Elder Liu Mei withdrew her hand from the Hong Xiuxiang hair, a deep sorrow appearing in her eyes. She slowly walked to the center of the hall, raised her hand, and instantly, afterimages of battlefields condensed from soul consciousness appeared in the void.
The sky was torn apart, and countless dark shadows poured out from the endless cracks—the boundless army of the Phantom Demon Army. Each demon soldier was shrouded in black and red soul flames, their eyes empty, like the afterimages of the dead, utterly obliterated by cause and effect and destiny. They had no emotions, only slaughter.
"Phantom Demon Army..." Elder Liu Mei's voice was low and deep, as if every word carried suppressed pain.
"A year ago, they launched a full-scale attack, heading straight for the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer. The Imperial Radiance Divine Lineage, the Moonlight Hall, the Glazed Immortal Hall, the Crimson Martial Hall... all the sects you are familiar with were swallowed up by the flames of war."
With a flick of her finger, the afterimage changed abruptly:
Countless temples collapsed, magnificent palaces vanished in an instant amidst the tide of shadows, and the screams of cultivators tore through the heavens. Giant beasts roared, soul light shattered, and blood flowed into a long river, flowing upstream and staining the sky red.
"Even if the great ancestors were to personally intervene, they would find it difficult to completely resist. Each of the commanders of the Phantom Demon Army possesses terrifying cultivation comparable to or even higher than the Chaos Realm... Their 'Phantom Devouring' technique can completely strip away a cultivator's soul consciousness, transforming it into new demonic soldiers."
In the scene, a temple ancestor burns his very essence, unleashing a technique of Annihilation with all his might, only to be grabbed by the phantom commander's empty hand in the next instant, his soul and spirit instantly collapsing and transforming into countless black shadows that dissipate into the bodies of the demon army.
Elder Liu Mei's eyes reddened, and her voice trembled. "In just a few months, the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer has been devastated. The Annihilation Dream Sacred Hall, the Crimson Annihilation Divine Gate, the Eternal Night Observatory Pavilion, the Profound Frost Sacred Hall, the Vast Abyss Sea Clan, the Blazing Firmament Flame Hall, the Silent Shadow Asura Clan... all have paid a heavy price."
Countless disciples and elders perished in battle, the land was shattered, the sky darkened, and even the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall was on the verge of collapse.
Hong Xiuxiang held her breath, her delicate face turning slightly pale with shock and pain.
Elder Liu Mei sighed deeply, her voice filled with endless sorrow and anger. "If it weren't for the personal intervention of the Eternal Ancestor Hao Yuan, who forcefully repelled the demon army with the power of the Immaculate Realm, the middle level of the Source of Nothingness would have been completely annihilated long ago. Even so, the middle level is now in ruins... a scene of utter devastation."
The afterimage finally lingered on one image:
The entire land split into an abyss, and billions of cultivators turned into blood mist. The black shadows surged like a tide, but at a certain moment they came to an abrupt halt and then retreated into nothingness. Only scorched earth and countless white bones remained, silent under the blood-red setting sun.
Elder Liu Mei slowly turned around, staring intently at Hong Xiuxiang, her tone heavy. "This is everything that has happened during the year you disappeared. Now, the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer is in its darkest hour ever."
Elder Liu Mei remained silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on the void, her voice gradually turning cold, as if she were recounting a secret she dared not easily touch.
"I remember the moment the Phantom Demon Army retreated; it wasn't a voluntary retreat, but rather—they were forced to take them away."
Hong Xiuxiang's pupils constricted sharply. "Forced? Who could possibly force back the Phantom Demon Army?"
Elder Liu Mei slowly raised her hand, her fingertips lightly tapping the void, and images interwoven with layers of black mist and silver light appeared. In the scene, the earth's veins trembled and cracked, and the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer seemed to suddenly open countless abyss mouths, from which billions of "invisible shadows" surged out. They had no physical form, only three-meter-tall silver-black vortex-like figures, wielding the Origin Destroyer Whip, and moving without making a sound.
"That's— the Sourceless Hidden Army."
Elder Liu Mei whispered, "They are the oldest guardians of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer, existing in the 'Void Emanation Realm Formless Abyss' of the Void Realm. They should only appear when the world completely collapses, but they all appeared that night, a total of one thousand of them."
Hong Xiuxiang held her breath, the legend Qin Yu had mentioned coming to mind.
