Refining the Mountains and Rivers

There were no impermeable walls in the world. Even an influence as powerful as the East Zhou Family could not completely keep out all prying eyes from the outside, no matter how much they isolated themselves.

In particular, with the Path of 10,000 Souls about to open, any news related to Qin Yu was listed as the highest priority.

In a few days, the East Zhou Family had dealt with more than a dozen cultivators. Several of these cultivators had even been regarded as close confidantes of the family for many years.

Placing such spies required long-term planning and layouts, but also a certain degree of luck.

Each spy could be called incomparably precious. But now they were activated without hesitation. It could be seen how highly other influences regarded Qin Yu.

After paying a steep price, the East Zhou Family wanted to completely block all news related to Qin Yu. But they knew this was impossible.

So soon, news about his cultivation not having entered the God boundary yet was transmitted as fast as possible.

The hidden undercurrents suddenly stopped and all plans involving Qin Yu were terminated. All parties withdrew their tentacles that were probing the East Zhou Family.

As for the news that Qin Yu was going into seclusion at East Zhou Duly's dwelling and was going to emerge within seven days…

No one believed that!

They all knew about the cage of the rules. And they were also aware of Qin Yu's current condition. Not to mention breaking through in seven days, even if he was given a thousand years or 10,000 years, there was likely no hope for him. He would be forever locked beneath the God boundary.

Such a Qin Yu might still be strong, but every other party completely lost all desire to win him over.

The gathered attention quickly shifted and receded. Since he had no value, they naturally wouldn't come into conflict with the East Zhou Family because of him.

…

East Zhou Duly received a notice from the Council of Elders. She was requested to choose a new follower from the alternative candidate list to replace Qin Yu as soon as possible.

As for the contract that Qin Yu signed before, he couldn't even enter the Path of 10,000 Souls so it could only be given up.

"Duly, stop daydreaming. Qin Yu's status might be honored but his investment value has fallen precipitously. Although I am not sure why he has reached this step, even if he is the disciple of a Ruler he will likely never obtain their true recognition." The one who sat across from her was an Elder who had been close to East Zhou Duly's father. "The Path of 10,000 Souls will open soon. You don't have much time remaining, so you cannot delay any longer."

He took out a jade slip and put it on the table. "This is a name list of alternative cultivators. By tomorrow, you must give the Council of Elders an answer and we will respect your decision as much as we can. You must know that the position of follower not only involves your benefits but also those of the family. So no matter what the final outcome is, I cannot guarantee it with you."

"Great uncle…" East Zhou Duly hesitated.

The Elder frowned. When he looked at her his thoughts raced. He thought of something and his complexion became even sterner. "Duly, the Path of 10,000 Souls involves your future and you cannot allow any risks. I don't care what relationship there is between you and Qin Yu, but he has lost the chance to enter the Path of 10,000 Souls. You should also know this. Don't have any more fantasies. Give me a name tomorrow. Do you understand?"

East Zhou Duly took a deep breath and stood up, "Yes, great uncle."

When the Elder left, she turned and looked at the place where Qin Yu was in seclusion. A bitter smile crossed her face.

Qin Yu, if you really can break into the God boundary, then hurry up!

…

In the training chamber.

Qin Yu sat down cross-legged. A turbulent but vague aura lingered around him. It was majestic yet muted, giving off a constrained feeling.

He had encountered a problem.

The cage of the rules was indeed not able to cause any trouble for Qin Yu. Wrapped within the sun and moon force field, he was an existence that surpassed the world.

The issue appeared after he made a breakthrough in his cultivation, as he was condensing his God Mark.

Originally, when a cultivator knocked open the World's Dragon Gate, the Great Dao rules they perceived would voluntarily weave together. Bound together by an invisible strength, they would condense into a complete God Mark, signifying one's true entry into the God boundary.

But Qin Yu seemed to have too many Great Dao rules that he used to condense his God mark. Or perhaps it could be said that the mystical strength that arrived from nothingness wasn't enough, at least not enough to support the rules of the heavens and earth until the condensation was fully completed. As for his current cultivation, it was stuck at the threshold beneath and at the God boundary.

He had broken through the limit and completed the transformation of his life level. He was at the God boundary, but he actually wasn't able to smoothly condense his God Mark. As a result, he couldn't achieve normal integration with the heavens and earth.

If he couldn't fuse with it then he would be repulsed. This was the reason for the muted and constrained feeling he gave off.

And what caused Qin Yu to bitterly smile was that as time passed, this repulsing strength grew stronger and stronger.

At this increasing speed, even if his mortal body was tyrannical he wouldn't be able to survive much longer. Sooner or later, all that awaited him was the fate of being crushed to pieces.

He broke through to the God boundary but wasn't able to form his God Mark, and as a result was repulsed by the heavens and earth and would then slowly be crushed to death…if Qin Yu really died like this, he believed he could enter the top ten ranks of cultivators who died in the most tragic and pitiful way.

So he couldn't accept this unfathomably pitiful result.

"Is this why you said it was too early for me to break through to the God boundary? I cannot even smoothly condense the God Mark now. If I had waited any longer and perceived any more rules, it would have been even more difficult."

In the world of his mind, Qin Yu looked at the stone pagoda with an ugly expression.

The stone pagoda was now four to five meters high. It was still clear and translucent, shining with soft white light. But, its previous momentum was all gone. One could even faintly feel a bit of awkwardness rolling off from it.

This world seemed to have changed from before. When cultivators of the ancient past broke into the God boundary, they never encountered such problems.

Facing Qin Yu's questioning, it thought that the saying 'silence was golden' made perfect sense. However, Qin Yu's following words caused the stone pagoda to change its mind.

"You may remain silent now, but if something happens to me you won't be any better off. Everyone here is a grasshopper on the same rope. If we die, we all die together."

Qin Yu was the master of the stone pagoda. He had the right to bring the stone pagoda with him into death. The stone pagoda was also well aware of this.

I don't mind hardship and misery, but death is the only thing I cannot accept…these words perfectly described the stone pagoda.

So when it heard the word 'die' come from Qin Yu's lips, it could no longer remain still.

My wonderful pagoda life has just begun again, so how could I die with a brat like you? I won't remain silent anymore!

"Cough! In truth, there is a possible method to get out of this current situation."