Suddenly, the sky and earth collapsed, not falling downwards, but falling backwards.
The entire space seemed like a rewind of a starry sea, with mountains, wind, and sunlight all collapsing into the past.
The moment Qin Yu, Extinguished Light, and Ling Liangyan stepped inside, their figures were torn into tens of thousands of "shadows that hadn't even happened."
Every ray of light was falling backward, like a severed lifeline sliding into the bottomless abyss of the past.
This is the sealed realm of the Reverse-Time Nihility Lock.
The sky lost its direction; gray light flowed downwards and then reversed upwards, while billions of "silver sands of time" floated in the air.
They spin in reverse and self-destruct, breaking into tiny fragments, which are then swallowed back by themselves.
Every time a grain of "time sand" disappears, a memory of that existence is erased from the world.
In the instant before they fell, those specks of light flashed with human figures, tears, smiles, and vows, before all of them vanished.
The world was silent, yet filled with "forgotten breaths."
Beneath their feet flowed a greyish-white river.
That wasn't water, but "fragments of the past."
Every drop of light carries the "past" of countless living beings.
Name, cultivation method, deceased friends, destiny--
But they are erased from themselves as they flow.
It flows not toward the future, but toward the end of time's reversal.
Extinguished Light gently raised his eyes, his pupils reflecting the scene of "a tidal wave of gray".
"This is not time... but a phantom of time after its death."
Qin Yu's expression was solemn, Azure Evolution Core between his brows trembled.
"It seems that this layer is no longer a narrative layer, but rather a layer of narrative remnants—"
Even the process of 'being written' is being deleted.
Right now--
In the center of the ash stream, a huge vortex slowly opened.
The vortex was shaped like an inverted hourglass.
The hourglass had no outlet at either end; the sand flowed upstream continuously, only to crumble at the midpoint.
With each shattered grain, "the life of a certain monk" vanishes from the annals of the universe.
Immediately afterwards, a grayish-white hand emerged from the center of the hourglass.
It has no physical form, but is composed of billions of fragments of sand, each grain of which seals within countless people's "momentary memories."
The gray storm suddenly dispersed, and a figure slowly emerged.
That was a time-defying deity.
His body was a transparent stream of light, and his features were made up of countless Time Splitting hands;
Deep within his eyes lies an eternally receding sea of sand.
With every blink, the "past" of a certain world is written backwards into blank space.
--The Shattered Flow Lord
An absolute reversal and suppressor of the meta-narrative timeline.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
The ash flow silently writhed into ancient characters:
Time is an illusion of the narrator.
The narrative has ended; the illusion should now vanish.
Before the words were finished,
The earth and sky trembled.
The dome above the three of them suddenly reversed, and billions of grains of gray sand poured down from all directions.
That wasn't fleeting light, but countless "past selves" falling—
Qin Yu as a child, Extinguished Light upon entering the Annihilation Void, Ling Liangyan before her awakening...
All of "them in the past" have been stripped from time and space and fall before our eyes.
Extinguished Light was suddenly startled; she saw her old self reflected in him—
The girl who had not yet transformed into the "Final Light Plunderer" still possessed a gentle light and timidity, and was being swallowed by the sands of time.
"That was... my past radiance!"
Qin Yu understood in an instant.
It's making us reclaim our past.
If we are completely swallowed up, we will no longer have any evidence that we ever existed.
The Shattered Flow Lord slowly reached out his hand, and the gray stream in his palm instantly expanded.
Layer upon layer of "Rings of Time Sands" descended,
That's the "Instant Cutting Formation" --
Any Fate Soul that enters it will be instantly decomposed into irreparable, instantaneous dust.
Time has been shattered into moments that can never be pieced back together.
Qin Yu suddenly shouted, "Extinguished Light —protect my sea of consciousness!"
A burst of Azure Evolution Core his brows, and the Annihilation Demon Flame transformed into countless gray-black spirals.
He stretched out his palm and unleashed a powerful "Time Flow Reversal" technique.
The black flames swirled back, and Qin Yu attempted to use his own Fate Soul to reverse the timeline.
