Lingyao Sacred Gate and the Annihilation Light Galaxy

Above the sky, a waterfall of light cascaded down, and fragments of stars darted through it. The enormous bridge, woven from golden and annihilating radiance, hummed deeply in the howling wind. Qin Yu on the viewing platform in mid-air, his expression calm, though his appearance was now completely different.

His silver-black hair turned deep blue, his eyes turned dark gray, the spiritual mark on his forehead disappeared, and his whole aura was peaceful and unremarkable, like a mere mortal cultivator. Only the "Limitless True Evolution Core" hidden deep in his brow trembled slightly, causing the air around him to distort gently, but then returned to silence in the next breath.

Extinguished Light stood beside him, a glint of annihilation slowly flickering in his eyes. As if sensing his thoughts, he said softly, "You've even sealed your spiritual aura. That way, even Chaos Realm cultivator wouldn't be able to recognize who you are."

Qin Yu nodded and replied calmly, "The Nine Alliances Gang's Soul Arts are extremely powerful; we cannot take the risk. If they recognize us, it's not a big deal for me alone, but the Lotus Immortal Hall will inevitably be dragged into the Annihilation Void Struggle."

Before he finished speaking, a commotion suddenly arose below the bridge of light. The crowd parted, and a man draped in a blood-red robe slowly walked out. His aura was like solidified blood flames, and a blood-red halberd phantom appeared behind him, its blade seemingly capable of cleaving through space itself.

Extinguished Light raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Those are... people from the Blood Blade Hall."

Qin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly. The man exuded a pungent, bloody stench, and on his shoulder was the secret insignia of the Nine Alliances Gang —a ferocious serpent pattern composed of nine intertwined blood lines. It was the symbol of the Blood Blade Hall, representing their extreme ruthless path of "sacrificing life with blood."

The cultivators of the Blood Blade Hall looked up at the sky bridge, their gazes falling on the golden-haired youth standing in the center— Gan Hongyuan, a core disciple of the Heavenly Emanation Limitless Hall.

Gan Hongyuan stood with his hands behind his back, his aura calm and still. The azure spiritual light swirled like a galaxy in the wind, forming a static spatial ring around him, as if the rules of heaven and earth were sealed off by a single word.

The Blood Blade Hall cultivator grinned maliciously, his voice hoarse and low, yet filled with a frenzied fighting spirit. "Gan Hongyuan of the Heavenly Emanation Limitless Hall, I've heard that you can suppress all laws and stabilize heaven and earth with a single word. Hmph! My Blood Blade Hall also cultivates to the Annihilation Dawn Mirror · Supreme. Today, let's test just how vast the difference is between us!"

The entire room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a tremendous uproar.

"Is he insane? Gan Hongyuan is the most difficult to deal with among the core disciples of the five great temples!"

"Those lunatics from the Blood Blade Hall are always fearless. They burn their lifeblood and souls to seek killing intent. Once they make their move, they'll drag their opponents down to hell, even if it means dying themselves!"

"Heh, it seems today's battle will be even more brutal than the previous ones."

Across the bridge of light, Gan Hongyuan slowly raised his head, his expression unchanged, his tone indifferent. "The Annihilation Dawn Mirror · Supreme... Do you think those four words mean the same thing?"

The Blood Blade Hall cultivator grinned maliciously. With a wave of his hand, the blood halberd behind him solidified with a bang, and blood mist exploded, instantly covering hundreds of feet of sky. The world changed color, the wind was stained red with blood, and Spiritual Qi condensed into thousands of blood chains, as if hell had collapsed.

"I don't believe in fate, I only believe in slaughter!" he roared, and suddenly stepped into the void, his blood halberd trailing a long crimson light as it slashed straight at Gan Hongyuan.

Gan Hongyuan remained motionless, the divine brush held horizontally before his chest, and the azure light talisman instantly appeared. He softly uttered a single word—

"Book."

