Location: Beyond the Void Emperor's Gate
The moment they stepped through the gate…
Everything changed.
There was no sensation of movement.
No light.
No darkness.
For a brief second, it felt like they had ceased to exist.
Then—
Reality returned.
A World Without Energy
Fenglan's eyes opened slowly.
He froze.
"What… is this place?"
Before them stretched an endless world.
Floating islands drifted silently in the air.
Broken pillars stood like remnants of a forgotten civilization.
The sky above was not blue.
It was a deep, endless black—like the inside of space itself.
But the most shocking part—
There was no spiritual energy.
Not even a trace.
Meiyue's expression turned serious.
"I can't feel anything…"
She tried circulating her cultivation.
Nothing responded.
Even breathing felt strangely heavy.
Xiaoxiao frowned.
"This place rejects all normal energy."
Only one person remained unaffected.
Qin Huaian.
His Void aura moved naturally, as if this world belonged to him.
He looked around calmly.
"This is not a ruin."
He paused.
"This is a preserved world."
The First Step Forward
The ground beneath their feet was made of smooth black stone.
Ancient symbols were carved into it, faintly glowing.
Fenglan stepped forward carefully.
The moment his foot touched the ground—
A ripple spread outward.
The world reacted.
Far in the distance…
Something moved.
The Silent Guardians
On one of the floating platforms ahead, shadows began forming.
They rose slowly from the ground.
Humanoid figures.
But incomplete.
Their bodies flickered like broken reflections.
Meiyue whispered:
"Those aren't living beings…"
Huaian nodded.
"They are constructs."
"Formed from Void memory."
The figures turned toward them.
Their hollow eyes glowed faintly.
Then, without warning—
They vanished.
Instant Attack
BOOM!
One of the figures appeared directly behind Fenglan.
Its hand pierced toward his back like a blade.
Fenglan reacted instantly.
He twisted his body and countered with Void energy.
But something felt wrong.
His attack passed through the figure.
Like striking an illusion.
"What?!"
The figure attacked again.
Faster this time.
Meiyue jumped in.
Lunar Void Art!
Her attack connected—
But the figure flickered and reappeared behind her.
Xiaoxiao narrowed her eyes.
"They don't follow normal space rules."
Understanding the Void
Huaian stepped forward slightly.
"Stop attacking."
The twins immediately paused.
Confused.
"Then how do we fight them?" Fenglan asked.
Huaian looked at the shifting figures.
"You don't fight them."
He raised his hand slowly.
Void energy spread across the area.
The flickering figures suddenly became unstable.
"They exist between presence and absence."
"To defeat them…"
His voice turned calm and precise.
"You must decide whether they exist."
First Realization
Meiyue's eyes widened slightly.
She closed her eyes.
Instead of sensing energy…
She focused on absence.
On the space where the figures appeared.
For the first time—
She felt it.
A faint distortion.
"There…"
She raised her hand and gently touched the air.
Void Collapse
The space twisted.
CRACK.
One of the figures froze.
Then shattered instantly.
Fenglan's Breakthrough
Fenglan grinned.
"So that's how it works."
He stopped trying to attack.
Instead, he focused his mind.
The next figure appeared in front of him.
But this time—
He didn't move.
He simply spoke softly.
"You don't exist here."
Void energy pulsed.
The figure flickered violently—
Then disappeared.
The Path Opens
All the shadow figures vanished.
The world became quiet again.
Ahead of them, a floating pathway slowly formed.
Leading deeper into the ruins.
Xiaoxiao looked impressed.
"So this place isn't testing strength…"
Huaian nodded.
"It's testing understanding."
He looked toward the distance.
Far away, at the center of the world…
A massive structure floated in the sky.
A broken palace made of black crystal.
Ancient.
Silent.
Waiting.
"That is where the truth lies."
A Hidden Presence
As they began walking forward…
Huaian suddenly stopped.
His gaze shifted slightly.
Deep within the ruins…
Something had noticed them.
Something ancient.
Something that had been sleeping for a very long time.
For the first time since entering—
Huaian's expression became serious.