The Stele Forest Hangs Upside Down · The Sword Shatters the Long Night

Zixin's figure slowly emerged from the void of the Stele Forest. She wore a long robe woven from starlight, like a unique holy spirit in the world. Her gaze was calm yet profound, falling upon Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang, and she softly said:

"Congratulations to both of you, you have successfully passed the first hurdle."

As soon as she finished speaking, she waved her hand. The sky above the forest of steles suddenly trembled, as if the entire world had been turned upside down by an invisible hand. Mountains and rivers hung upside down, steles were suspended in reverse, the sky fell into the earth, and the void was reflected as a sea. All order in the world was completely reversed. In the midst of the rotation of all things, even Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang felt their blood surging, as if they had also been swept into this chaotic reversal.

In this bizarre and magnificent spatial transformation, a grand, ethereal figure slowly emerged from the center of the stele forest. It was the second enemy—

Its appearance differs from the first crimson gold holy body, being more mysterious and solemn.

This illusory enemy was formed entirely of crystal light, its robes trailing to the ground, shimmering with countless streams of colorful light, like the rainbow at dawn or fragments of a falling starry river. Its face was hidden in a thin veil of flowing light, obscuring its true appearance; only its hands gripped an extremely dazzling longsword. The sword seemed to be formed from the very rules of the entire Stele Forest, its blade constantly displaying countless ancient runes, interwoven with ripples of time and destiny.

When it raised its long sword, all the surrounding steles trembled, and billions of points of light shot into the sky, as if the entire forest of steles had transformed into a sword formation, with each inscription providing it with power.

The world was instantly filled with a chilling and oppressive atmosphere. Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang felt as if an invisible weight was pressing down on their chests, making even their breathing heavy.

Zixin's voice rang out again from the void, cold and solemn:

"This enemy is named [Mirror Radiance Judging Saint], the guardian of the second level of the Stele Forest. -- He uses his mirror to judge all laws and his radiance to cover all living beings. If you cannot destroy him, you will be imprisoned in this Stele Forest for eternity, transformed into new stele, to inscribe lost names."

As the last word fell, the illusory Mirror Radiance Holy Body trembled, its longsword resounding throughout the heavens and earth, instantly transforming into countless rays of light that poured down like a torrential rain, rushing straight towards Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang!

The void suddenly fell silent.

The next moment--

Boom!!!

The holy sword, formed from countless inscriptions and radiance, was suddenly raised high, as if piercing through the inverted heaven and earth. With a flick of its blade, billions of inscription symbols transformed into an endless river of light in the air, exploding outwards!

In an instant, the entire forest of steles seemed to transform into an infinitely expanding mirror. The figures of Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang appeared on each stele, but these were not mere reflections; they were mirror images imbued with murderous intent.

With a deafening sword cry, all the mirrors shattered!

Each fragment of the stele mirror emitted a destructive light from its shattering, transforming into countless Sword Qi that fell like a rain of light, piercing through the entire world. The rain of light had no fixed trajectory, but instead constantly shifted according to the logic of the inscription, like a network of judgments woven from countless chains of rules.

At this moment, the entire Stele Forest is no longer just a space, but a giant judgment platform.

Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang stood there, like sinners judged by the rules of heaven and earth.

The judgment of light has fallen!

Countless lightsabers pierced through the void, causing the heavens and earth to roar, space to fold, and time to distort. Even the flow of time seemed to be torn apart by the sword's edge. Each ray of sword light that fell would instantly turn a piece of heaven and earth into ashes, only to be forcibly reassembled by the inscription in the next instant, continuing to become an extension of the sword.

Hong Xiuxiang gritted her teeth, and her Spirit Brocade Book Realm instantly unfolded. Billions of pages transformed into a barrier, swirling around her like a sea of souls, attempting to block the trajectory of these light swords. When the pages collided with the light swords, each page shattered as if burning, and sparks of spiritual light scattered across the heavens and earth.

Qin Yu stood in the center of the storm, gripping the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword with both hands, coldly thinking:

"The only option is to fight back, or... annihilation!"

The Obliteration Sword Marks on the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword suddenly ignited, transforming into a reverse slash of light that tore through the void with the force of Sever Karma, forcefully carving out a gap amidst the rain of countless light swords!

However, the gap was filled by the power of the inscription in the next instant, and the rain of light swords came back with even greater power, as if to bury them completely!

The sky shattered into billions of mirrors, each shard shooting out sword light; the earth collapsed and reformed repeatedly, space roaring in collapse and reconstruction, only Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang desperately holding on amidst the endless rain of swords.

Boom!!!