However, in the next instant, his actions appeared to be "reversed" in his own eyes!
Every thought was erased before it was even uttered.
"Damn it... even the order of 'cause' and 'effect' is locked here!"
Extinguished Light gritted his teeth, his pupils flashing with aurora light.
She suddenly waved her hand. "Annihilation Fate Radiance Induction - Star Judgment of End and Beginning!"
A dazzling radiance burst forth from her palm, as if reversing and burning an entire line of destiny.
The moment the radiance collided with the ash flow, the entire space exploded into billions of halos of light.
That scene—it was as if time itself had been illuminated.
Ling Liangyan lightly brushed her fingers, and the strings of the zither transformed into transparent light.
"Playing Jiwu Without Strings!" A sound from the void was plucked.
The "Past Three Breaths" were peeled away from the Shattered Flow Lord.
But just as the light wave was about to touch Him, that "three breaths past" instantly shattered into dust.
The Shattered Flow Lord smiled silently.
His form began to recede—
But that regression is not an escape, but rather the merging of the "past self" with the present.
Countless Shattered Flow Lord appeared simultaneously.
They come from different "deleted moments".
Each one holds a reversed hourglass.
Together we raised them high to the sky. At that moment,
The gray light of heaven and earth converged into a blade that defied time.
The blade flows in reverse, time itself like a severed thread.
The three were caught in an endless reverse flow.
Qin Yu's skin began to crack.
What flows in the cracks is not blood, but "sand of time".
That was his own life falling apart.
With Extinguished Light roar, Min Guang unleashed his full power!
The five forms of radiant light instantly overlapped into a giant halo.
"Xuanji Return to Origin - The Lightless Final Wheel!"
As the cycle turns, the sands of time freeze.
The difference between light and time is re-separated at this moment.
Countless grains of dust were frozen in place by the radiant light.
Qin Yu took this opportunity,
Demonic eyes suddenly opened
"The Annihilation Devil Pupil - The Final Gaze!"
The instant the pupil shot out,
The gray currents of heaven and earth suddenly surged back.
Each grain of "time sand" was instantly annihilated once his gaze locked onto it.
Those Shattered Flow Lord had lost their time-based support all came to a standstill.
Like a frozen frame, shattered.
Ling Liangyan stood in the void, her hair loose, her black strands fluttering like zither strings.
"Chill Suspended Inverted —I return your time!"
She plucked the last string, and the sound played backwards.
The sound waves struck the Shattered Flow Lord in reverse.
Boom--!
The entire Heavenly Prison collapsed.
The inverted hourglass shattered, and billions of silver grains scattered like a meteor shower.
The gray light that had enveloped the world finally went out.
Qin Yu, Extinguished Light, Ling Liangyan stood amidst the dust and light.
Time stood still around them.
Only their three heartbeats continued—forward.
Extinguished Light raised his eyes and murmured, "Time... has finally stopped rewinding."
Qin Yu closed his eyes and sighed softly, "No, it merely... acknowledges our 'present existence'."
Deep in the sky, the last stream of ash transformed into thin pages, slowly folding.
That page burned to golden ash, and a new mark appeared at the beginning of the book: The Seventh Heavenly Prison - The Narrative Silent End Realm.
As the gray light dissipated, the world returned to silence. The collapsed hourglass transformed into floating fragments of light that drifted slowly down into the void, like frozen rain of time, landing on the shoulders of the three. The entire space regained its direction and weight, and the wind blew from afar, gently ruffling the long, black hair of the Extinguished Light.
Qin Yu was the first to steady his breathing. He sat down cross-legged, and the Annihilation Demon Flame around his body were gathered into fine gray lines, swirling around his body like a protective mist. The demonic eye between his brows slowly closed, and the light that had "penetrated through eternity" finally subsided.
Extinguished Light stood beside him, her aura still icy and piercing. The five Radiant Laws returned to their proper places within her, and the flowing light of the Final Radiance resembled a galaxy flowing backward. She looked up at the torn ceiling, her voice calm yet tinged with weariness. "Time... is still unstable. Although we have broken the lock, the remaining fragments of time are still flowing. The laws of time in this place have been completely shattered."
