Chapter 1240: Drag

It is not a truly existent space, but a Dao‑realm trap Yan Buji constructed, using his own "Silence Extinction Desire Dao" as core, blending the meaning of the eternal deathly silence of Forgotten Sand and a sliver of primordial Silence Extinction power stolen from the South Sea's Returning to Void Eye.

There are no enemies here, no attacks, only absolute "emptiness" and "silence".

Once stepped into, the cultivator's all connections to the outside world are completely severed, including ambient spiritual energy, the support of laws, even perception of time and space. Worse, the corridor continuously amplifies and reflects the intruder's own Dao Heart's deep understanding and fear of "the End". For Han Wuxian, this becomes an infinite magnifying glass and twisted cage for his own "Returning to Void Dao"! The more he employs Returning to Void Power to resist this world's "Silence Extinction", the more the corridor, after absorbing his power, becomes steadier and more terrifying, eventually guiding him to push his own Returning to Void Path toward an uncontrolled, utterly annihilating extreme, thereby… Dao dissolves the soul, becoming the ultimate nourishment for Yan Buji's Dao.

This trap targets not Han Wuxian's flesh, but his Dao! Its insidiousness reaches the extreme!

Yan Buji watched the star chart, where the light point representing Han Wuxian, after a brief hesitation and calculation, finally turned into a streak of light and shot toward the far‑north ice plain—after weighing pros and cons and confirming that the Tiangong Sect was about to attempt a forced seal break, Han Wuxian still refused to abandon the possibly existent Returning to Void mystery, and decided to go himself.

"A perfect choice," Yan Buji remarked indifferently. All of Han Wuxian's reactions were within his calculations.

He slowly closed his eyes, no longer paying attention to the outside. The trap had been set, the bait thrown, the prey was stepping into it. All he now needed was to wait. To wait for Han Wuxian to trigger the seal node in the far north, to wait for that one‑way passage to open, to wait for him to fall into the "Eternal Silence Corridor" tailor‑made for him.

When that moment comes, no one will notice his disappearance, only assuming he fell into the far‑north peril. And Yan Buji will eliminate this close‑range menace without shedding blood, and reap an immensely rich "Dao Fruit".

Within the Extinction Stone Coffin, darkness surged, as if silently mocking all external perception and calculations. Yan Buji's scheming was like the abyss itself—still, dark, and lethal.

The far‑north ice plain, the site of the seal node.

The Tiangong Sect's exploration team had already set up a temporary camp here, various devices for breaking formations flickered with spiritual light, aimed at the massive ancient rune on the rock wall. Leading them was an elder surnamed Zhao, now furrowing his brows, directing his disciples in the final energy conduit. They tried many methods, but the rune remained as solid as gold; until they, following a fragment of an ancient text obtained by some "chance", adjusted the frequency and property of their spiritual output to a vibration extremely close to the Returning to Void Power.

Han Wuxian's silhouette appeared silently on an ice mound surrounding the camp. He did not alarm the Tiangong Sect members, merely gazing at the massive rune. In his chaotic eyes reflected the rune's flowing trace, and he truly sensed a faint, vast aura resonating with his own Dao, ancient and profound, bearing the implication of all things' end. This was entirely different from Yan Buji's "desire‑filled" Silence Extinction, and closer to the Returning to Void origin as Han understood it.

"Could it be… the rumors are not false?" Even though Han Wuxian always harbored caution, his heart wavered now. His injuries were not healed, the road ahead was vague, any chance to deepen his understanding of the Returning to Void was crucial. Moreover, the Tiangong Sect moved quickly; if they forced the break, the consequences would be unpredictable.

He inhaled deeply, suppressing the inexplicable unease in his heart. His divine sense meticulously scanned every inch of the surroundings—the ice plain, the cold wind, the thin lingering spiritual energy, even the emotional fluctuations of each person in the Tiangong Sect camp… everything was normal, no sign of ambush or formation, and he detected no trace of Yan Buji's distinctive "Dao Corrosion" aura.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking," Han Wuxian thought. Even Yan Buji, however powerful, could not completely hide a trap from his perception here. Moreover, the aura emitted by the rune could not be false.

At that moment, a strong surge of energy erupted in the center of the Tiangong Sect camp!

"Found it! Resonance point! Full output!" Zhao Elder shouted, and all the disciples poured their spiritual power into the formation plate. A beam of light mixing the power of breaking and a simulated Returning to Void vibration slammed into the core of the rune!

Buzz!

The ancient rune suddenly flared with blinding white light, causing the entire ice plain to tremble! The rune seemed to come alive, its surface patterns pulsing like veins, and a wave of dead silence far more massive, ancient, and pure than before erupted! The cloud layer in the sky was instantly blown apart, revealing behind it twisted, iridescent strange light bands!

"It worked?!" the Tiangong Sect disciple exclaimed, both startled and delighted.

However, Han Wuxian's pupils contracted sharply! Something was wrong! Though the burst of dead silence was pure, deep within it hid an extremely obscure guiding force that clashed with the ancient aura! The feeling was like a rusted lock being forcibly turned open with a specific key, and at the moment it opened, another hidden mechanism was triggered!

He tried to stop it, but it was already too late!

The ultra‑bright center of the rune shattered the surrounding space inch by inch like a mirror, but instead of revealing mountain or void behind, it exposed an absolute darkness, an entrance that could even devour divine perception! An irresistible suction, aimed at his own Returning to Void origin, emanated from it!

"Yan Buji!" Han Wuxian instantly understood, bellowing, and unleashed his Returning to Void Power at full force; gray light, as if solid, pushed outward, attempting to resist the suction!

But the suction was too bizarre; it was not merely an energy pull, but acted directly on his Dao Foundation! The Returning to Void realm he expanded, upon contacting the entrance, not only failed to defend, but acted like adding oil to fire, causing the entrance to expand faster and the suction to intensify!

"Han Alliance Leader?!"

"What's happening?!"

The Tiangong Sect members were stunned by the sudden turn of events, watching their highly‑anticipated "Returning to Void Dao Master" now seemingly sink into an invisible mire, his body uncontrollably dragged toward that terrifying dark entrance!

Han Wuxian gritted his teeth, trying to sever his connection to the Returning to Void Power, but the suction had already locked onto his Dao Foundation! He felt as if he were a droplet about to melt into the sea, all his struggles futile before that absolute "Silence Extinction".

"A trap… this is the real trap!" his heart turned icy. Yan Buji had calculated that he would be moved by the Returning to Void origin, that the Tiangong Sect could open the entrance, and that his power's attribute would become the final key to trigger this trap!

Boom!