A gentle breeze stirs, clouds drift over the small building.
Qin Yu sat with his eyes closed, his inner energy swirling like wisps of silk. The Black Bone Long Spear hung quietly to the side, its Gray Ring shimmering faintly. The second move, [Ring Spear - Silent Severing Abyss], had already taken shape.
Two of the five transcendent combat skills awakened by the Black Bone Long Spear after its complete and perfect fusion with the Gray Ring have now been awakened.
First move, World-Slaying Slash.
The technique of initial soul shattering uses a ring to shake the soul and a spear to sever the seal. With a thrust of the spear, the soul fire ignites first, and the foundation of divine consciousness is torn apart invisibly, leaving no trace of the three souls and seven spirits. Even if the enemy is not seriously injured, their spirit is already crippled.
The second move, Silent Severing Abyss.
The Edge of Realm Breaking. The spear fell by a single point, rules crumbled, and domains, seals, and barriers all vanished into nothingness. Its power was already evident in its ability to shatter the Soul Poison Star Chain in the Battle of the Desert—this was the true "first strike" of the Ring Spear.
On the back of his soul, a silver-white "Boundary Merit Seal" floated gently, marking the seventy Boundary Merit points he had gained in this battle, quietly recorded in the sect's Heavenly Stele.
Just then, a familiar yet light footstep sound came from outside the building.
He opened his eyes and looked towards the door.
--It's Qian Ruishan.
Today, she was still dressed in white, with a light veil, her face expressionless, yet a faint smile lingered deep in her eyes.
"You've finished." Her voice was soft, yet it seemed to contain the deepest secrets of the universe.
Qin Yu nodded slightly. "It went fairly smoothly."
"'The Sinful Soul Remnant Tide' combined with 'Soul Poison Star Mark'... this level of quest is simply beyond your current capabilities." Qian Ruishan's gaze swept over them indifferently. "It's a miracle that you came back alive."
Qin Yu's gaze remained unchanged as he calmly stated, "In other words, this mission... was never intended for me in the first place."
"Good."
His gaze fell upon the distant, towering clouds.
"I suspect someone... wants me dead."
Qian Ruishan didn't deny it, but simply said quietly, "Have you guessed who it is?"
Qin Yu shook his head. "I'm not qualified to know him yet, but... Zhou Yu told me that he met a powerful outer sect expert surnamed Shang under the mission marker. When the expert made the mission, his eyes were as cold as knives, as if he had ulterior motives."
"Shang Kui." Qian Ruishan paused, then slowly uttered two words.
"Fifth on the Soul Stele," Qin Yu said calmly, "An existence more than a hundred times stronger than me."
She said, "He wields the 'Poison Soul Wheel Seal,' and almost no one in the outer sect is willing to fight him."
"Then I'll go first."
Upon hearing this, the wind around them stopped, and the atmosphere inside the building became slightly tense.
Qian Ruishan gazed at him for a long time before smiling faintly, "Do you still know who is the tenth person on the Soul Stele?"
"Sang Yan," Qin Yu answered readily.
"Your current Realm Merit Points are seventy, while his is... 7066. You are far behind him."
Qin Yu smiled faintly, "Then I still need more than a hundred medium-level missions, or I can directly accept fourth- or fifth-tier missions."
"Are you out of your mind?" Qian Ruishan frowned slightly. "Are you really planning to single-handedly take on all sorts of tasks to climb the rankings?"
"I have no other choice." Qin Yu stood up, spear sheathed in his back, a faint glow emanating from him. "Either I'll be killed, or I'll step over them to ascend the Soul Stele."
Qian Ruishan remained silent.
She suddenly turned around. "I will investigate Shang Kui's matter. Don't make any rash moves."
Qin Yu raised an eyebrow slightly. "You?"
"I... am not just an outer disciple." Her gaze was calm, yet each word was heavy. "I also hold the hidden authority of the Realm Spirit Inspection Bureau.' If he truly orchestrated this scheme... I will reduce his Soul Stele to zero."
If you're bored, you can visit the main city, Firmament Vault Heavenly Palace. There should be many things you want there.
Having said that, she flicked her sleeves and transformed into a streak of silver light, disappearing into the distant sky.
Half an incense stick later, Qin Yu stood outside the Floating Cloud Pavilion, his spear lying quietly beside him.
He gazed at the distant celestial monument, where the two characters "Sang Yan" burned with a golden-red aura that seemed to ignite the heavens.
"Seven thousand sixty-six realms of merit... You are the tenth on the Soul Stele."
"And for me, this is just the beginning."
He looked up, Azure Ring in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly, as if sensing his rising fighting spirit. The ring's light did not appear, but it was as if the wheel of destiny was faintly ringing.
Qin Yu took a deep breath, turned around, and went inside.
From now on, the Mission Hall will be his battlefield.