Descent into Silence, Dream Awakened · The Old Secret of the Seal

The Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace, the gray Dream Curtain Firmament slowly healed, and the silent sea of mist gradually receded.

Qin Yu's figure slowly emerged from the depths of the Dream Abyss, his black robes fluttering, his steps steady.

The Sword of Dream Silence in his hand now bears a different light and shadow: one half carries the illusory radiance of an Unborn dream, while the other half settles into the pitch-black shadow of Ultimate Annihilation. Where the two meet, the "unique line" seems to cleave even the void itself.

As he walked out step by step, the array patterns and runes outside the entire Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace vibrated and roared.

This is a resonance that hasn't occurred in this area for tens of thousands of years.

The palace gates slowly opened.

The elders guarding the outer hall stood quietly, originally thinking that Qin Yu had only come to try a soul slumber training, but who knew that at this moment they suddenly felt the sword intent rushing towards them, and their hearts and souls trembled violently at the same time.

The sword intent wasn't sharp, yet it gave one an extremely eerie feeling:

--It was as if, if this sword were pointed at them, their very "possibility of existence" would vanish completely in the next instant.

An elder Supreme cultivation had reached the pinnacle of the Severed Observation Realm caught his breath, his eyes narrowed sharply, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"This aura... is not an illusion, not a soul... but the convergence of 'the Unborn and the Annihilation'..."

The other person turned pale and exclaimed in horror:

"Could it be... that he... touched upon the technology of the future in the Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace?"

The moment Qin Yu stepped out of the palace gate, the sword intent of the Sword of Dream Silence spread out with the wind, and a waterfall of starlight fell from the sky, illuminating his figure, as if heaven and earth were bearing witness to the awakening of this sword.

He stopped, slowly sheathed his sword, raised his eyes and scanned the surrounding elders, his expression calm and composed.

"Disciple Qin Yu has completed his training at the Descent into Silence Palace."

The sound was not loud, but it was like the tolling of a bell in a palace, making everyone's heart tremble.

The elders exchanged glances, their hearts trembling with shock. Finally, they all bowed, their voices solemn:

"Congratulations Qin Yu, on your return from the Descent into Silence Palace... of the Dream Stillness!"

Bathed in starlight, Qin Yu sheathed his sword and stood there, his gaze fixed on the distance.

He knew in his heart—

The new form of the Sword of Dream Silence [Dream Silence Final Oneness - The Unannihilated Uniqueness] is not merely for killing, but rather allows him to truly step into the threshold of being able to influence "the future and Does Not Exist".

This is not merely a breakthrough in strength.

It is also a brand new path destined to be intertwined with the Phantom Demon Army and with the cause and effect of the future.

Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace, the radiance of the talismans had not yet completely dissipated, and the aftershocks of the intertwined nature of Unborn and Annihilation still lingered in the world, as if the entire void was echoing with the sword's cry of the Sword of Dream Silence.

Qin Yu sheathed his sword and stood there, his aura calm and steady, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

Just then, a clear and melodious voice came from the sky, and two figures swooped down.

"Senior Brother Qin!"

Chi Ning's robes fluttered as she landed lightly, her eyes brimming with barely suppressed joy. She rushed forward almost impatiently, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, her voice clear yet trembling. "Congratulations! You really did gain some insight in the Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace, didn't you?!"

Her expression was jubilant, her eyes filled with heartfelt joy and pride, as if she had witnessed him walk down an impossible path.

Behind her, a woman with an elegant demeanor slowly approached. She was none other than Chi Ning's master— Meng Qing.

Her steps were light and slow, yet she exuded a calm and imposing aura. Her sleeves shimmered with light, and her eyes seemed to reflect countless fragments of dreams.

Meng Qing's gaze fell on Qin Yu. She examined him carefully for a moment, and then a barely perceptible smile appeared on her lips.

"Just as my disciple predicted."

She spoke, her voice clear and resonant, carrying the composure and certainty characteristic of someone in a superior position. "I heard from Ning'er this morning that you had returned, so I went to your palace specifically. I didn't see you, and I learned from my disciples that you came to the Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace alone this morning for training."

At this point, she paused slightly, a hint of amazement appearing in her eyes. "But I never imagined... that you would not only emerge from your slumber, but also comprehend a completely new sword intent here."

Her gaze swept over the lingering echoes of the Dream Stillness around her, her expression growing increasingly solemn. "Such insight and courage are truly rare."

Chi Ning smiled, her eyes sparkling with undisguised joy, as if she herself had been praised.

Qin Yu was slightly taken aback, then concealed his arrogance and respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute. "Senior Meng Qing, you flatter me. This disciple only gained a slight insight due to a fortuitous encounter."

