Chapter 161: The mystery is finally revealed and the journey begins

In the back mountain of Xuanyun Sect, deep in Ye Li’s exclusive cave, in a quiet room isolated by multiple formations, the atmosphere was as heavy as substance.

The air was mingled with the crisp scent of sandalwood and the ageless aroma of ancient scrolls. Ye Li and Qin Yixuan sat opposite each other, a vast, dynamic star map, condensed from divine consciousness, slowly rotating between them. The stars on the map weren't static, but rather moved along mysterious paths. Certain areas flashed a dazzling red light, marked with obscure ancient divine texts, silently proclaiming the dangers and taboos they represented.

The five fragments of the Samsara Mirror, as if possessing independent lives, slowly swirled around the star map, emitting chaotic light of varying intensities. These lights subtly resonated and evoked specific points on the star map, as if revealing an ancient secret buried by time. Ye Li's eyes were tightly closed, a single glimmer of light blazing between her brows. Her consciousness was deeply intertwined with the five fragments, like a tireless and sophisticated decoder, painstakingly peeling, sifting, and integrating the crucial information about the "wasteland" and the final two lost fragments from the vast and complex torrent of memories spanning countless years.

Elsewhere, Qin Yixuan was absorbed in her thoughts. Several jade slips emanating different lusters hovered before her. Some of these slips were from Ye Li's own handwritten records, compiled after Ye Feng and Su Wan's injuries had stabilized, drawing on gradually revived ancient memories. They contained the inheritance and taboos of their family's bloodline and the "Mark of Reincarnation." Others contained supreme secrets from the hidden treasures of the Jiuxiao Heavenly Palace, pertaining to cosmic balance, the birth and death of epochs, and the purification of extreme evil forces. Her slender fingertips occasionally traced the air, emitting wisps of pure, sacred light, as if she were deducing and simulating the trajectory of some force capable of responding to future crises.

In the quiet room, one could hear a pin drop; the only sounds were the two people's long and steady breathing, and the barely perceptible sound of the jade slips being turned.

Time flowed in silence. An unknown amount of time passed before Ye Li slowly opened her eyes. A hint of deep fatigue barely concealed flashed across them, but more than that, a clarity that had glimpsed the core of truth after parting through the thick fog. She raised her hand, her fingertips steadily pointing to the very edge of the dynamic star map: an extremely remote region of absolute darkness, surrounded by countless twisted and violent spacetime turbulence and the remains of shattered stars, like a hideous scar in the universe.

"All the clues, the final intersection, is right here—the 'Eye of Guixu.'" Ye Li's voice was a little hoarse from overexerting his spiritual consciousness, but it resonated with uncanny clarity in the quiet room. "According to the original star map of the divine realm remaining in the fragments, this place was once the border between the divine realm and an unknown dimension. It was also one of the core points where the energy impact was most intense and concentrated in the ancient final battle that led to the collapse of the divine realm. After that battle, the spatial structure here completely collapsed and annihilated, forming this realm of absolute darkness capable of swallowing light, spiritual consciousness, and even the laws of heaven and earth. Later generations called it the 'Eye of Guixu,' meaning the place where all things end."

Qin Yixuan gently put down the jade slip in her hand, and cast a solemn gaze at the daunting darkness on the star map, her eyebrows slightly frowned: "The Eye of Guixu... There is also a vague mention in the Heavenly Palace Secret Book that it is an absolute forbidden area where no life has ever existed and no laws exist. The last two fragments actually ended up in such a desperate place?" There was disbelief in her voice.