Countless light swords rained down, engulfing the entire forest of steles as if the heavens were collapsing. Qin Yu's Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword desperately cleaved a bloody path, but just as he turned around...

A flash of sword light pierced through the layers of spiritual book barriers and struck Hong Xiuxiang hard on the shoulder!

Puff--

Blood splattered, Hong Xiuxiang's figure trembled violently. The Spirit Brocade Book Realm on her body shattered into pieces under the impact of the light sword, the pages burned to ashes, and the light of her soul wailed.

Her face paled, and she staggered back a few steps. The light emanating from the book in her hand flickered intermittently, clearly indicating that it had been severely damaged.

Amidst the chaotic Spiritual Qi surrounding her, Hong Xiuxiang's long dress fluttered in the rain of light. She gritted her teeth, struggling to keep herself from collapsing.

Between heaven and earth, the inscription was reassembled, and the rain of light continued to fall mercilessly, like countless cold, indifferent blades of judgment.

"Hongxiu!"

Qin Yu roared, Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword suddenly erupted with annihilation brilliance. He was like a crack in black flame, standing firmly in front of Hong Xiuxiang. With a slash of his sword, he cleaved away all the sword rain that was hurtling towards her.

The clash of sword lights produced a deafening roar, like stars exploding, and the entire Stele Forest trembled violently in the aftershocks of their battle.

Hong Xiuxiang covered her wound, blood seeping from between her fingers, but her eyes showed no sign of backing down; instead, they revealed stubbornness and determination.

She spoke softly, but with a trembling strength:

"Qin Yu... even if I'm shattered to pieces, I'll protect you from all of this!"

With trembling hands, she unfolded the Spirit Brocade Book Realm once more. Even with the pages torn and her soul suffering a backlash, she still pushed the tattered pages forward, using her last strength to block the trajectory of the sword rain.

At that moment, Hong Xiuxiang's back was illuminated by endless sword light, resembling a burning purple flower, swaying precariously yet unyielding to death.

Qin Yu's gaze suddenly turned cold, and the Obliteration Sword Marks on the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword erupted in furious flames. The Azure Ring within his body trembled accordingly. He silently thought to himself:

"Since I have wounded her, then with my sword I will annihilate all judgment in this world!"

Within the forest of steles, the light swords continued to pour forth, as if the heavens and earth were being sliced apart by countless divine blades of rules, even the void itself was being peeled away inch by inch.

Bloodshot veins appeared in Qin Yu's eyes as he stared at the illusory enemy figure holding the holy sword high in front of him, his heart filled with murderous intent.

The Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword was slowly raised, its blade humming, and black and gold sword marks burned, as if devouring the entire sky. At the same time, his left hand suddenly flipped over, and the Fate Cause Master Seal appeared in his palm. Thousands of causal chains swept out like blood-red chains, forcibly outlining the order of the Stele Forest void.

Boom!!!

Sword and seal in perfect harmony!

[Sever the Soul in Nine Silences]!

[Fate Ring: Linked-Stage Judgment]!

Two extreme annihilating forces intertwined, forming a giant sword spanning the heavens and the earth. Before the sword's edge even fell, all the stone tablets in the stele forest shattered simultaneously, their inscriptions flying and transforming into countless rays of ghostly light that converged towards Qin Yu.

The illusory enemy's holy sword suddenly fell, colliding head-on with Qin Yu's Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword!

At that moment, the sky split into two opposing colors:

On one side was pure white holy light, like a divine judgment to cleanse everything;

On one side, black gold was annihilated, as if burning all logic and cause and effect to ashes.

Boom--

The shockwave, a mixture of light and darkness, spread out, causing billions of inscriptions to shatter simultaneously, turning into a shower of light, as if the entire forest of steles was burning and collapsing.

Qin Yu roared, his back tense, and veins bulging all over his body:

"Break!"

The Annihilation Sword crashed down, accompanied by the causal judgment of the Fate Cause Master Seal, directly shattering the illusory enemy's holy sword!

The illusory enemy staggered backward, a huge crack appearing on its chest, holy light scattering as if even the rules it represented had been broken.

As the attack landed, Qin Yu suddenly reached out and pulled the heavily injured Hong Xiuxiang into his arms. The annihilation sword light spread out, forcefully isolating her from all the aftershocks.

Above the forest of steles, the sky shattered, and a muffled roar echoed from the void. Clearly, the illusory enemy had not been completely obliterated, and its body was frantically repairing itself.

Hong Xiuxiang looked up, her face pale, but her eyes remained firm. "Qin Yu... you don't need to bear this for me alone, I can still fight!"

Qin Yu glanced down at her, his eyes filled with both heartache and a burning flame of murderous intent.

With me here, who dares to hurt you!

