Four Saints Return to the Core, Annihilation Blue Reborn

Deeper into the spatial rift at the westernmost edge of the Annihilation Void, a crack composed of fragments from the Seven Mirrors suddenly opened. Qin Yu stepped into it, and the light and shadow immediately reversed, the space beneath his feet falling into a reverse-flowing vortex of spacetime. Heaven and earth were turned upside down—he had not fallen into an abyss, but into an inverted ancient city.

There is no sky here, only an endless black river rushing backwards overhead, like a silver-gray waterfall cascading down into the void of clouds. All the buildings are suspended in the air, city towers are upside down in the void, streets and alleys meander and hang, and stone bridges span the clouds, like a city of the dead whose logic of reality has been subverted.

The shimmering river distorts the stars, each fallen star transforming into a giant crater, with faint blue-white flames burning on the earth. Time ceases to flow here, instead reversing in a cycle, as if someone has rewound the entire history of the world.

This is the second test: the inverted ruins and the chain paradox.

Qin Yu's footsteps landed, and the ground beneath him rippled with silver light like a mirror, as if rejecting any definition of "existence".

In the center of the ruins, the second fragment of the Space Limit Rift Crystal floats, bound by six enormous chains. These chains are neither gold nor iron, but are composed of words and causality. Each link flashes with linguistic symbols; they are not static imprints, but constantly "speaking"—reciting six paradoxes in the tone of cosmic laws.

The first chain echoed in a low voice, "You never came, therefore the crystal rift is not here."

The second chain vibrated. "The crystal has been taken, so you return empty-handed."

The voice of the Third Chain, like the murmur of a dead man, said, "You must die to touch the Fragment."

The tones of the fourth, fifth, and sixth chains intertwine, forming a chaotic storm of cause and effect. Each sentence negates the existence logic of the previous one, plunging the entire space into a self-contradictory cycle.

As soon as Qin Yu's aura spread, the ground beneath his feet began to shatter—his very existence was rejected by paradox, and even his body began to become transparent.

He raised the Silent Origin Stainless Sword, its blade slicing through the void, golden and black light swirling around it, but the chains remained unmoved. The azure light reflected back into the void, the Sword Qi was absorbed by space, and all energy was devoured by paradoxical logic.

"As expected, I cannot kill him."

The chains resonated, and the third paradox suddenly intensified, transforming into a deep hum:

"You must die to reach the crystal rift."

The next instant, a faint bloodstain appeared on Qin Yu's chest—not a wound, but a premonition of death. Time and life force began to flow backward, and he could feel the Limitless True Evolution Core within his body being gradually rejected by the logic of the world.

"This isn't an attack, it's a definition-based killing..."

He closed his eyes, his breathing steady. All the light around him dimmed, leaving only the crystalline cracks shimmering in the distance. Qin Yu slowly raised his hand, touched his brow with his finger, and his essence blood surged out, condensing into a faint light in the air.

He uses himself as a pen and the void as a scroll to slowly write.

That is a definition of existence etched with the soul, every stroke resonating at the very roots of space.

[I am the paradox]

The four characters were completed with a deafening roar!

The chains of paradox trembled violently for a moment, the words on the six chains began to collapse, and language dissolved in reverse. The laws of space twisted like a torn canvas, the reverse flow of the river suddenly stopped, the direction of the falling stars reversed, and all the upside-down buildings in the ancient city shook violently, losing weight, tilting, and rotating, turning into countless flying fragments.

At that moment, Qin Yu's life force drained away at an extremely rapid pace. The counter-current river water swirled up countless strands of blood, which flew into the sky and were swallowed by time. His face was as pale as paper, and his breath weakened rapidly, but his fingers still did not stop.

The moment the seventh stroke was completed, all six chains emitted a piercing shriek.

"Paradox... unable to contain itself!"

All six chains exploded simultaneously, turning to ashes.

The world suddenly froze, all sound vanished, and only the crystal crack slowly spun in the air.

Qin Yu knelt on one knee, his fingertips still stained with blood. He raised his head and looked at the dazzling light. The light of the cracked crystal gently fell in front of him, as if scrutinizing him, or as if nodding.

He reached out and gently clenched his fist. In that instant, all things returned to order. Rivers flowed back to the sky, stars rose again, and the upside-down city dissipated into gray mist. Only Qin Yu in the Annihilation light, his eyes calm.

The second test: Upside-down ruins, the chain paradox—broken.

The shattered crystal core merged back into the Azure Evolution Core within his body, emitting a faint spatial rhythm.

Qin Yu raised his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the far distance, where the space was still trembling.

"It seems there's one final layer—'The Realm Heart Final Seal '."

The deepest part of the Limit Rift was so silent that even light dared not move. The Space Limit Rift Crystal hung in mid-air, its radiance radiating outwards, seemingly about to turn the entire world into transparent fragments. Qin Yu's gaze focused, and the Silent Origin Stainless Sword slowly lowered, a sense of unease surging within him—this was not the end.

