The twilight, like flowing gold sand, fell upon the ten -Thousand Realms Sect thousand-step corridor of the outer sect's main domain.
At that moment, the bell at the top of the Soul Tower rang three times, resounding throughout the Thousand Peaks Realm.
Qin Yu returned from the Soul Lock Severed Abyss, covered in wounds, yet his steps were steady. His robes were tattered and stained with blood, but an invisible, Annihilation sharpness emanated from him as he walked through the boundary energy.
He held a soul core in his hand, its color a broken soul black, its pattern bearing the marks of the natural world.
This is no ordinary soul beast core—it is a remnant divine beast soul of an ancient species extremely close to the realm of souls, which can only be encountered by those who have reached the pinnacle of [Origin Abyss Judgment and Enforcement].
⸻
Myriad Phenomena Mission Hall.
The elder in charge was reviewing the low-level tasks submitted by several disciples in the Initial Yuan Realm, but his expression changed drastically when he saw the seal scroll submitted by Qin Yu!
"... You've completed [The Origin Abyss Judgment and Enforcement]?"
"The 'Ancient Abyss Soul Lock,' which no one dared to touch for a century, you... a mere first-tier initial stage cultivator, actually managed to survive?"
Qin Yu did not respond, but instead placed the Soul Core seal into the [Boundary Pillar] in the hall.
The entire hall trembled violently, and as the soul core touched the seal pillar, a bronze-colored beam of light shot into the sky!
Click--
The "Soul Lock Mark" that had been dormant for a century was instantly activated at the top level of the Boundary Pillar, leaving a brand new mark!
[Seal Holder: Qin Yu]
[Quest Level: Origin Abyss - Broken Seal Rank]
[Reward: 500 Realm Merit Points]
The entire hall was silent!
As countless disciples gazed at that seal, they realized: someone capable of entering the top ten of the Soul Stele competition had appeared!
⸻
After completing the mission, Qin Yu did not leave immediately, but instead went into seclusion on the third floor of the Soul Tower's Nether Pavilion.
He sat cross-legged beside the Pursuing the Nether Long Spear, recalling the technique he used to overcome adversity during his battle against the Rending Flame Soul-Devouring Zheng—
[Silent Origin: Wheel-Breaking Seal]
That was no accident.
That was a fragment of a spiritual technique he obtained by chance in the "Ancient Page of the Silent Gate" of the Spirit Firmament Soul Tower. It contained a forbidden technique from before the final calamity of the previous era of the Spirit Firmament:
The Silent Origin: Tribulationless Chapter.
Legend has it that this technique originated from a rebellious figure in the "Chronicles of the Sourceless," who stepped out of the "Final Thought Stage" and used his soul to obliterate the lingering remnants left by the gods. It was only passed down in three forms, each capable of severing "hijacking opportunities" and breaking through the "Soul Realm."
What he has now mastered is its first move: the Wheel-Breaking Seal.
This technique originates from "Soul Lock," which uses a seal to sever the soul. Only those with extremely stable soul consciousness can master it, and only those with a unified soul can withstand the soul pressure and return it to the scroll.
If the Pursuing the Nether Long Spear did not possess the "Soul of the Realm in Sleep" mark, Qin Yu would not have been able to bear this mark.
Now that this combat technique has been unleashed, it has slain divine beasts and shaken soul locks; its power is no small matter.
He knew that there were second and third forms hidden behind the remaining pages, which could only be performed after he had delved deeper into the Dao of the Soul.
⸻
Not long after recuperating, Zhou Yu rushed to the Soul Tower and handed a secret letter to Qin Yu.
It was delivered personally by Qian Ruishan; within the seal were only two sentences:
"The records at the Ancient Soul Platform have been altered; the mission assignment was indeed due to human interference, and the person issuing the order came from the fifth Soul Stele."
This person's name is Shang Kui.
Qin Yu remained silent, his expression indifferent, and simply burned the letter.
Zhou Yu whispered, "You want to hurt him?"
Qin Yu replied, "No rush. The sooner we alert them, the less we'll know their true intentions."
At this moment, he was more interested in knowing whether Qian Ruishan had already launched an in-depth investigation.
⸻
In the eastern part of the Spirit Firmament Realm, at the Black Tortoise Seal-Bearing Platform.
"The Blazing Flame Soul-Devouring Zheng... has been annihilated."
Several gray-robed officers stared solemnly at the Water Mirror Map, now devoid of its Soul Mark.
"Who is it? There's no record of this person on the boundary marker..."
"No soul trace can be found, but the aura of the Boundless Realm Merit remains. However, judging from the fragmented soul and broken laws, the attacker was at least at the third level of the [Obsession Realm]."
"This is the Soul Zheng, second only to the Five Divine Beasts!"
"Primordial Origin? Impossible! Even Initial Origin Fifth Stage couldn't withstand that!"
"Transfer order—Upgrade the target to Black Sense Monitoring level under the name of the Clinging to Knowing, and notify the Soul Palace Office and the Third Soul-Hunting Division."
Unbeknownst to them, the person who actually made the move was only at the first level of the Initial Yuan Realm.
But that person—possessed a "Pursuit of the Unseen" sword, a "Wheel-Breaking Seal" technique, and a wisp of unmoved Azure Ring.
Qin Yu returned alone, placed Pursuit of the Unseen on the soul stand in front of the wall, and stood silently by the window, gazing at the distant mountains and the surging sea of clouds. He did not speak all night.
Until, he slowly closed his eyes, his lips moved slightly, and he uttered a name:
"... Azure Ring."
Buzz--
Deep within his sea of consciousness, a wisp of light emerged, with cyan patterns flowing around it like an undying, floating boundary, slowly swirling around the core of his Spiritual Sense.
The voice, no longer as silent as it had been at first, echoed with a light yet cold sense of judgment:
[Your combat technique was slow to activate, your control over the Pursuit of the Unseen was insufficient, and your soul defense remained weak... but when the seal-wielding attack ended—you did not waver.]
Qin Yu chuckled softly, "So... what's the evaluation?"
Azure Ring paused for a moment, then uttered four words:
[This is a preliminary step.]
He nodded slightly, offering no explanation, but instead relaxed and fully opened his Spiritual Sense.
"So, can I continue moving forward now?"
The next moment--
The blue light suddenly trembled violently!
The Azure Ring spun in his sea of consciousness, and an ancient seal that seemed to transcend the scale of time slowly embedded itself into his spiritual foundation. What followed was the reversal of the Spiritual Qi of the entire Returning Seal Pavilion, like rivers and seas pouring into his veins!
Boom!!!
Qin Yu's aura surged like a tide, and streaks of light appeared on his skin. The boundary energy reversed, his soul consciousness expanded, and every inch of blood in his body seemed to be burned and purified by the cyan patterns.
Initial Origin First Stage... Stage 2... Stage 3...
Final--
Fourth stage complete!
At this moment, without relying on any elixirs or external forces, he forcibly crossed several levels solely through his "ring" and "intention"!
When the spiritual energy completely subsided, he opened his eyes, exhaled softly, his gaze as clear as ever, yet imbued with a tranquility that came from the baptism of his extinguished sharpness.
"Just one more step... to reach 'Tier 5', almost there."
"Then—I will embark on the real struggle for the throne."
Azure Ring did not respond, but quietly returned to her sea of consciousness. However, in the deepest part of Qin Yu's soul, it seemed to leave behind a faint, silent whisper: