Inside the ancient castle, candlelight flickered, casting the silhouettes of three figures on the black and gold stone walls. Mengxin gazed at the Sword of Dream Silence, which had slowly emerged from Qin Yu's sea of consciousness, her heart churning with emotion. Her gaze was deep, as if she were looking at a loved one across billions of years. On the other side, Hong Xiuxiang was completely stunned. She had thought Qin Yu's trip was merely for the fragmented map and the secret realm, but she never expected that this man could produce such a terrifying divine sword. The sword's blade was interwoven with dream marks and annihilation patterns, and as the black and silver sword light flowed in the void, even her Innate Martial Soul trembled slightly, as if forcibly suppressed.
"Senior Brother Qin... what's going on with this sword?" A look of shock and confusion flashed in Hong Xiuxiang's eyes. Her breathing was rapid, and her gaze was fixed on the sword's markings. It was as if some answer was surging in her heart, but she dared not speak it out easily.
Qin Yu looked at her, smiled slightly, his voice low but firm, carrying the weight of memories. "Miss Hong, do you still remember the battle at Gloomshadow Source Village? Back then, we wiped out three Soul Devouring cultivators together, along with the Qian Jie member of the Depraved Lust Flow Sect."
Hong Xiuxiang nodded gently, her eyes flickering as memories flooded back. She had almost died in that battle, and Qin Yu had risked his life to protect her.
Qin Yu slowly placed his palm on the sword, his gaze deepening. "After that, I went alone into the depths of the village to explore a forbidden area shrouded in annihilation dust... There, I met a woman sealed within a crystal; she was Mengxi."
Upon hearing Hong Xiuxiang, Hongxiuxiang was struck dumb, her beautiful eyes widening and her heart clenching. "Mengxi...?!"
Qin Yu nodded, his tone heavy with undisguised sorrow. "She possessed unparalleled bloodline, yet due to a great war billions of years ago, she was completely sealed away by a forbidden technique left behind by the Dark Annihilation Origin. Beside her, an old man with white hair guarded her, holding the 'Book of Realm Construction,' urging me to leave, saying that with my power at the time, I was simply unable to save her..."
At this point, the air inside the castle seemed to freeze. Hong Xiuxiang held her breath, staring intently at Qin Yu. The dark rift after the bloody battle in the desolate village flashed through her mind, and she finally understood why Qin Yu's aura had become so complex after that.
"Now..." Qin Yu slowly raised his eyes, the Sword of Dream Silence in his hand trembling slightly, emitting a deep sword hum, "This Sword of Dream Silence was originally Mengxi's sword. And it, back then, chose me."
Hong Xiuxiang's heart jolted, her breath quickened, and shock and complex emotions surfaced in her beautiful eyes. She looked at Qin Yu, and suddenly a heavy feeling welled up in her heart: what this man was bearing was far greater than she had ever seen.
Mengxin watched the two of them quietly, her expression complicated. She finally confirmed that Qin Yu's words were true. The longing for her sister and Uncle Meng in her heart was completely stirred up. She silently clenched her sleeves, and the light in her eyes seemed to pierce through the river of time.
The candlelight in the castle flickered even brighter at this moment, the sound of swords clashing and the whispers of hearts intertwined, and the threads of fate silently intertwined once again with the future of Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang.
Inside the ancient castle, the dim candlelight flickered, as if listening to the conversation of the three. The woman seated on the central throne— Mengxin —slowly shifted her gaze from the sword to Qin Yu, her eyes losing some of their sharpness and gaining depth and gentleness. She gazed at him quietly for a moment, then spoke softly yet with an ancient, imposing authority, as if piercing through time. "Young friend, may I tell you how you came to be here? And who are you?"
Her words echoed in her heart, causing the air in the entire castle to freeze. Hong Xiuxiang subconsciously held her breath, afraid that even the slightest sound would break the heavy atmosphere.
Qin Yu did not hesitate for a moment. He Knowing Surface such an existence was sincerity and reverence. He clasped his hands slightly and spoke in a steady and solemn voice, "Senior, my name is Qin Yu, a disciple of the mid-level Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall of Source of Epochless · Middle Layer."
