Just as the temple guards were respectfully seeing Qin Yu off as he stepped into the temple, an incomparably magnificent aura suddenly erupted from the depths of the temple.
As soon as that aura was released, the void above the entire palace instantly froze, and countless talismans fell silent as if pressed down by an invisible giant hand.
Between heaven and earth, only a chaotic aura remained, vast and unfathomable, enveloping the entire universe.
The next instant, a towering figure seemed to traverse a spatial barrier spanning trillions of miles, teleporting to Qin Yu's side.
He was a middle-aged man dressed in a dark gold robe, his brows furrowed with a sense of vastness and determination. When his gaze fell on Qin Yu, a fleeting look of surprise and disbelief crossed his eyes.
"Oh my! Qin Yu! You... are you really Qin Yu?"
The sound reverberated throughout the palace, echoing in the void, and even causing the disciples in the distance to tremble in their hearts.
"Since the battle in the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm, we haven't seen you for over a year. Everyone in the Holy Temple thought..." He paused slightly, then burst into laughter and slapped Qin Yu's shoulder hard.
"It's good that you're back! It's so good that you're back! You are a Nine-Wheel True Evolution Dharma Wheel Person, one in billions of years in our Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall!"
Qin Yu's gaze turned solemn, he bowed deeply, and his voice was respectful yet firm:
"Greetings, Vice Hall Master. Your disciple... Qin Yu, has returned."
Zhang Qiang's eyes flashed with extremely complex emotions, including relief, as well as a hint of excitement and pride.
He laughed loudly, "Good! Good! Let's go, I'll take you to see the Ancestor right away! You were personally chosen by the Ancestor, and now that you've returned safely, he must know immediately."
Before he could finish speaking, he raised his hand and waved it.
Suddenly, chaos surged.
A chaotic domain of pitch black and darkness appeared around Zhang Qiang. It was not just darkness, but the Wuji state before the creation of heaven and earth and before the division of time and space. Billions of broken stars and cosmic Ruin Abyss floated within it, as if countless worlds were compressed in his hands.
He clenched his fist, and the space around Qin Yu and him collapsed with a roar, instantly transforming into a chaotic passage leading to the unknown.
The ground beneath Qin Yu's feet suddenly vanished, replaced by a staircase formed from countless chaotic energies. Each step felt as if he were treading on the very bones of time, with the sounds of countless epochs of collapse echoing in his ears.
"This is..." Qin Yu's heart trembled slightly.
The world around them was completely different from the magnificent and resplendent scene of the outer palace.
This is the deepest part of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall — the Silent Abyss Chaos Forbidden Domain.
The sky is formless and shapeless, like being submerged in the unexplored depths of the universe; the steps beneath one's feet reveal countless streams of causal light, extending towards an unseen end. With each step forward, an ancient star lights up above one's head. These stars are not real stars, but reflections of the Fate Soul of the ancestors of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall, radiating indescribable majesty and divine power.
Tens of thousands of chaotic crystal tablets floated around, each tablet inscribed with an Ultimate secret technique for World Extinguisher. The pressure emanating from the tablets themselves was enough to cause the soul consciousness of a powerful expert in the Severed Observation Realm to shatter.
In the distance, a colossal gate, forged entirely from primordial chaos stone, could be faintly seen. Engraved upon it were countless primordial runes, shimmering with a radiance transcending cause and effect. Beyond this gate lay the most unfathomable sacred domain of the Holy Temple—
The resting place of the Eternal Extreme Progenitor.
Zhang Qiang continued walking, leading Qin Yu forward through the chaotic air currents.
"Qin Yu, it's already a miracle that you returned alive from the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm; and that you returned with the Purple-Gold Crystal Core is an even greater joy for the Holy Temple."
His voice was deep and resonant, as if he were suppressing the emotions in his heart. "The Ancestor has waited for this day for far too long."
On the chaotic long staircase, Qin Yu's back was illuminated by billions of streams of light, his robes fluttering, his aura like that of a deity returning from Annihilation.
Deep within, the ancient, colossal gate seemed to sense his arrival; the primordial chaos script on the gate began to tremble, radiating a light that seemed to tear apart the universe.