"It's not directly in the core of the Eye." Ye Li's fingertips moved slightly, and the divine consciousness map zoomed in, focusing precisely on the suffocating dark edge of the Eye of Guixu, on an extremely subtle spatial wrinkle that would be almost imperceptible if it weren't for the special resonance with the fragment. "Rather, it's deep within this 'spacetime wrinkle' that has been extremely distorted and almost completely hidden by the Eye of Guixu's immense gravity. The sensation transmitted by the fragment is extremely weak and intermittent, as if deliberately obscured or interfered with by some powerful force. And the 'reincarnation mark' in my father and mother's bloodlines, when I use my divine consciousness to explore this star field, also produces a strange, faint throbbing feeling similar to 'homecoming'. This throbbing confirms the guidance of the fragment, pointing to the same place."

She paused, her expression becoming incomparably solemn, even a hint of awe. "This path, hidden on the brink of destruction, may be our only relatively 'safe' way to bypass the terrifying power at the front of the 'Eye of Guixu,' capable of devouring the Supreme Being, and reach the legendary 'wasteland' beyond. But remember, this 'safety' is only relative to directly entering the 'Eye of Guixu.' Within this fold of space and time, not only is there a violent spatial storm capable of instantly ripping apart the flesh of a Nirvana Realm and annihilating the soul, but it is also filled with the remains of powerful beings who have fallen from the ancient era of gods and demons, leaving behind eons of lingering soul fragments filled with endless resentment, madness, and a murderous will. These souls, eroded by time, have not only not been erased, but their nature may even have been tainted by the aura of 'nothingness,' rendering them extremely strange, dangerous, and unpredictable."

Qin Yixuan took a deep breath, a solemn expression etched across her beautiful face. She continued, her voice clear and steady, "As for the 'Wasteland'... according to the most secret records in the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady's legacy, it's the vast wreckage left behind after the collapse of the primordial divine realm. The laws of the world are shattered, and the environment is extremely harsh. Not only does it breed all sorts of terrifying creatures, distorted and alienated by the drastic changes, but the laws of time and space are also likely drastically different from the spiritual world we're familiar with, requiring a tremendous effort to adapt. However, the most fatal thing is... the main consciousness of the conceptual, world-destroying entity, the 'Void Devouring Beast,' is sealed deep within the 'Wasteland.' Once we step into it, it's like actively entering its domain, and every step could trigger unpredictable reactions."

Ye Li nodded solemnly, her gaze as sharp as a peerless divine weapon unsheathed, seemingly able to pierce through all illusions. "Thus, our goal is crystal clear: first, we must find a way to pass through the perilous space-time folds at the edge of the 'Eye of Guixu' and successfully enter the 'Wasteland'. Second, while striving to adapt to its extremely harsh environment, we must locate and collect the last two fragments of the Samsara Mirror as quickly as possible. Finally, we must find a viable solution to this apocalyptic crisis before the 'Void Devouring Beast' fully awakens and breaks free from its seal. Either we must devote all our strength to reinforcing the shaky ancient seal, or... we must seek that near-impossible opportunity to put an end to it once and for all."

She turned her head, her gaze resting on Qin Yixuan. Her eyes held an unconditional trust tempered by life and death, and an unwavering resolve. "This is a thorny, dead end, a road fraught with danger, but it is also a path to true immortality and transcendence. What we are about to face may be the ultimate terror, beyond all records, past and present, and beyond the limits of all living beings' cognition."

Qin Yixuan met Ye Li's deep gaze without hesitation. She extended her slender hand and clasped it tightly with Ye Li's, their fingers intertwined, conveying warmth and strength to each other. Her voice was calm yet rock-hard: "Then let us face it together. In the cycle of reincarnation, between life and death, you and I will always be together."

All clues, prophecies, responsibilities, and missions converged at this moment. The final mystery lay starkly and cruelly before them—before them lay the vast tomb that buried the glorious divine realm, the hopeless cage that imprisoned the conceptual world-destroying beast. They were about to enter an absolute desolate place where even the ancient supreme beings would retreat. This journey was both to protect what lay behind them and to pursue their own transcendence and path. The journey's destination lay directly at the universe's deepest darkness, and the ultimate mystery of the origin and end of all things hidden beyond.