After speaking, he turned to look at Hong Xiuxiang beside him and introduced her with a gentle smile, "This is my good friend, Hong Xiuxiang, a disciple of the Dawn Cloud First Hall."
Upon hearing Hong Xiuxiang orchid.
Qin Yu paused briefly, took a deep breath, and continued, "The two of us were originally training in the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer. By chance, the fragments of the map we each obtained suddenly resonated in my sea of consciousness. After merging, the three unknown fragments transformed into a complete ancient map called 'The Realm of Primordial Echoes'."
His gaze fell on Mengxin, his tone more cautious, even tinged with inquiry. "It is precisely because of this ancient map that we were led here... As for where this place is exactly, we have no idea."
Mengxin gazed at him, her eyes seemingly reflecting a vast, starry abyss, an ancient charm and an unspoken tremor surfacing simultaneously. The silence in the hall stretched for several breaths, as if even the candlelight had stopped burning.
Hong Xiuxiang's heart tightened, her fingertips involuntarily clenching. She glanced at Qin Yu, thinking to herself: If this woman is truly Spiritual Sense born from the fragmented picture, or has a connection with the ancient Realm God, then Qin Yu's honesty may be our only chance of survival.
After listening quietly to Qin Yu's words, Mengxin's fair and jade-like fingertips slowly traced the armrest of the throne. Ripples appeared deep in her eyes, as if a giant wave had been suddenly stirred up in a lake that had been dormant for millions of years.
Her breath hitched slightly, her voice trembled a little more than before, and she murmured as if to herself, "The Realm of Primordial Echoes... three fragments of a map... can actually be fused together to become the key to this world?"
Her eyes widened suddenly, reflecting the candlelight of the castle, as if a look of unprecedented astonishment had ignited within them. After a moment, Mengxin slowly rose, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall. With her movement, the dome above the castle trembled, and the ancient patterns engraved on the walls spontaneously radiated light, as if her emotions resonated with the entire realm.
"When I was sent here, all I knew was that my mother, with her dying strength, tore open space and threw me into chaos." Her voice was low, yet carried a heart-wrenching power. "She never said where this place was, only instructing me... that only by waiting here can we preserve the last embers of our lineage."
At this point, Mengxin's voice suddenly lowered, her gaze sweeping over Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang before settling on the depths of nothingness, as if recalling. "I thought this place was just a secluded haven that my mother risked her life to create. I never imagined it would have a complete name... the Realm of Primordial Echoes. And I never imagined that this world was revealed only by using a fragmented map as a key."
She slowly raised her long eyelashes and looked at Qin Yu, her eyes filled with extremely complex emotions: shock, emotion, and an indescribable sense of relief.
"If I hadn't heard you say it with my own ears, I would never have known that I lived in an echoing world determined by the fragmented map." Mengxin gently shook her head, her tone tinged with a bitter smile and a sigh. "So... Mother's choice back then wasn't just to send me away from the war, but to plunge me into the deepest mystery of the Source of Epochless."
The castle fell eerily silent for a moment. Hong Xiuxiang stared blankly at the woman before her, feeling as if she were being pulled by invisible threads of fate, her figure both lonely and heroic.
Qin Yu's mind jolted, and he secretly pondered: This Realm of Primordial Echoes is indeed no ordinary place, and Mengxin's existence is probably closely related to the secrets of the entire realm...
Mengxin slowly composed herself, the shock in her eyes gradually settling into a deep, solemn expression. The light patterns flowing above the castle subsided, as if in sync with her breathing.
She looked up at Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang, her gaze gentle yet revealing an undeniable authority, her voice like the slow tolling of an ancient bell:
"It is no accident that you entered this realm using the power of a fragmented map."
Mengxin's voice echoed slowly beneath the castle's dome, carrying a deep and cold tone that seemed to have endured the passage of time. Her gaze, piercing through the flowing light, appeared to strike directly into the depths of Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang's consciousness.
She turned and descended the steps, her flowing robes seeming to reflect images from billions of years ago. She continued slowly, "This place is not as tranquil as it appears. You may only see this dense forest and ancient castle, but deep within this vast Primordial Echoes, lurks an indescribable and terrifying army. They are neither human cultivators nor ordinary alien races, but rather the manifestation of bizarre beings, their aura mixed with the causal remnants erased from countless eras. Their existence is itself an 'error,' yet they have persisted to this day."