Elder Liu Mei continued, "The Phantom Demon Army was like ants before them. The Hidden Army easily Nullification swathes of Phantom Demon Soldiers with the Silent Mystery Realm · Supreme, even the Annihilation Dawn Realm commander was instantly wiped out. On the battlefield, we watched helplessly as the black tide of the Phantom Demon Army was suppressed to near extinction in the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
Hong Xiuxiang's throat tightened. "If that's the case, why was the Phantom Demon Army able to retreat?"
Elder Liu Mei's gaze darkened, her voice trembling almost as she spoke, "Because at the last moment, an even more terrifying being appeared. Its figure was shrouded in annihilating black golden flames, even the 'Origin Annihilation General' of the Sourceless Hidden Army was forced back. At that moment, the cause and effect, time, and destiny of heaven and earth all collapsed, and the entire middle layer fell into an indescribable state of nothingness."
She took a deep breath and slowly recounted the final scene. "That terrifying enemy had no name, not even a fixed form. It simply stretched out a black hand that blotted out the sky, engulfing the remaining Phantom Demon Army and several commanders, and vanished into the endless void. The Sourceless Hidden Army also disappeared, as if it had never existed."
The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
A tidal wave of emotions surged within Hong Xiuxiang, her breath quickened, and her fingertips trembled slightly. She finally understood why the middle level was in such a dilapidated state; it turned out that during the year she had been absent, the world had undergone a true "apocalyptic catastrophe."
Elder Liu Mei's gaze was sorrowful, but her tone was firm. "Little Xiang, you've returned just in time. The Source of Epochless · Middle Layer is currently rife with undercurrents, and any storm could engulf us completely. You must be stronger than before, because in the future, some forces that have been hidden for hundreds of millions of years and sects and temples with ulterior motives in the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer may be even more terrifying than the Phantom Demon Army."
Hong Xiuxiang listened quietly to Elder Liu Mei's words, her fingertips slowly tightening, her palms turning slightly white. Her heart felt as if it were being clamped shut, her breathing rapid yet suppressed in her chest, unable to ease for a long time.
"The Phantom Demon Army... the Sourceless Hidden Army... and that Nameless, terrifying figure..."
Over the past year, she had followed Qin Yu through the Realm of Primordial Echoes, witnessing the unparalleled terror of the Primordial Limitless Ancestral Emperor, and personally seeing Qin Yu reverse the tide of fate by burning his Fate Soul and the Azure Ring in a desperate situation. But now, hearing her master's words, she truly realized that the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer had also experienced a catastrophe powerful enough to annihilate countless worlds.
In an instant, a piercing sense of guilt welled up in her heart.
During the year she was away, her master and fellow disciples fought a lonely battle here; while she enjoyed tenderness and support by Qin Yu's side.
Hong Xiuxiang gently bit her lip, a resolute light appearing in her eyes. She looked at Elder Liu Mei, her voice soft yet filled with unprecedented determination. "Master, I understand. Fate doesn't give us many choices. If the strong don't step forward, only destruction awaits. Now that I have obtained the 'Brocade Ink Soul Brush,' capable of bearing the power of the Spirit Brocade Book Realm and its final chapter, this power is no longer just my protection, but my responsibility."
As she finished speaking, her voice even trembled slightly. "Disciple Hong Xiuxiang is willing to stand shoulder to shoulder with the temple, no matter if the Sourceless Hidden Army lies ahead or that Nameless shadow—as long as I can protect the Source of Epochless, I will never retreat."
As soon as she finished speaking, Elder Liu Mei stared blankly at the girl before her. Those eyes, once clear as a mirror, now burned with intense fire. She was no longer a simple disciple, no longer a woman who only understood emotions, but a cultivator who shouldered a mission.
A complex emotion welled up in the elder's eyes—a mixture of heartache and relief. She nodded slowly and said softly, "Good... Little Xiang, you've finally truly grown up."
Hong Xiuxiang secretly clenched her vow in her heart:
Qin Yu, no matter how treacherous your path may be, this time, I will not just follow you; I will stand shoulder to shoulder with you to protect this land and everything you cherish.
Hong Xiuxiang bowed deeply to Elder Liu Mei, her eyes revealing an unprecedented firmness and composure.
"Master, when I returned with Senior Brother Qin Yu, there was still one matter unfinished. Senior Brother Qin is waiting for me at the agreed location. After I finish this with him, I will immediately return to the Divine Palace to report."
