmly murmured:
"Sever the Soul in Nine Silences."
The sword's momentum suddenly erupted, and nine layers of Soul Silence light burst forth, like nine long rivers of Annihilation traversing the void, completely engulfing the Dao Shadow Soldier. It didn't even have time to utter its final roar before it dissipated, leaving only a faint echo, as if its very existence had been forgotten by history.
Heaven and earth fell silent.
Hong Xiuxiang stood rooted to the spot, the Sea of Spiritual Books slowly dissipating beside her. Her breathing was rapid, her heart still heaving from the previous severe injury, but her gaze was fixed on the man before her.
Those sword techniques... that radiance of the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword... even with her changed appearance and aura, she was still almost certain—
"Qin... Yu?"
She murmured softly, her voice barely audible.
Qin Yu did not respond. He simply raised his hand, flicked his sleeve, and collected the Ember of the Ruins of Return the two Dao Shadow Soldier after they had been annihilated. A faint golden-blue light flickered briefly in his palm before being swallowed by the Azure Evolution Core.
His expression was calm, as if he had merely cut two strands of weeds.
"Miss, your injuries are quite serious. You should recover first." Qin Yu deliberately lowered his voice, maintaining his identity as Mo Chen, his voice carrying a sense of distance.
The moment Hong Xiuxiang looked at his back, an unprecedented shock and bewilderment gradually welled up in her eyes.
How did he come to possess this power?
If it weren't for Qin Yu, how could he have so easily Annihilation two Supreme Phantom Demonic Spirit?
The questions burning in her mind were like flames, yet she suppressed them with reason.
Qin Yu gently led Hong Xiuxiang through a shattered mountain range. He deliberately found a quiet grotto and settled her there. The surrounding area was sealed with interwoven light patterns, isolating her from all outside prying eyes and tracking.
Hong Xiuxiang was seriously injured and her breathing was disordered. She leaned against the stone wall, but her eyes never left the "Mo Chen" in front of her. From the moment he made his move, she could almost tell that the sword intent, the Annihilation sharpness, and the calm demeanor in the face of danger were exactly the same as someone in her memory.
The cave was completely silent, save for the sound of breathing.
Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, then slowly raised his hand. A flash of blue light appeared between his brows, and Mo Chen's face rippled out like water before gradually fading away. The familiar eyes and the familiar aura finally reappeared before Hong Xiuxiang's eyes.
"Miss Hong, it's me." Qin Yu's voice was low and apologetic.
Hong Xiuxiang's body trembled violently. She stared blankly at the person in front of her, and the next moment, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
"Qin Yu... it really is you!" Her voice trembled as she lunged forward, clutching his sleeve tightly. Tears streamed down her face, her fingers turning white from gripping so hard.
"Ever since the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm closed, everyone said you were... were completely Annihilation." Her voice choked with sobs, filled with heart-wrenching pain. "I don't believe it, I just don't believe it! These past few days I've searched everywhere, refusing to give up even on the slightest clue. Qin Yu, do you know... that feeling? I'd rather disappear in your place..."
Qin Yu looked at the woman before him, tears streaming down her face, and his heart tightened. He slowly raised his hand to wipe away her tears, his gaze firm yet gentle. "Silly girl, how could I fall so easily? Don't worry, I'm still alive, and I will keep going."
Hong Xiuxiang looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. Her voice trembled, yet it was filled with determination. "I knew it... you wouldn't disappear so easily. You are Qin Yu, the one who has stepped between life and death time and time again."
Qin Yu sighed softly, placed his hand on her shoulder, and said in a deep, vow-like voice, "Miss Hong, I've made you suffer. From now on, I won't let you shed tears for me alone again."
Outside the cave, the sounds of battle still echoed in the wasteland, but at this moment, they seemed to have nothing to do with it. The firelight flickered on the stone wall, and the two faced each other quietly. The emotions of a long-awaited reunion and surviving a catastrophe were so intense that they seemed to crush the air itself.
Inside the grotto, Qin Yu quietly protected Hong Xiuxiang, while Azure Ring released a wisp of warm blue light, which fell like a drizzle, gradually calming the churning injuries within her body.