As the word landed, the sky froze. The blood-red light solidified in the air, as if time had been erased in an instant. Before the Blood Blade Hall cultivator's halberd could even touch Gan Hongyuan's sleeve, the sea of blood in the entire world began to flow backward. Blood chains broke, runes reassembled, and the blood-red flames were swallowed into the word-shaped light domain.

Gan Hongyuan's pen fell, a streak of azure characters ignited in the void. "Fate."

"Your life ends here in this battle."

The Blood Blade Hall cultivator's pupils contracted sharply. In the next instant, his entire body's spiritual blood, bones, and soul simultaneously crumbled into dust. He wanted to roar, but no sound came out. His voice, will, and soul were completely erased by that one word; even the definition of existence was rewritten as "nothingness."

Qin Yu's gaze darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice, "This person truly lives up to the name 'Limitless Book Lord'."

Extinguished Light's expression remained unchanged, his tone calm. "That single word is not a killing technique, but rather 'rewriting destiny.' Those who can use words to write down fate have already taken a half-step into the Chaos Causality Domain."

The battlefield fell into dead silence. A swirling blue light filled the air. Gan Hongyuan gently put down his pen, turned, and left, leaving only one sentence echoing at the end of the overpass:

"This bridge only accepts those who accept their destiny, not those who defy it."

The wind howled, and the cultivators fell silent, trembling with fear.

Qin Yu watched all this quietly, his lips slightly pursed, his expression calm, but inwardly he thought, "The power of the temple in the Void Obliteration Domain... truly far surpasses appearances. If he can rewrite destiny, then—the true secret of that immortal palace is probably even more earth-shattering."

In the instant that heaven and earth stood still, only a faint blue mark remained on the bridge of light, slowly dissipating in the void. Gan Hongyuan put down his pen and stood up, the azure light patterns emanating from his fingertips and merging into the sky. Then, his figure transformed into a wisp of smoke and disappeared into the air, along with the oppressive aura that seemed to govern destiny.

And in the instant he disappeared—

The entire Lingyao Immortal Palace suddenly trembled violently.

The once still Golden Palace suddenly emitted billions of streams of light, waterfalls cascaded down, and countless runic rays burst forth from the shattered clouds in the dome. Each line of light was like the handwriting of a god, weaving into countless rings on the sky. These were ancient characters from before the Annihilation Void Era, markings symbolizing the origin of "Lingyao".

Deep within the heavens, a dazzling golden-white crack slowly emerged—it was the "Lingyao Sacred Mark."

It is not a single pattern, but a sacred emblem composed of countless starlight veins. As it rotates, it seems to breathe, as if it is awakening. With each movement, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth vibrates violently, and the souls of all cultivators are shaken by that power.

"What is that...? That's... Sacred Rune Resonance!"

"The sacred seal of the Lingyao Immortal Palace has been reawakened! This is a summons for new trial participants!"

"My God, the sacred runes that have remained dormant for millennia have actually awakened!"

The crowd erupted in a clamor. The Spiritual Qi of the entire Southern Region surged into a vortex of light at that moment, and the color of the world was replaced by golden radiance. The disciples of the five great temples all raised their eyes, their expressions solemn, and even their temple insignia trembled slightly.

A beam of light descended from the sky, transforming into a gate of light. That gate stood atop the golden waterfall, like a boundary between reality and the divine realm. Ancient inscriptions floated upon its surface—

[Lingyao Sacred Gate - Trial Realm - Only those bearing the seal of destiny may enter]

Thunder rumbled across the sky, and golden waterfalls churned. Countless cultivators gazed up at the gate, their eyes gleaming with fervor and longing.

And at that very moment--

On the outskirts of the crowd, Qin Yu and Extinguished Light stood quietly beneath the golden steps in the distance. Light rained down, illuminating his disguised face. At this moment, his expression was calm, but he paused slightly when he saw that familiar figure in front of him.

That was -- Luo Shuangyue.