Suddenly, ripples appeared on the surface of the cracked crystal. The light was no longer a cold silver, but a gentle yet dangerous blue, like the last glimmer of light at the bottom of an abyss. The ripples transformed into a human figure—a woman.

Her figure seemed to be made of light gauze, the hem of her dress constantly folding in the air to create textures of space, each movement like tearing apart a layer of reality. She stood barefoot in the void, her hair like scattered starlight, her eyes a pure, Ultimate blue. Those eyes held no emotion, only judgment.

Her voice, cold and serene, seemed to echo across a thousand worlds simultaneously:

"The Rift Crystal is only given to those who can sever the 'length of life'."

A blade of light appeared in her hand. It wasn't a sword, but a sharp line formed by the folding of space itself. She slowly raised her hand and slashed down.

Time stands still.

Qin Yu instinctively swung his sword to block, only to find that the sword was not aimed at his current body, but rather at "his future." Instantly, hundreds of future scenes shattered before his eyes—including his travels through various realms, his ascension to a higher realm, and his return to the Yingling of the Annihilation Abyss Epoch... Each scene was severed by that sword, turning into silent dust.

His breath hitched. Her sword didn't kill in the present, but severed the length of fate.

As the second sword fell, his heart tightened, and the color of her light gauze dress dimmed. It wasn't her dress, but rather his own time fading.

With her third sword strike, a cold arc of light flashed in her eyes.

"Life is finite; how many swords can you withstand?"

Qin Yu said coldly, "Life has an end, but my sword Boundless Realm."

The Silent Origin Stainless Sword suddenly ignited with illusory light. He forcibly rewrote the cause and effect of space with "Silent Origin: Creation and Annihilation Resonance". The two sword shadows intertwined in the void, and the collision of light and void tore apart all structures. Each clash was like the collapse of a galaxy, and the flow of time repeatedly collapsed and recovered.

Her movements became increasingly fluid, her swordplay as smooth as water, seemingly imbued with the same sword intent that had been born from the same source as Qin Yu's. Until the seventh strike, she whispered:

Why do you... use my swordsmanship?

Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and the sword intent flowed back between his fingers. The light pulse of the Silent Origin Stainless Sword was perfectly synchronized with the rhythm of her light blade. In that instant, he understood—she was not an enemy, but the manifestation of the will of the Rift Crystal, recording the sword heart of its former wielder.

"I see... You were the previous 'Lord of Space'."

She slightly raised her head, her smile faint yet tinged with sorrow, "Then, end it all in your own way..."

The void fell silent. Qin Yu took a deep breath and gripped the Silent Origin Stainless Sword in reverse. The blade was reversed, slowly pointing towards his heart. Blue light shone on his face, like starlight falling on snow.

She asked softly, "Do you understand what you're doing?"

Qin Yu's gaze was crystal clear. "Only when I die will my lifespan be infinite."

The sword stopped an inch before piercing her chest. The silence was shattered, and a pure sword intent emanated from the tip, transforming into a glimmer of light that shot straight towards the woman's heart.

At that moment, the heavens and earth trembled.

The light pierced through her body, and blue particles of light flowed from the wounds, scattering into the void. She looked down at the light spot on her chest, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

"You... are the new length."

With her final whisper, her body disintegrated like fragments of light, transforming into billions of blue light particles that surrounded the cracked crystal and then re-integrated into it.

The ravine began to collapse. The boundaries of the Black Domain closed from all sides, and all spatial layers collapsed, turning into compressed gravity wells. Qin Yu reached out, and fragments of a light gauze robe floated from the void, wrapping around his wrist. He then absorbed the rift crystal into it.

"With me as the anchor, space obeys."

With a low shout, his body transformed into a stream of annihilating light, using the Silent Origin Stainless Sword as a guide to tear apart the closing spatial layer. The entire Limit Rift collapsed with a deafening roar, leaving only a dazzling streak of light piercing the sky.

Annihilation Void Northern Pole: Space Limit Rift Crystal, finally obtained.

He landed in an endless, silent place, where the flow of time around him resumed, and the sounds of heaven and earth resounded once more. The cracked crystal in his palm floated silently, its blue light flowing like water into the core of his "Annihilation Radiance Final Domain".

The light pulses spread along the True Evolution Dharma Wheel within his body, and silver-blue runes covered his entire body, causing the space to completely merge with his mind and spirit.

Qin Yu slowly raised his head, his long hair billowing in the wind, his gaze fixed on the distant Limitless Heaven.

"Radiance Ember, Annihilation Star, Time's End, Limit... The four cores are now combined. Next—"

He breathed softly. "Extinguished Light, it's time to wake up."