The forbidden area at the core of the temple is opening up for Qin Yu.
The colossal gate of chaos slowly opened. Boom!
In an instant, the entire Silent Abyss Chaos Forbidden Domain fell silent, as if all sound and rhythm had been withdrawn. The light of billions of Chaos Stele bodies went out at the same moment, and the projections of the Fate Soul of the ancestors of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall bowed down, as if paying homage to a unique being.
Above the heavens, a Light of Stainlessness, vast as the sea, yet colorless and formless. The light seemed to belong to no dimension, yet it pierced through all dimensions, illuminating all things, while completely erasing all sense of existence.
The light slowly receded, as if it had swallowed the entire world before gradually condensing and compressing it to an indescribable singularity.
Then—that figure appeared.
He came stepping into the silent light. Silently, without a sound.
It is neither a physical entity nor a phantom; neither a deity nor an ordinary person; it belongs neither to existence nor to nothingness.
His features were so blurred that they could not be recognized; the moment anyone gazed at him, their consciousness would automatically erase the record of his appearance. Only the word "incredible" could barely come close to describing this transcendent state.
Wherever he passed, the entire space of the Floating Cosmos Battle Mirror was rewritten:
The river of time froze instantly, all the countless chains of cause and effect were severed, and all light and darkness, cold and heat, reality and illusion retreated in that moment, bowing their heads like subjects.
The world lost its color, and all things fell silent.
In that instant, he was the only one left deep within the entire temple.
--Hao Yuanzun.
The Stainless Realm, the Supreme, the progenitor of the Eternal Extreme Sacred Hall.
The moment he appeared, Zhang Qiang immediately bowed deeply, prostrating himself on the ground, his voice trembling. "Greetings, Ancestor!"
Qin Yu's soul trembled, and he felt a blue light flash in his sea of consciousness. His Fate Soul was pulled by an invisible force, and he almost instinctively bowed down with Zhang Qiang.
This bow was not due to custom, but because of his existence—which transcends the realm that all life can resist.
Bathed in the serene light, Hao Yuanzun slowly spoke, his voice resonating from the very beginning of the universe, devoid of any emotion, yet carrying an irresistible absolute power:
"... Qin Yu."
With each word uttered, countless illusions of the collapse of eras appeared in the void, only to vanish into nothingness in an instant.
It was as if his call was the sole explanation of the cause and effect of the universe.
Hao Yuanzun's voice echoed between the silent heavens and earth.
That "Qin Yu" seemed not to be a title, but rather a brand etched deep into Qin Yu's Fate Soul.
The Light of Stainlessness flowed, and his figure stood perfectly still, slowly looking down at Qin Yu. There was no emotion or scrutiny in his eyes, but in that instant, Qin Yu felt as if his entire being had been stripped away, leaving not a trace of falsehood to hide.
"Not bad, still as robust as ever."
In the still light, Hao Yuanzun spoke softly.
The sound wasn't like a judgment; it was more like a confirmation from the universe itself.
"In just one year..."
The Stainless radiance rippled slightly, as if the sequence of countless epochs of time had been fluctuating within it.
"You have progressed from the Annihilation Origin Extreme Realm to the Logic Realm Supreme Dao. Such advancement is unparalleled throughout countless eons."
Countless chaotic steles trembled, and the inscriptions on them spontaneously ignited with flames, as if to bear witness to this.
Zhang Qiang's eyes were filled with shock and excitement. He had witnessed Qin Yu's breakthrough firsthand, yet even he himself could hardly believe it.
Qin Yu's mind sharpened at that moment, and he immediately bowed respectfully, his voice firm and resolute:
"Disciple Qin Yu, by the grace of the Ancestor, has been able to preserve his Fate Soul. The progress he has made on his cultivation path to this day is entirely due to the protection of the Holy Temple and the mercy of the Ancestor. This disciple dares not be the slightest bit arrogant."
The light trembled, and Hao Yuanzun remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"Humility, very good."
The voice was neither joyful nor sorrowful, yet it resonated with layers of causal vibrations in the void, as if even causality itself was confirming Qin Yu's answer.
