As dawn broke and a light mist shrouded the scene, dewdrops lingered on the grass Returning Star River, refracting a rainbow of light. In the dim light of dawn, the distant mountains revealed their layered outlines, and the river's surface, as calm as a mirror, reflected the figures of the three standing opposite each other. Ning Qingyao's complexion had fully recovered, her eyes radiating a vibrant Spiritual Qi energy. She tried to activate her soul consciousness; the flow of light was smooth and unobstructed. She secretly marveled at the wonder of Qin Yu's divine pill.
"Thank you so much for saving me yesterday, Young Master Qin," Ning Qingyao said softly, her tone gentle and filled with sincere gratitude. Her voice was like the tinkling of a clear spring, sounding especially soft in the morning light.
Qin Yu smiled slightly and shook his head, saying, "It was nothing." His tone was calm and indifferent, as if the blood and fire of last night had never existed, leaving only the tranquility under the starry sky.
Luo Shuangyue stood to one side, her gaze fixed on the other side of the river. The morning breeze ruffled her long hair; her white robes were as pure as snow, and her beauty was ethereal. She turned to the side, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and said earnestly, "Young Master Qin, I sincerely invite you to return to the Lotus Immortal Hall with us."
Qin Yu was slightly taken aback. "Back to the Lotus Immortal Hall?"
Luo Shuangyue nodded, her gaze clear as a mirror. "The Void Annihilation Domain is currently Void Obliteration Domain. The Nine Alliances Gang wreaking havoc, and even the three great temples are beginning to stir. Although you possess extraordinary strength, traveling alone here will inevitably attract the attention of various parties. If you wish to return to the Immortal Palace with us, I can ask my master to personally receive you. With your cultivation level, Young Master Qin, our Lotus Immortal Hall will certainly treat you as an honored guest."
Ning Qingyao stepped forward, her tone sincere. "Yes, benefactor, it's too dangerous for you to stay here alone. The Nine Alliances Gang won't let this go easily; they still have the Soul-Chasing Mirror Seal. If they activate it again, the entire Void Obliteration Domain will likely be alarmed."
Qin Yu looked up at the distant sky. The morning light shone on his face, and his eyes shone with a deep light. He thought to himself— the Void Obliteration Domain is indeed in chaos now. Although he has pacified the Annihilation Abyss Return Realm, the Nine Alliances Gang has not been destroyed, and the Three Palaces are rife with undercurrents. To sort out all this, he must first find a suitable place to settle down. And the Lotus Immortal Hall... This palace has always been neutral, adhering to the way of pure cultivation, and not involved in power struggles. It is indeed a place to temporarily avoid the limelight.
Qin Yu smiled slightly, "In that case, I'll take my leave."
Luo Shuangyue's eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded and smiled, "It is our honor that Young Master Qin can accompany us."
She gently raised her hand, and a spiritual lotus floated in her palm. As its radiance swirled, it transformed into three flowing shadows, enveloping the three of them. In the next instant, the world turned upside down, and spiritual light rained down. The surrounding mountains, rivers, and vegetation were stretched and blurred in an instant, replaced by a wondrous scene of countless white lotuses intertwined with flowing light.
The moment he crossed the spirit realm, a faint chime sounded in his ears, like the resonance of the heart of heaven and earth. Qin Yu raised his eyes slightly and saw a floating city appear in front of him—the Nine-Layer Lotus Palace, with white jade as its base and spiritual flowers like a tide. Hundreds of millions of lotus flowers spun in the air, each petal reflecting a reflection of a period of time.
That is -- the Lotus Immortal Hall.
A sea of spiritual mist, overflowing with divine light. Palaces and pavilions are scattered atop the sea of clouds, with a massive lotus throne suspended in the center, upon which stands the magnificent main hall—"Mirror Flower Terrace." The golden silk and jade walls are inscribed with runes of cause and effect, where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges, forming countless pale golden bands of light, like a galaxy fallen to earth.
As the three descended before the lotus platform, dozens of female disciples, who were cultivating by the Spirit Lake, knelt and bowed upon seeing Luo Shuangyue and Ning Qingyao return, saying, "Welcome back, Senior Sister Shuangyue and Senior Sister Qingyao!"