Qin Yu nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "The Reverse-Time Nihility Lock... it really doesn't just sever time; it even tries to deny our 'experiences.' Just now, I even felt—my past disappearing. If the Azure Evolution Core hadn't stabilized my Fate Soul on its own, I might not even remember who I am now."
Ling Liangyan leaned quietly against a broken rock not far away. The rock was originally a "frozen fragment" distorted by time, but it solidified again after she touched it. Her expression Anran, but it clearly revealed a deep weariness. Her black hair was scattered over her shoulders, and the stringless zither in her hand still gleamed coldly.
"It's a miracle we left this realm alive," she whispered, her voice trembling like flowing water. "The Shattered Flow Lord didn't die... I heard its last breath; it marked our 'future' as well. Perhaps, on the next page of our journey, it will appear in another form."
Qin Yu looked up at her, his gaze calm. "Then let's wait for it to come again."
Extinguished Light turned around, gazing calmly at the two. The radiance deep within his dark pupils resembled a galaxy in the night sky. "The Shattered Flow Lord is indeed powerful, but it also reminds us of one thing—each level of the Source of Epochless is not only a test of strength, but also a dismantling of the 'meaning of existence.' The next level... perhaps even 'why we exist in this story' will be questioned."
Ling Liangyan's lips curved slightly, revealing a faint smile. "If Young Master Qin weren't here, I might have already perished in that ash current. It seems the Chaos First Palace indeed made the right choice in inviting him."
Qin Yu shook his head, "If you hadn't severed that momentary rift with your music, we wouldn't have had a chance to counterattack. To break this time-reversing lock—all three of us are indispensable."
Extinguished Light glanced at him sideways, her eyes gleaming, and said softly, "Then let's rest for a while. Although time is disordered here, there won't be any more threats in the short term. Once you've recovered, we'll continue on our way."
Qin Yu nodded gently, closed his eyes, and circulated the "Silent Principle Void Annihilation Scripture" to stabilize his soul. Black light and light intertwined, and the Qi flowed into the earth. Ling Liangyan leaned against the broken monument with her eyes slightly closed, gently touching the strings of her zither. The music was silent, yet it seemed to soothe the heavens and earth. Extinguished Light stood with his back to them, his figure reflected in front of the fractured spacetime rift, his black light as serene as a dream.
The gray currents ceased, the sky fell silent. Only the presence of the three individuals stood out clearly in this torn page of time.
Meanwhile, in the northern border of the Void Obliteration Domain, at the end of the ten-thousand-mile-long Crimson Abyss, a palace built of dark red stone bones floated above the fierce winds of the abyss. Blood mist and black flames swirled around the palace, and the gilded beast patterns on the roof had been eroded by blood into dark red. The plaque hanging in front of the palace gate, with three powerful ancient characters—Blood Blade Palace—trembled slightly in the silence.
Inside the main hall, the lamplight flickered like a crimson moon, and the air was thick with the stench of iron. Two figures sat facing each other at opposite ends of a blood-red jade table.
First, there was Xue Wuhen, the Blood Blade Hall of the Nine Alliances Gang. He was clad in deep purple armor, the patterns on which swirled with annihilating light and blood energy. His eyes were as cold as snake pupils, and his aura was so oppressive that it seemed capable of crushing the air. The pressure of Annihilation Dawn Realm · Middle Stage rippled around him, and even the candlelight in the hall dared not approach.
Opposite him stood another man of the same cultivation level, with a full head of red hair and a subtle, fanatical glint in his eyes— Xue Yingfeng, the vice-leader of the Blood Blade Hall and concurrently the commander of the Nine Alliances Gang's external operations. The two stared at each other for a moment, then Xue Yingfeng whispered, "Chief, is the Lord really certain he intends to target the Chaos First Palace's branch, the 'Chaos Evolution Divine Sect'? That's one of the branch sects personally appointed by their Palace Master. Once they make a move..."