Elder Liu Mei gazed at her, her eyes as clear and cold as autumn water, yet at this moment a gentle ripple appeared. She was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Go... that brat from the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall once saved your life, and now you are traveling with him, it can be considered a cycle of cause and effect. Just remember—go quickly and return quickly, don't forget that you still have the Dawn Cloud First Hall behind you, and I, your master, waiting for you."
"Disciple understands," Hong Xiuxiang replied softly, her eyes gleaming.
She slowly turned around, her steps firm, her robes tracing a graceful, flowing pattern in the air. The elder's gaze seemed to transform into a force, propelling her toward her destiny.
At that moment, Hong Xiuxiang had no more doubts:
Whether the road ahead is shrouded in the mists of Gloomshadow Source Village or raging waves of fate, she will stand shoulder to shoulder with Qin Yu and face everything head-on.
As her figure disappeared into the rosy glow Dawn Cloud First Hall, Elder Liu Mei stood quietly in place, whispering softly, "Little Xiang, you have finally embarked on your own path... May you and that young man truly rewrite the destiny of this world."
The moment Hong Xiuxiang stepped out of the Dawn Cloud First Hall, dusk was falling, and the distant sky was tinged with layers of Zixia light. She stood alone on the mountaintop, her eyes filled with a hint of bitterness, which ultimately turned into a resolute expression.
"Qin Yu..." she murmured softly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
She knew in her heart that no matter what situation she was in, the figure who had fought for her in times of crisis had become an indispensable support for her.
Her steps were light yet hurried, as if each step was shortening the distance between her and Qin Yu. The wind lifted her clothes, and butterfly-like runes shimmered on the hem, reflecting her current state of mind—both nervous and expectant.
"Senior Brother Qin Yu, you promised us barbecue, don't forget." She muttered to herself, her eyes sparkling.
The scene shifts to the depths of Gloomshadow Source Village.
At this moment, Qin Yu sat cross-legged, the Azure Evolution Core gently floating between his brows, emanating a faint, serene light. Mengxin stood to one side, quietly waiting, her eyes filled with a complex, indescribable emotion. Yunyi leaned against a nearby bluestone, her long legs curled up, holding a butterfly of light in her hand, her eyes sparkling with playfulness and anticipation.
Suddenly, Qin Yu opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his pupils, and a gentle smile curved his lips.
"She's here."
Yunyi's bright eyes darted around, and she chuckled softly, "Hehe, Little Qinzi, you're more eager than anyone else."
Mengxin raised her head, gazing at the mist-shrouded path in the distance, and whispered, "Yes, she's finally coming back..."
In the afterglow of the sunset, Hong Xiuxiang's figure gradually became clear, like a gentle yet firm light, walking towards them.
The moment of reunion is fast approaching.
In Gloomshadow Source Village, ancient trees stand weathered, and a timeless stillness pervades the crumbling walls and overgrown weeds. Night has just fallen, and starlight filters through the broken roof tiles, as if setting the stage for this moment.
Qin Yu slowly rose, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure. Hong Xiuxiang arrived bathed in starlight, her steps light yet carrying a long-suppressed emotion, as if she had traversed a year and mountains just to reach him.
"Senior Brother Qin Yu..." Her voice trembled as she spoke, and in the next instant, Qin Yu stepped forward to greet her.
"Xiuxiang, you're back," Qin Yu said softly, his voice deep and gentle.
Hong Xiuxiang nodded gently, her eyes slightly red, but she smiled, "I said, no matter how much wind and rain we go through, I will come back to stand shoulder to shoulder with you."
Not far away, Yunyi covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes both playful and slightly sour. "Little Qinzi, why does your conversation sound so sour? You seem to have forgotten that Sister Mengxin and I are right here."
Mengxin smiled gently, her eyes filled with tenderness and relief. "Meeting is fate. Our being able to gather together is the greatest gift that heaven and earth have given us."
Qin Yu merely raised his head slightly to look at Yunyi and Mengxin, his voice firm. "Since we were all able to emerge from the Realm of Primordial Echoes, this is an immense destiny. From now on, let's join hands and walk side by side."
Hearing this, Hong Xiuxiang's eyes welled up with tears, but she couldn't help but smile. She reached out and stroked Qin Yu's hand, softly replying, "Okay, together."
At this moment, the four stood quietly amidst the ruins of Gloomshadow Source Village. Starlight twinkled, a gentle breeze blew, and it seemed as if heaven and earth were witnessing this vow of reunion.
It is warm and romantic, yet carries the heavy prelude of a major battle.