A blurry ring of marks suddenly appeared on the ground in the center of the castle, seemingly in response to Mengxin's words. Ancient battle intent and a chilling aura intertwined, making Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang's breathing instantly heavy.
Mengxin's eyes darkened, and she lowered her voice. "They obey the leadership of several ancient divine beasts... Those divine beasts carry a pressure that surpasses even the power of the Annihilation Dawn, and are very likely of the same origin as the evil spirits outside, but even more bizarre. If it weren't for the ancient guardians outside the dense forest protecting us day and night, preventing those armies from breaking out of this place, I would have been reduced to ashes millions of years ago, and there would be no way I could have survived until now."
She raised her hand and pointed towards the dense forest, her voice carrying a complex sorrow. "Everything outside the castle is a dead zone. You are able to see me today because the Guardians have temporarily isolated this place. But the Guardians are not indestructible. If they fall, those terrifying armies will surely sweep in, and then the Realm of Primordial Echoes will cease to exist."
Mengxin's gaze lingered between Qin Yu and Hong Xiuxiang before she slowly asked, "So, what are you going to do next? Continue onward, risking your lives to explore the mysteries and opportunities of this place? Or turn back and return to the outside world with the last vestiges of your life?"
Her tone was neither a test nor a dissuasion, but rather a cold declaration of a choice—as if she were seeing if these two young people were qualified to bear the true terror of the Realm of Primordial.
Inside the ancient castle, starlight, like candlelight, swirled across the dome, illuminating the unwavering coldness in Qin Yu's eyes. He took a deep breath, his expression calm yet sharp, and recounted the entire story of the "Tear of the Silent Origin Soul Butterfly" to Mengxin.
"Senior, my two dearest friends Yunyi and Extinguished Light, have fallen into eternal slumber due to a cataclysmic event. They are the most important people in my life." Qin Yu's voice was low, carrying an emotion suppressed to the Ultimate. His fist slowly clenched, his knuckles turning white from the force. "I know that in this Realm of Primordial Echoes, one might be able to find the legendary Tear of the Silent Origin Soul Butterfly. If I can obtain it, I can awaken Yunyi —this is something I must do!"
Mengxin gazed at him quietly, her eyes trembling slightly. Although she didn't understand the true meaning of "Tear of the Silent Origin Soul Butterfly," she could clearly discern the resolute tone in Qin Yu's voice. It wasn't empty talk, but a vow as powerful as burning one's life.
She remained silent for a long time before finally extending her hand. The void rippled in her palm, revealing an ancient scroll. The scroll was cracked and missing edges, as if ravaged by countless eras, yet it still radiated an ancient glow. The scroll slowly unfurled, revealing a magnificent scene: every region and every mountain and river vein of the Realm of Primordial Echoes appeared within it, like a microcosm of the entire world.
Mengxin's voice carried a hint of sorrow. "This was given to me by my mother before her death, imprinted with her primordial blood, guiding me to survive in this place until now. Now I can no longer hold on alone, so I can only entrust it to you. Young Master Qin, with this scroll, you can discern all the hidden places in the Realm of Primordial Echoes. Perhaps, the Tear of the Silent Origin Soul Butterfly is in one of those areas."
She gently handed the ancient map to Qin Yu, her eyes trembling slightly, filled with an unprecedented solemnity. "You must understand, I lost my Innate Martial Soul and supreme divine weapon in that battle. Now my cultivation has plummeted to the Annihilation Lord Realm Initial Stage, and I can barely protect myself, let alone fight alongside you. All I can do is give you this broken ancient map. I hope it can help you find what you seek."
Mengxin's voice echoed in the Space Silence castle, low yet gentle. "I don't want to see anything happen to you, but I can also sense the determination in your words. If the Tear of the Silent Origin Soul Butterfly can truly awaken those you cherish, then... I can only pray for you silently in the shadows."
As she finished speaking, a complex light appeared in her eyes—a mixture of admiration for Qin Yu's determination and apprehension about the unknown future.