Xue Wuhen slowly raised his hand, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. Each tap was accompanied by a wisp of bloody energy spreading out, seemingly causing even the palace itself to tremble.
"The Chaos First Palace is now getting too close to that Qin Yu. That kid has become their guest elder, and I've heard he's even caused a stir in the 'Chaos Star Domain'."
His gaze was icy, his voice low and guttural like an echo from hell, "If we allow them to grow any stronger, the balance of the Void Obliteration Domain will be shattered. What the higher-ups want is not a confrontation, but an annihilation."
Xue Yingfeng gritted his teeth and replied in a low voice, "We have already set up three layers of blood arrays around the 'Chaos Evolution Divine Sect,' and twenty-six members of the Dark Guard are already lying in ambush on the outer perimeter, waiting for your order."
Xue Wuhen's lips curled slightly. "Very well. Since the Chaos Evolution Divine Sect prides itself on being the foundation of the Chaos First Palace, let them taste the sharpness of the Blood Blade Hall first."
Just then, the blood mist outside the hall was suddenly stirred by an invisible force, and a shadowy figure quietly appeared. The person's true face was not revealed; only a long black robe and a faintly glowing ring could be seen. The aura was silent, yet it caused the temperature of the entire hall to drop sharply.
Xue Wuhen and Xue Yingfeng stood up simultaneously, bowing respectfully. "My lord."
The man in black robes stepped into the hall, his voice seemingly coming from across countless worlds, eerily calm yet possessing a majesty capable of shattering the soul.
"The plan is complete?"
Xue Wuhen -red jade slip, offering it with both hands. "My lord, we have drafted a battle plan. The attack route, timing, and targets have all been clearly planned. Please review it."
The man in black robes took the jade slip, and with a flick of his finger, it unfurled in the air. The light in the hall dimmed, and a three-dimensional phantom of the Hunyan Chaos Evolution Divine Sect appeared within the jade slip, clearly showing its mountains, palaces, spiritual arrays, and defensive formations.
He remained silent for a few breaths, then said in a low voice, "Indeed... This battle cannot be dragged out. Remember—clean and swift, a quick victory is essential. The main hall of the Chaos First Palace must not be disturbed, or you will all become dust of time."
"Understood!" the two hall masters replied in unison, their tone respectful yet stern.
The man in black robes slightly raised his hand, and two items appeared out of thin air in his palm.
First, there was a flag as black as ink, with backlit blood-red patterns engraved in the center, and the runes faintly burning;
Secondly, there were two crystal-clear pills, within which surged energy resembling the bursting of a nebula.
"This flag is called the [Annihilation Flame Blood Banner]—where it is planted, it transforms into a forbidden zone within ten breaths, rendering mortals, divine senses, and formations ineffective. Those two pills are [Soul Annihilation Extreme Pill], which can temporarily break through one level of cultivation after consumption, but the price... you should know."
Xue Wuhen and Xue Yingfeng shrank almost simultaneously, their breathing becoming rapid. The Soul Annihilation Extreme Pill —a legendary forbidden medicine that could burn the soul and exchange power, even the Silent Mystery Realm was wary of it.
The two bowed their heads in unison. "Thank you for your grace, sir! We will certainly not fail in our mission!"
The man in black robes nodded slightly, flicked his sleeve, and his entire body transformed into a cloud of black smoke. The moment the smoke dissipated, even time seemed to stand still.
Only the lingering sound echoed in the hall.
"If you succeed in this battle, your Blood Blade Hall will once again be inscribed at the top of the Annihilation Void Power Order... If you fail, you will become the first chapter in my rewriting of Annihilation History."
As the last breath dissipated, Xue Wuhen and Xue Yingfeng exchanged a glance. Their eyes gleamed with the same fanaticism and greed.
"The Chaos Evolution Divine Sect... Hah, just wait for the Blood Blade Hall's judgment."
Outside the hall, blood mist billowed and crimson light flashed; a dark tide sweeping across the Annihilation Void gradually dissipated...