He gripped the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword tightly with both hands, his sword intent soaring to the sky. He transformed into a black-gold annihilation deity, stepping directly towards the broken yet increasingly frenzied illusory enemy figure.

The void of the Stele Forest descended into utter madness. Although the illusory enemy's chest was cracked open, the holy sword was raised high, still releasing boundless holy light, as if it wanted to use "supreme judgment" to once again shroud the world and completely annihilate Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang.

Qin Yu's eyes suddenly turned cold, and the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword in his hand erupted with an earth-shattering sword cry.

"The Realm-Overturning Primordial Cosmos!"

In an instant, the radiance of the Azure Ring burst forth from his sea of consciousness. It was not the Azure Ring's voice, but Qin Yu's will mobilizing the power hidden deep within his origin.

The vast void suddenly collapsed.

The forest of steles beneath my feet, the surrounding stone tablets, the inscriptions, and the very order of heaven and earth have all been stripped away.

Instead, there was a lifeless "Unborn World"!

At this moment, countless inscriptions on the steles in the forest of steles reversed and collapsed, transforming into a torrent of light that swept into the silent universe manifested by Qin Yu.

The illusory enemy figure shuddered suddenly, as if the light of the holy sword within it had been drained of its life force. The power it wanted to slay, the logic upon which it depended for existence, all seemed to have been nipped in the bud before Unborn.

"The unborn universe, severing all paths."

As Qin Yu uttered these words in a low voice, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword was drawn from the deepest part of the Silent Universe. The sword was burning with annihilation black flames, and its blade was wrapped with countless fragments of cause and effect as it slashed down.

Boom!!!

The world was turned upside down.

The crack in the phantom enemy's chest widened, and its entire body seemed to be cut into another "space of Annihilation," completely collapsing! The holy sword turned into countless specks of light, scattering with the wind.

In that instant, countless mournful cries echoed throughout the entire forest of steles, as if the ancient, inscribed stone tablets themselves were witnessing a part of themselves being utterly Annihilation.

Qin Yu shielded Hong Xiuxiang's figure at the edge of the silent universe, allowing the aftershocks to sweep over her, yet she remained completely unharmed.

Bang!

The illusory enemy image shattered completely, and a torrent of light and shadow poured into the void of the stele forest, like billions of galaxies collapsing at the same time!

Qin Yu was panting, the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword in his hand still burning, his whole body enveloped in the black and gold annihilation radiance, like a judge who had stepped out of the silent universe.

The void of the stele forest returned to silence, with only shattered inscriptions falling like shooting stars, illuminating the figures of Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang.

The last wisp of light from the illusory enemy figure drifted away in the void, and the world of the Stele Forest returned to deathly silence. Only Qin Yu's figure, holding his sword, and Hong Xiuxiang's bloodstained but still resolute eyes remained between heaven and earth.

At that moment, a soft sigh, like that of an ancient ritual, rang out.

The stone tablets in the Stele Forest vibrated on their own, and the patterns on their surfaces shone with an ancient golden light, before slowly coalescing into a familiar figure— Zixin.

She stood in the center of the array of steles, her long dress flowing like water, her eyes reflecting the flow of countless inscriptions. Unlike her previous calm, this time, her gaze held a hint of solemnity and coldness.

"Very good, you've passed the second stage."

Her voice carried a sacred and inviolable aura, echoing throughout the entire forest of steles.

As she slowly raised her hand, the entire forest of steles suddenly trembled—

The world turned upside down, and the forest of steles resembled an inverted galaxy. All the steles hung down simultaneously, their shadows overlapping to create a magnificent scroll. Within the scroll, an ancient "river of cause and effect" could be faintly seen, upon which countless images flickered, each scene depicting the moment a powerful figure faced destruction.

Hong Xiuxiang frowned slightly, her breathing unsteady, but she still managed to stand beside Qin Yu. Qin Yu's brows were furrowed, his hand gripping the Source-Extinguishing Divine Sword, as he coldly watched everything unfold.

Zixin spoke softly, as if revealing the next cruel truth to them:

"The second trial has ended, but the trials of the Stele Forest never cease. Next... is the third trial."

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire forest of steles suddenly distorted!

The ground shattered like a mirror, and space seemed to be torn apart by an invisible giant hand, with countless fragments of inscriptions turning into vortexes and being drawn into them. In the void, the prototype of the third enemy shadow began to condense.

At this moment, the world changed color. The forest of steles was no longer just cold and solemn, but exuded a sense of Ultimate Judgment, as if all the inscriptions had turned into eyes, watching Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang.

A strong intuition surged within Qin Yu:

The third challenge is not just a test of enemy shadows, but a direct attack on their root, even the essence of their lives!