Meng Qing shook her head, her eyes clear, but her voice left no room for doubt. "Opportunity is certainly important, but without your own determination and potential, the Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace will only swallow you up. You deserve to have come this far."

She looked at Chi Ning, her gaze softening slightly. "Ning'er is truly fortunate to have a companion like you."

Chi Ning's cheeks flushed slightly, but her gaze remained firm as she nodded. "Master, I've said it before, Senior Brother Qin... is definitely not an ordinary person."

Starlight swirled among the three, creating an atmosphere that was both light and solemn for a moment.

Standing amidst the starlight, Meng Qing slowly withdrew her gaze from Qin Yu, a hint of relief and affirmation flashing in her eyes.

"It's been a year since we last met, and your cultivation level..."

She nodded gently, her voice clear and steady. "You've actually reached the Ultimate of the Logic Realm Realm. Not bad."

As soon as these words were spoken, an undisguised pride and joy flashed in Chi Ning's eyes. Her lips curled up, and her eyes shone brightly, as if she too was proud of all of this.

Meng Qing's tone shifted, becoming less gentle and more solemn and serious.

"Qin Yu, I think you already know about the Phantom Demon Army from Ning'er."

She gazed at the distant sky, a hint of coldness creeping into her eyes. "That battle... the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer was torn apart, rivers of blood flowed, and countless sects and forces crumbled. Since then, the situation has never returned to calm."

Qin Yu's eyes darkened, and he silently nodded.

Meng Qing continued, her voice slow and deliberate, yet each word ringing like a bell. "And your return now is perfectly timed."

The wind rustled gently, and the waterfall roared, as if the heavens and earth were adding a heavy backdrop to her words.

"After that great battle, the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer indeed paid an extremely heavy price."

She paused, her gaze deepening, her tone gradually lowering:

"But at the same time... it also uncovered some previously unknown secrets."

As soon as he finished speaking, the spiritual energy in the air suddenly froze.

Qin Yu frowned slightly, his heart stirred slightly, and he looked up at Meng Qing: "Senior, you mean...?"

Meng Qing's gaze was complex, her eyes seeming to shimmer with fragments of a galaxy. She uttered a few words in a low voice:

"The origins of the Phantom Demon Army, and the true structure of the Source of Epochless."

Qin Yu's eyes narrowed slightly in the starlight, and the blade of the Sword of Dream Silence in his hand trembled slightly, as if it too sensed the weight of the topic.

Meng Qing spoke slowly, her voice low and deep, yet like an ancient bell that pierces through the ages:

"That catastrophe of the Phantom Demon Army... was not a simple invasion."

Her gaze pierced through the dome of the Eternal Dream Descent into Silence Palace, as if looking into the endless depths of the void. "Their appearance is closely related to an ancient seal deep within the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer."

Qin Yu's expression changed drastically, and he asked in a deep voice, "A seal?"

Meng Qing nodded, her sleeves fluttering lightly. A wisp of dreamlike soul light appeared in her palm, transforming into an ancient phantom: a vast and boundless array seal, layered upon layered, seemingly suppressing the entire foundation of the middle level.

"This is a lingering image I glimpsed by chance in the depths of the ruins after that battle. That seal doesn't belong to any known clan or temple; it was carved there during the very first era of the Source of Epochless."

Chi Ning was taken aback, his eyes flashing with disbelief. "Master, you mean— the Phantom Demon Army's invasion was for..."

Meng Qing replied in a deep voice, "It's to break this seal."

Her gaze was cold as she slowly uttered a few words:

"The Phantom Demon Army does not kill randomly; they are 'devouring the seal,' sacrificing blood and souls as offerings."

Qin Yu's mind was shaken, the Azure Ring between his brows trembled, and a chilling tremor arose within him.

Meng Qing slowly turned to him, her gaze deep and unfathomable. "Qin Yu, your return at this moment may not be merely a coincidence."

Her voice was deep and solemn:

"Because as the seal gradually loosens, the true secret... will surface."

Qin Yu listened quietly to Meng Qing's words, his gaze unwavering, yet a calm and clear ripple had already stirred within his heart.

"The seal... is merely a misunderstanding by Elder Meng Qing and the others."

He thought to himself:

"Only I truly know the origin of the Dao Shadow Soldier. It wasn't some ancient seal being leaked, but rather a deeper causal trajectory. I'm afraid what the elders saw as the 'loosening of the seal' was merely the aftershock of that great battle disturbing the middle-level foundations."

"The Phantom Demon Army... didn't come from there at all."