She was clad in a silver-white fairy robe, with a spirit mirror hanging at her waist. Several disciples of the Lotus Immortal Hall stood guard beside the array platform behind her. Her long hair was blown by the wind, and light flowed over her shoulders. That familiar spiritual aura instantly overlapped with the memory of the battle in the Withering Soul Forest.

Qin Yu's gaze narrowed slightly, then he slowly took a step. Extinguished Light sensed his intention, nodded slightly, her silver hair falling to cover the azure star mark, and walked with him.

As they stepped into the crowd, a gust of wind ruffled their clothes, causing the surrounding cultivators to turn around. Qin Yu's appearance was now unremarkable, and his spiritual aura was completely concealed by the "Limitless True Evolution Core," so no one recognized him.

Until they got closer--

Luo Shuangyue sensed that unique, calm aura and subconsciously turned around. Their eyes met in the dust, and in that brief moment, her heart trembled.

Those eyes... she couldn't be mistaken.

She spoke softly, her tone tinged with caution. "May I ask what brings you here, young master?"

Qin Yu smiled slightly, said nothing more, and took out a jade-colored token from his sleeve. The token's surface was shimmering with lotus light patterns, and in its center was an extremely deep mirror mark. That was—the token of the Immortal Venerable Jingxin.

Luo Shuangyue froze, her pupils shrinking sharply, her voice almost trembling. "You are— Young Master Qin! You..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Yu gently raised his hand, put his index finger to his lips, and made a "shh" gesture.

Extinguished Light stood quietly to one side, her silver eyes slightly lowered, silently watching the two of them.

Qin Yu's gaze was gentle, yet carried a hint of suppressed emotion. "Miss Shuangyue, there are too many people around here; it's not appropriate to discuss this matter. Let's speak in private."

Luo Shuangyue was startled and quickly regained her composure. She immediately said to the disciples behind her, "Keep an eye on our surroundings, I'll be right back."

"Yes, Senior Sister." Several disciples of the Lotus Immortal Hall responded in unison, quickly setting up defensive array patterns to guard the surroundings.

Luo Shuangyue then turned around and nodded slightly. "Please follow me."

They walked through the crowds, strolling slowly along the light-and-shadow corridor at the edge of the overpass. Golden light flowed over the three of them, light and wind intertwining to create strange illusions. In the distance, the sacred gate was still slowly opening, its booming sound echoing through the sky. Fate, destiny, and calamity had all subtly overlapped within this radiance.

The thunderous echo of the golden waterfall reverberated through the sky, like countless galaxies falling to earth. The shimmering gold water cascaded down, reflecting a dreamlike and radiant scene. Qin Yu and Luo Shuangyue walked side by side into the dark corridor behind the waterfall, their figures silently accompanied by the Extinguished Light, their clothes fluttering gently with the flowing light, their steps making no sound.

The air deep within Lingyan carried a faint chill, and water droplets gathered on the rock face, forming a thin layer of light, like the afterglow of fallen stars. Qin Yu stopped, turned around, and lightly raised a finger. An invisible Silent Ring spread out, isolating him from all outside observation. The world Time Silence, with only the rhythmic sound of the waterfall remaining.

Luo Shuangyue took a soft breath, her gaze still fixed on Qin Yu's face, her eyes filled with shock, surprise, and a hint of bewilderment. She whispered, "It's so good to see you again... The Immortal Venerable was so worried about you, we were all concerned when you went to those desolate places."

Qin Yu smiled slightly, his smile calm and serene, "If it weren't for your master's guidance, I'm afraid I would have had a hard time reviving Extinguished Light."

Luo Shuangyue nodded slightly, and only after a moment did she notice the unfathomable tranquility surrounding him. She was stunned for a moment, and tried to concentrate, but she could not sense any spiritual fluctuations from Qin Yu, as if he did not exist in time, nor within any definition of the world.

She frowned. "Your cultivation level... why can't I see through it at all?"

Qin Yu's gaze remained calm as he slowly replied, "Perhaps it's because the boundary I established is no longer visible to those who 'observe' it."