Hong Xiuxiang closed her eyes, her breathing gradually stabilizing, but tears still streamed down her face, wetting her hair and clothes.
She murmured softly, as if she weren't speaking to Qin Yu, but rather pouring out the pain that had been building up in her chest for a long time.
"The day the news of the secret realm's closure spread... I froze completely. They all said—you and Wang Yuan will never come back..."
She suddenly opened her eyes, an overwhelming grief welling up within them. "I don't believe it! How could I believe it! I knew you wouldn't fall so easily, I knew you would definitely come back... So I went to every possible place, to ask, to investigate, pursuing even the slightest trace, the faintest clue."
Her voice choked with emotion, yet carried a stubborn determination. "People say I'm crazy, that I should accept my fate, but I refuse! What I, Hong Xiuxiang, have decided, I will do even if it costs me my life... let alone you!"
Qin Yu felt as if his heart had been struck a heavy blow. He reached out and gently took her hand in his; his palm was warm and firm.
"Silly girl," Qin Yu's voice was low and slightly hoarse, "You've suffered these past few days."
Hong Xiuxiang raised her moist eyes, her tears reflecting in the Rain of Azure Radiance, making her appear incredibly resolute. "No... this isn't suffering. As long as you're still here, it's all worth it."
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, his fingers tightened slightly, and a tenderness, which he himself did not realize, appeared in his eyes.
Inside the grotto, the atmosphere gradually calmed down. Outside, the fighting and chaos continued, and the aura of the Dao Shadow Soldier surged between heaven and earth. But at this moment, the emotions between the two formed a silent barrier, isolating them from all the noise.
Azure Ring rang softly in Qin Yu's mind, tinged with a faint smile, "Qin Yu, she has stayed by your side until now; you can't let her down again."
Qin Yu closed his eyes slightly, silently replying in his heart, "I won't."
Deep within the grotto, the blue light gradually dissipated, and Hong Xiuxiang's injuries had mostly healed. She quietly looked at Qin Yu, her eyes swirling with complex emotions, and finally, she softly asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for so long.
"Qin Yu... why don't you return to the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall? Do you know that since the secret realm closed, the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer has been in chaos... everywhere are filled with those Phantom Demonic Spirit that have crossed dimensions, causing widespread devastation and rivers of blood."
Her voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of reproach, but even more so, worry. "What are you hiding? Don't you even trust me?"
Qin Yu remained silent for a moment, his eyes deep, as if piercing through the world beyond the stone wall. He spoke slowly, his tone steady yet revealing a suppressed helplessness.
"Xiuxiang, you must understand, if I return to the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, given Chen Chao's methods, he will definitely seize the opportunity to slander me and pin all the blame on me. At that time, not only will I be in dire straits, but you... and even Chi Ning and the others will be implicated."
Hong Xiuxiang's heart skipped a beat, her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she was stunned by the coldness and determination in Qin Yu's eyes.
Qin Yu continued, "As for the Phantom Demonic Spirit... I don't know why they suddenly crossed over from another realm. But one thing is certain: their existence is solely for the purpose of destroying everything. Now, in the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer, all the temples and clans regard them as enemies that must Annihilation. If I were to rashly return, I would become their target... Therefore, I can only conceal my identity and walk this path alone, disguised as Mo Chen."
Hong Xiuxiang gritted her teeth, tears welling in her eyes, and said in a low voice, "But it's too dangerous for you to be alone."
Just then, Azure Ring's voice rang out from the depths of Qin Yu's consciousness, her tone solemn. "Qin Yu, remember, she is ultimately just a link in the chain of mortal narratives. You cannot reveal the true origin of the Dao Shadow Soldier. If she knows too much, she will not only be caught in the chain of cause and effect, but she will also harm herself."
Qin Yu's eyes dimmed slightly, and his heart ached, but he still raised his hand to gently wipe away the tears from Hong Xiuxiang's eyes, and whispered, "Don't worry... I'll be alright. No matter how dangerous it is, I'll come back alive."
Hong Xiuxiang gazed at him, ultimately not pressing the matter further, but her resolve grew stronger: no matter what Qin Yu was hiding, she would stand by his side, not be left behind.