Having thought this through, he remained expressionless, instead feigning deep thought, and respectfully asked with his hands clasped:

"Senior, the seal you mentioned... could it be that something is sealed within it?"

Meng Qing's gaze sharpened slightly, and she nodded slowly.

That happened millions of years ago.

Her voice was clear and cold, as if it had pierced through countless years. "Back then, the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer was not as orderly as it is now, but rather a complete mess. Various forces were constantly fighting each other—divine beasts raged, demonic paths ran rampant, countless dark creatures roamed, and even Heavenly Emperor, True Immortal Great Emperor, Dao Ancestor from across dimensions used the middle layer as their battlefield, with blood and fire raging endlessly."

Qin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly and listened quietly.

Meng Qing continued, "But that wasn't the most terrifying thing. What was most frightening at the time wasn't these powerful outsiders, but a strange race."

She lightly touched the air with her finger, and a wisp of dream light appeared as a phantom.

In the void, the figures of those strange creatures slowly appeared:

Their limbs are slender, their bodies are as black as ink, covered in irregular scales, their eyes are pitch black and pupil-less, their backs are covered in split wings, and their joints flow with a dark luster like a liquid galaxy. With each breath, countless whispers echo in your ears, as if the logic of the entire world has been disrupted.

"It was their very existence that ignited the chaos of that era."

Meng Qing's tone grew heavy. "They are born with the ability to devour souls, disrupt cause and effect, and even directly alter the memories and cultivation trajectories of spiritual cultivators. Even True Immortal Great Emperor and Dao Ancestor have been forced to stop their battles and instead join forces to fight against this race."

Qin Yu's heart froze.

Meng Qing's gaze shifted, looking towards the distant sky, and she uttered a low voice:

"Until one day, a supreme being from the Source of Epochless · Upper Layer arrived in person and, with unparalleled power, completely quelled the chaos. That being swept away all the heroes and sealed all those strange creatures within a forbidden area in the middle level."

The wind Annihilation, and the waterfall is silent.

Meng Qing's gaze gradually became complicated. "In the ancient records of the temple, the existence of the Sourceless Hidden Army is regarded as a contingency plan left behind by that powerful being. To prevent those beings from being reborn, he used his supreme power to transform shadows into soldiers to protect this world."

Chi Ning was so shocked by what she heard that she couldn't help but gasp.

But Qin Yu murmured silently to himself:

"The Sourceless Hidden Army... it should be confirmed that it is reinforcements left behind by some powerful figure at the highest level."

A glint of blue light flashed in his eyes, but he maintained a calm expression and said in a low voice:

"I see..."

Meng Qing's gaze was deep and focused, her voice seeming to echo from the depths of time and space:

"After pacifying the chaotic world, that great being did not leave."

Her gaze fell on Qin Yu and Chi Ning, her tone slow, yet as authoritative as an ironclad rule:

"With unparalleled methods, he directly reconstructed the order of the Source of Epochless · Middle Layer. After that battle, new rules were born."

The void trembled, and Meng Qing lightly lifted her sleeve, revealing an ancient scroll in her palm:

Countless divine beast corpses lay strewn across the land, the light of the demonic path was extinguished, and dark creatures scattered like a tide. The Heavenly Emperor, True Immortal Great Emperor, Dao Ancestor, and other beings who had come from across dimensions were all suppressed, and even their auras were expelled from the middle layer.

He left behind a restriction.

Meng Qing's eyes grew increasingly deep, and her voice deepened:

"All powerful beings who do not belong to the Source Realm and come from across dimensions—whether True Immortal Great Emperor, Heavenly Emperor, or Dao Ancestor —are forever forbidden from setting foot in the middle level. If even one person does so, the restriction will be triggered, causing all living beings in heaven and earth to kill them."

She withdrew her hand, the illusion shattered, and her tone was as firm as iron:

"They could only retreat to the outskirts of the Source of Epochless, establishing their own power bases there. From that time on, no high-ranking beings from other dimensions could interfere with the fate of the middle ranks."

Qin Yu's brow twitched slightly, and his thoughts raced:

"I see... that's why the middle management has such an orderly structure today."

Meng Qing continued, "This is why all cultivators who want to enter the middle level must undergo assessments on the outer perimeter. Only those who pass the Source Realm's own sequence selection are allowed to enter."

Chi Ning's eyes brightened slightly as he listened, and he murmured softly, "So, the reason why the middle level of the Source of Epochless has been able to maintain stability through billions of years of wind and rain is entirely due to the ironclad rules set by that powerful being..."

Meng Qing nodded slightly, her voice calm, yet carrying a hint of distant reverence:

"That's exactly right. Without him, the middle management would have collapsed completely long ago."