Luo Shuangyue slightly raised her hand, her voice gentle. "Please, everyone, no need for formalities. This journey has been fraught with difficulties; let us rest for now." She turned to Qin Yu, her eyes smiling, "Young Master, please follow me into the hall. My master Immortal Venerable Jingxin, will surely see you in person."
Qin Yu nodded slowly, his steps Steady as a Mountain. With each step he took, the lotus light and shadow beneath his feet slowly bloomed. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to be attracted by his aura, and invisible laws resonated in the air, even causing a subtle ripple to spread across the spiritual lake in front of the hall.
Azure Ring lazily muttered in his sea of consciousness, "Oh, this place smells so good, so many female cultivators... Little Qinzi, you're really lucky."
Qin Yu smiled silently, muttering to himself, "Stop being so cheeky."
As they stepped across the lotus steps, the jade gate of the main hall slowly opened, and soft light poured out. The aura of the Lotus Immortal Hall was as serene and profound as a world in a mirror. Qin Yu looked up and saw a woman sitting on a high platform in the hall, surrounded by nine layers of lotus shadows, with eyes like autumn water and aura like divine light—that was the head of the Lotus Immortal Hall, Immortal Venerable Jingxin.
The entire palace fell silent instantly, and the air was filled with an atmosphere that brought peace and tranquility.
Luo Shuangyue softly said, "Master, this disciple has brought a distinguished guest."
The main hall was as silent as a dream. The lotus-shaped light wall slowly swirled, reflecting countless shimmering ripples, as if the waters of time were cascading down from the ceiling. Qin Yu stood side by side with Luo Shuangyue and Ning Qingyao beneath the nine-tiered lotus platform. A faint fragrance permeated the hall, neither floral nor Spiritual Qi, but a wondrous aura that could penetrate the soul and purify the mind.
Immortal Venerable Jingxin sat serenely on the highest mirror flower throne, dressed in white as snow, with skin as smooth as porcelain. Her eyes were lightly closed, and her fingertips moved slightly with the spiritual breeze. Pale golden spiritual threads danced in her palms, as if the cause and effect of heaven and earth were flowing. Her aura was profound and boundless, yet without the slightest pressure—it was a kind of "self-evident tranquility" that transcended realms and laws, as if heaven and earth were silent within her heart.
The moment she slowly opened her eyes, time seemed to stand still throughout the Lotus Temple. Her gaze fell lightly on Qin Yu, a faint light reflecting in her eyes, but for a moment, her expression faltered slightly.
The light and energy of the Limitless True Evolution Core slowly emanated from Qin Yu's body.
That wasn't a fluctuation of spiritual energy, nor an aura of cultivation, but rather an "undefinable" pulse of existence. The air behind Qin Yu distorted slightly, as if billions of particles were slowly rotating around him, like particles at the beginning of the universe constructing the world, where nothingness and reality intertwined, and the boundaries between light and darkness were completely blurred.
Immortal Venerable Jingxin slightly raised his hand, and the golden lotus light screen under the lotus seat trembled. In the next instant, the nine layers of light veins of the entire Lotus Sacred Domain resonated in unison—light streams poured down from the sky, like the Milky Way reversing; every lotus flower trembled slightly, and the spiritual fire flickering in the flower's heart was drawn by Qin Yu's aura, and in an instant, it condensed into nine layers of golden rings.
"What... kind of power is this?" Immortal Venerable Jingxin murmured softly, her voice like a clear note in flowing water.
Azure Ring whispered within Qin Yu's sea of consciousness, "Oh dear, Little Qinzi, your aura is too powerful! It's revitalized the entire temple's vital energy."
Luo Shuangyue and Ning Qingyao exchanged a glance, both stunned by the scene. Luo Shuangyue bowed deeply, her voice urgent, "Master, the identity of this Young Master Qin that I brought back is unknown, but he is definitely no ordinary person. Qingyao and I were able to return alive entirely thanks to his rescue."
Immortal Venerable Jingxin withdrew her gaze from Qin Yu, her expression gentle yet tinged with undisguised surprise. She asked softly, "Oh? Shuangyue, tell me more."