The wind of Annihilation Void Northern Pole seemed to come from the end of time. At that moment, heaven and earth fell silent. Qin Yu stood amidst the collapsing afterglow of the Limit Rift, behind him a spatial fault that had collapsed into a vortex, four Saint Cores floating around him—

The Final Light Ember Core, the Annihilation Star Sea Essence, the Time Endpoint Dust, and the Space Limit Rift Crystal.

Each one emanates a completely different primal energy:

One is like the fading of light, flickering with the coexistence of the sacred and the destructive;

One is like an endless, deep ocean current, swallowing light and sound;

One is the ashes of the end of time, recording the final heartbeat of the universe;

The last one folds all spatial structures in an instant.

They revolved around Qin Yu, their light converging to form a sacred ring that transcended dimensions. The colors of heaven and earth began to be stripped away, and even cause and effect, and destiny, were distorted by that force.

Qin Yu raised his hand, and the Azure Evolution Core slowly emerged between his brows. In that instant, the "Annihilation Devil Pupil" between his brows opened, and a wisp of desolate blue flame ignited, like a god awakening from the depths of the Annihilation Abyss.

The wind stopped. Time stood still.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he whispered, "Clear Evolution Core, activate— the Four Saints Return to One."

Boom--!

The boundless sea of light suddenly exploded.

First Core: The Final Light Ember Core

He was the first to merge into the Clear Evolution Core. In that instant, countless streams of light erupted from behind Qin Yu, transforming into countless burning stars. The flames were like a sea, covering the entire void, as if the deaths of countless eras were being reborn at this moment. Qin Yu's outline was swallowed by the golden-white light, and he heard the low murmur of billions of souls in his ears, the final echo of light and life.

Second Core: Annihilation Star Sea Essence

Following closely behind, a deep blue liquid poured down from the void, transforming into an inverted sea of stars. Within each drop of starlight lay fragments of annihilated logic. The annihilation stream merged with the sea of light, impacting Qin Yu's soul consciousness. His body was instantly enveloped in endless blue light, the space breathed with him, and even the surrounding void was Entering Stillness blue abyss.

Third Core: Time Endpoint Dust

Slowly falling into the Clear Evolution Core, each dust particle shimmered with the light of time's end. They drifted around Qin Yu, forming a golden-gray spiral trajectory. Every time a dust particle touched his body, countless "past" and "future" shattered together. Qin Yu's figure split into countless shadows: infant, youth, old man, the Annihilation, the divine soul—he simultaneously experienced all states of time, yet they merged into one in the same instant.

Fourth core: Space Limit Rift Crystal

Finally, it slowly merged into the crystal. The blue light of the cracked crystal spread throughout the world, stripping away all remaining spatial layers into pure energy flows, forming a nine-layered folded spatial ring around Qin Yu. Light flowed between the rings, and mercury-like radiance passed through his shoulders and back. He seemed to be simultaneously "observed" by time and space, yet simultaneously "Severed Observation.

This is an unparalleled fusion.

The light and flame of Clear Evolution Core suddenly surged, rising from between his brows and piercing the sky.

The void shattered, time collapsed, space folded, and all realms trembled.

The energy of the Four Sacred Cores circulates along the Nine-Wheel True Evolution Dharma Wheel within Qin Yu's body, resonating with the Silent Origin Stainless Sword, the Sword of Dream Silence, and the Book of Fate Law.

The sky transformed into a flowing black-gold hue, the wind's form was stripped away by time, and the entire upper reaches of the Void Obliteration Domain could see that a pillar of azure light traversing the heavens.

Qin Yu closed his eyes, and the Azure Evolution Core between his brows transformed into a colorless sun, its light boundless.

All the Fate Soul, the Silent Origin, the true origin, and the Cause Annihilation within the body resonated simultaneously, forming a magnificent and Ultimate structure of light—a cyan-blue divine halo with a stream of annihilating black gold at its center.

Azure Ring's voice softly echoed from the depths of her consciousness, carrying a silent reverence:

"Little Qinzi... you've swallowed four worlds into your body."

Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes. In that instant, his eyes reflected the light of the entire Void Obliteration Domain—

Mountains and rivers, stars, temples, and streams of light—everything shimmered in his eyes, yet all were suppressed by the azure light in his palm.

He stretched out his right hand, Clear Evolution Core spun in his palm. It was no longer what it used to be, but a multidimensional core that combined light, annihilation, time, and space. Its surface was invisible and colorless, yet it reflected countless images of the universe.

The wind rises, and the sky cracks.

The Azure Ring returned to his brow, and nine ripples of annihilation emanated from his sea of consciousness.

Qin Yu murmured softly:

"Extinguished Light... it's time to wake up."

He raised his head, his long hair dancing in the azure landscape. The sky was split open by the light, and the boundary between the Annihilation Abyss Epoch and the Void Realm seemed to tremble at the same moment.

The Four Sacred Cores Return to One, Clear Evolution Core is reborn.