After a moment, he slightly raised his hand.
Behind the colossal gate of chaos, space suddenly shifted, unfolding into a vast, desolate domain like a floating cosmic mirror, where galaxies, light and shadow, cause and effect, and the void simultaneously rose and fell.
Qin Yu.
Hao Yuanzun slowly opened his lips, his voice striking straight to the depths of one's soul.
"You disappeared for a year in the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm. Rumors circulated that you were buried there. But now you have returned, your cultivation so advanced. I must know..."
The silent light shone through, and all was still.
Tell me in detail about your experiences in the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm.
The moment the words fell, the entire Floating Cosmos Battle Mirror space fell silent, all the brilliance dimmed, and only Qin Yu was illuminated in the silent light.
Zhang Qiang dared not utter a word and stood solemnly to the side.
The causal rhythms deep within the entire temple were all focused on Qin Yu.
At this moment, he is about to personally reveal the truth about the "Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm".
Qin Yu took a deep breath, bowed deeply, and spoke in a calm and respectful tone:
"Reporting to the Ancestor, this disciple did indeed encounter a hunt in the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm."
His voice was deep, yet it carried an undeniable hardness and coldness.
"That was someone Elder Chen Chao arranged. I almost lost my life at their hands in the secret realm. If I hadn't escaped by chance, I would have been buried in the desolate wilderness long ago. Later, when the Desolate Annihilation Secret Realm secret realm closed, I accidentally entered a mysterious area and was trapped in an illusion. I didn't know how much time had passed until recently when I found a flaw and was able to return."
As he said this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes for a moment, but he quickly concealed it, lowered his head, and sighed.
"This disciple dares not deceive, but... there are some secrets that cannot be fully revealed. The world is treacherous, and people's hearts are unpredictable. This disciple can only hope to return safely."
A thought secretly surfaced in my mind:
There are some things that should never be fully revealed. Even the ancestors cannot be completely trusted.
Hao Yuanzun fell silent for a moment amidst the serene light, then his voice fell like a merciless cosmic judgment:
"You mean, the core elder, Chen Chao, set a trap for you? Do you have any evidence?"
Qin Yu remained calm and silent, only slowly raising his hand.
Deep within his sea of consciousness, a cold light emerged. With a thought, a crystal core instantly condensed in his palm.
The crystal core emitted a faint, diffused light, and within it seemed to flow fragments of time travel.
He offered it with both hands, respectfully saying:
"Ancestor, your disciple sealed a piece of footage using the imprint of my Fate Soul."
Hao Yuanzun raised his hand and took it. The Light of Stainlessness touched the crystal core and then burst apart.
Instantly, the brutal scene of the secret realm from that day appeared throughout the entire Chaotic Forbidden Domain:
A murderous aura filled the air as dozens of powerful figures surrounded the enemy, their sinister laughter deafening.
"Today, I will send you to die in this desolate wasteland!" This is the order given by Lord Chen Chao!
"We are all disciples personally chosen by him! Qin Yu, it's worth it for you to die here!"
The sounds entered his ears, each word like thunder. The illusory figure under the silent light of Hao Yuanzun finally moved for a moment.
That Stainless tranquility, unchanged for countless eons, was shattered by a barely perceptible chill.
After a long silence, Jiguang's voice slowly rang out, cold and absolute. "Truly... he brought this upon himself, and cannot escape it."
Zhang Qiang, who was standing next to him, was startled, lowered his head and held his breath, not daring to interrupt.
Hao Yuanzun transformed the crystal core into dust and light, scattering it with a casual gesture, his voice like a sigh, yet also like a judgment from the heavens:
"Qin Yu, Chen Chao, and his nephew Chen Po have perished in the battle against the Phantom Legion. The cycle of cause and effect is inevitable."
His voice slowly sank into the void, carrying the decisive quality unique to the Stainless Realm:
"If that's the case, let their sins end here. Your safe return is the greatest reversal of cause and effect. As for them, Heaven and Earth have already given their answer."
The gloom subsided once more, and the world fell into solemn, deathly silence once more.
Upon hearing this, Qin Yu bowed again, his voice firm. "This disciple will obey the Ancestor's command."