Luo Shuangyue stepped forward and slowly recounted everything that had happened in the Withering Soul Forest —from the Blood Blade Hall's pursuit to Li Chuan's Blood Halberd's might, and then to Qin Yu tearing open the heavens and earth through a spatial rift, Annihilation the Blood Prison Formation, and saving them with silent power. Her tone was neither fast nor slow, but every word was filled with shock. "Master, I have seen experts at the Annihilation Dawn Realm make their moves, but I have never seen a sword like this... That sword, even space itself doesn't acknowledge its existence."
A profound silence fell over the hall. Immortal Venerable Jingxin gazed intently at Qin Yu for a long time. She spoke slowly, her voice as soft as mist, yet possessing an incredible penetrating power. "Silent Annihilation, independent of cause and effect, unbound by any rules—that is the power of Severed Observation. Young Master Qin, you have already entered this realm."
Qin Yu's gaze remained calm, and he nodded slightly. "Just lucky."
Immortal Venerable Jingxin chuckled softly, her beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, and layers of lotus light bloomed around her, causing nine layers of subtle ripples to appear in the air. It was the suppressive aura of the Chaos Realm · Supreme, yet it still carried a calm and undisturbed quality. She said softly, "Under the Severed Observation, there is no room for luck. The fact that you can shake the light veins of my Lotus Sacred Domain with this aura means that you carry the 'All-Dimensional Primordial Breath' within you—if I'm not mistaken, that is the Limitless True Evolution Core."
Qin Yu looked up, a flash of light appearing in his eyes. Immortal Venerable Jingxin looked at that almost imperceptible fluctuation, and a long-lost tremor arose in her heart. Since reaching the Chaos Realm · Supreme, she had long since seen through cause and effect and observed the flow of the universe, but at this moment, she felt that the young man seemed to stand outside of heaven and earth, like a blank page unwritten by fate.
She slowly rose, and the phantom of a lotus flower rose with it, the lotus light surrounding the entire main hall like a tidal wave. She descended the nine steps and came before Qin Yu, her gaze gentle yet extremely solemn. "Shuangyue and Qingyao were saved by you, a debt of gratitude that Non-Self Lotus Immortal Hall cannot easily repay. This place is serene; if Young Master Qin does not mind, you may temporarily reside in my Lotus Sacred Domain."
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his tone humble. "Thank you, Immortal Venerable."
Immortal Venerable Jingxin looked at him, a deeper meaning creeping into her expression. She sighed softly and turned away, "Since ancient times, chaos and annihilation have been enemies, and now the order of this world is crumbling. Young Master Qin, the aura emanating from you... it seems to belong to more than just this Source of Epochless."
Qin Yu smiled slightly, offering no reply. But in that instant, his eyes were like a mirror, silently reflecting the light of the entire Lotus Temple.
The lotus light in the sky still resonated, but within that resonance, there was a subtle, imperceptible movement, as if responding to some impending destiny.
When Immortal Venerable Jingxin turned around, his gaze had returned to calm. "Shuangyue, take the young master down to rest first."
Luo Shuangyue said, "I will obey my master's orders. Young Master Qin, please." Qin Yu replied respectfully, "Then this junior will take his leave."
She slowly focused her mind. "This child... I must divine his fate."
The lotus light flowed once more, and the entire celestial palace returned to tranquility.
Deep within the main hall, ten thousand lotuses lay in silent stillness.
Immortal Venerable Jingxin sat quietly in the center of the lotus platform, her nine layers of light petals slowly rotating. The spiritual energy of the palace fluctuated with her aura, transforming into rays of light that flowed towards the dome, eventually condensing into a golden celestial mirror. That was the Mirror Dao Derivation: Nine Silent Heavenly Disc, which could only be opened by the successive abbots of the Lotus Immortal Hall.
She gently raised her hands, her fingers slightly spread, and pale golden spiritual light gathered in her palms, as if she were holding the entire world within them. Every wisp of spiritual energy transformed into a symbol and fell into the celestial plate. The plate began to rotate, and the light of heaven, the earth's veins, fortune, and destiny flowed into nine streams of light on the lotus platform—however, this time, the flow of light was extremely unstable.