This simple answer sent a shiver down Luo Shuangyue's spine. Her eyes flickered, as if she wanted to ask a question, but she was completely choked by the words "no longer what can be seen." That air of understanding stirred a long-lost sense of awe in her heart.

At this moment, a soft light slowly flowed around her. Extinguished Light stood quietly behind the waterfall, her long silver hair sparkling like a dream in the golden water. Her clothes fluttered lightly, like a silent lotus of light. Her azure eyes were fixed on Luo Shuangyue, the depths of her gaze containing the flow of a starry sea, yet without any emotional ripples.

Qin Yu said softly, "Miss Shuangyue, this... is my travel companion, and also the real reason I went to those four places— Extinguished Light."

Luo Shuangyue bowed subconsciously, her tone respectful. "Senior's aura is extraordinary, seemingly beyond the reach of worldly laws... May I ask which Dao Venerable you are?"

Extinguished Light's expression was calm, her voice as still as a mirror. "I have no official title, I only follow Qin Yu." The moment she raised her eyes, the surrounding light shattered, even the waterfall seemed to freeze for a moment, the water droplets floating in the air as a frozen band of light.

Luo Shuangyue's heart trembled, as if she were being watched by countless stars, and her soul was frozen in an instant. If Qin Yu hadn't gently raised his hand to resist this pressure with his invisible True Essence aura, she probably would have stopped breathing.

Qin Yu turned to Extinguished Light and smiled slightly, his expression gentle yet tinged with helplessness. "Extinguished Light, she is the Immortal Venerable's disciple."

Extinguished Light lowered his eyes slightly, and the light and shadow flowed again. The frozen time slowly melted away, and the sound of the waterfall revived.

Luo Shuangyue finally came to her senses, a fine layer of sweat already beading on her forehead. She took a deep breath and said softly, "So that's how it is... No wonder the Immortal Venerable's divination contained the omen of 'the Nameless light covering the world.' Young Master Qin... your companions now are probably beyond Non-Self comprehension."

Qin Yu smiled slightly, "Extinguished Light is the terminator of light, and was once the guardian of the realm. Her fate is intertwined with mine; we will journey together."

Extinguished Light's gaze fell upon the distant Gate of Sacred Runes, his voice as calm as the wind. "That gate... does not merely lead to the Immortal Palace, but to the core memory ground of the Void Obliteration Domain. The trial-takers it chooses are not only those who bear the destiny, but also the destiny itself that is being trialed."

Qin Yu nodded. "That's why I have to go in."

Luo Shuangyue's expression changed slightly. "You want to enter the Lingyao Immortal Palace? But even those at the Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme dare not venture deep inside. The core disciples of the five great temples personally guard the sacred gate, allowing only the 'Destined Ones' to enter. If you show yourself, I'm afraid it will alert them."

A resolute glint flashed in Qin Yu's eyes. "The Nine Alliances Gang have already approached the Southern Region; I can no longer remain hidden. The true purpose of the Lingyao Immortal Palace's reappearance is likely related to them. Since I have set foot in the Annihilation Void, it is my destiny—what is destined will come."

Luo Shuangyue gazed at him for a long time, finally letting out a soft sigh, "Then who do you intend to challenge?"

Qin Yu smiled but did not answer. He turned around, his gaze piercing through the waterfall of light to the slowly opening sacred gate, golden runes surging like waves. Behind him Extinguished Light whispered, "The path of destiny has begun; the trial is here. If you enter, I will accompany you."

Luo Shuangyue watched their retreating figures silently, a fleeting look of bewilderment and emotion in her eyes.

Qin Yu turned his head and smiled slightly at her, "I am currently at the Severed Observation Realm · Initial Stage, but I still have a chance to fight against the Annihilation Dawn Realm · Supreme. I have been observing for a long time, and among those five people, Wen Hongyi, the core disciple of the Fallen Dawn Divine Hall Annihilation Dawn Mirror · Supreme, is easier to deal with, so I will challenge him."