"Beginningless Endless..." Immortal Venerable Jingxin frowned slightly. The insightful light of the Chaos Realm · Supreme appeared in her eyes—a gaze that could see through billions of epochs. Yet, at this moment, before Qin Yu's aura, she only saw a blank.
At this moment, the sky above the Mirror Flower Terrace suddenly trembled violently. The nine layers of the Heavenly Plate opened simultaneously, and ten thousand lotus lights fell into the void, reflecting countless intersecting spacetime rifts, as if the lifeline of the entire Void Obliteration Domain had been pulled into this hexagram.
Scenes flashed by one after another--
The Annihilation Void Three Halls collapsed, the Sea of Void Stars disintegrated, the Silent Light Firmament Darkened, and all cultivators cried out in fear. At the end of the world, a faint black-gold light was slowly unfolding—it was not light, but a ring-shaped structure that Existence Denial. It neither rotated nor remained still, but repeatedly self-destructed and regenerated between "existence" and "non-existence".
"What is this..." Immortal Venerable Jingxin's voice trembled slightly. She reached out to probe the celestial disc, trying to see the source of the Black Gold Ring.
The instant her fingertips touched it--
--The whole world collapsed.
Boom!! Boom!! Boom!!
An indescribable "superdimensional annihilation pressure" erupted from the hexagram, and the nine-layered spiritual lotus above the Lotus Temple instantly reversed, transforming into a vortex of black and gold light that swept across the entire sacred domain. That light was neither light nor darkness, but a kind of "beyond the visible" existence, which could make people's souls feel the Limit pain of being burned and frozen at the same time.
The air began to distort, the walls of the palace crumbled into fragments, and the flow of time shattered like glass.
Immortal Venerable Jingxin suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden blood, her divine body was blasted back several feet, and the nine-layered lotus platform cracked at the same time. The chaotic spiritual energy around her was instantly torn apart, and a violent roar came from her sea of consciousness. Even the origin of the "Chaos Realm · Supreme" was shaken!
"This is impossible... It's just a backlash from the divination... How could it possibly harm my very spirit?!"
She forced herself to steady her mind and looked up at the Black Gold Ring. The ring had transformed into a pupil in the void, slowly rotating as if "watching" her. There was no sound, no breath, but in that instant, she felt a bone-chilling pressure—not hostility, but a "sense of destiny as her master."
With a deafening roar, the Mirror of Heaven and Earth shattered!
All the deduction runes dissipated like falling starlight, and the palace returned to calm. Only shattered lotus petals scattered like snowflakes around Immortal Venerable Jingxin. Her hands fell limply, her face was as pale as paper, blood remained at the corner of her mouth, and her breathing became erratic for a moment.
A moment later, she raised her hand with trembling hands, staring at the dissipated afterimage of the celestial mirror, her heart still churning.
"My God..." Her voice was almost inaudible, "That wasn't an illusion... The existence of that ring transcends all definitions..."
She closed her eyes, the shocking image of that moment still lingering in her mind—the Black Gold Ring seemed to Beginningless and Endless, as if even the will to "observe" it was being devoured by it. Even though she only glimpsed it from afar, her soul was almost erased.
"That power... could make the entire Source of Epochless submit... If such a person truly existed in the world—then..."
She suddenly opened her eyes, her expression extremely complex, her voice low and trembling:
"Who exactly is this child? Where does he come from? That faint ring... is it a seal within his body? Or is it a magical artifact?"
Her fingertips trembled slightly, and a rare look of fear flashed in her eyes.
"Just a single divination... almost completely erased me, reducing Annihilation to nothingness."
Having said that, she slowly closed her eyes, the lotus light around her dimming, and murmured softly as if in a dream, "The Annihilation Void Three Halls been destroyed, the lotus has fallen silent, Source of Epochless will be swallowed by the 'Nameless Light'... He—will he be the master of that 'Nameless Ring Magic Treasure'?"
A wind rose outside the palace, plunging the entire Lotus Immortal Hall into an eerie silence.
The sky hung low, and the sea of clouds surged, as if even heaven and earth were bowing to that ineffable existence.
Immortal Venerable Jingxin had a thought that he had never dared to utter before:
He does not cultivate destiny; destiny is his embodiment. Moreover, he transcends destiny, wielding the source of eternal chaos.