Chapter 474: A Once-in-Many-Millennia

Spectacle

The canopy of heaven was pitch black. Thunder boomed and

occasional bolts of lightning ripped through the darkness. Ice-cold
rain fell, soaking Sea-Sealing County.

Xu Qing stared in the direction of the county capital, his heart

pounding with astonishment.

“The governor perished...?”

Xu Qing had glimpsed the governor from afar on a few occasions

in the Swordsage Palace, but had never interacted with him. That
said, he had heard a lot about him. He knew that it was only
because of the governor that Sea-Sealing County remained whole,
and that the Holytides had never managed to devour it or rip it
apart.

This governor had served in Sea-Sealing County for eight hundred

years. Though he hadn’t done anything to expand his territory, he
did maintain a balance. He was cautious and conscientious, and
had kept Sea-Sealing County in human control the entire time. It
had always had thirteen prefectures, which was a rare thing. Over
the past thousand years, the other six counties controlled by
humans had all lost prefectures.
Today, the governor perished.

Xu Qing didn’t know the details of what happened, nor did he have
any idea what was happening in the county capital. But as various
emotions swept through him, he thought about Arch-Immortal
Plumdark, Kong Xianglong, and the others he knew there.

He quickly took out his command sword and transmission jade

slip. Before he could even send messages to inquire about what
was happening, both devices started vibrating as messages
poured in.

“Xu Qing, are you at the Corrections Division? Are you okay??”

“Xu Qing, the governor just died! There was no sign it was going to
happen. He just died, out of nowhere!”

“Xu Qing, where are you? The Corrections Division collapsed!!”

“Countless prisoners have broken free! The county capital is in

chaos!”

Messages were flooding in from Kong Xianglong, Sir Mountain-

River, and many others Xu Qing considered to be friends, as well
as from other swordsages he knew, and of course jailers from the
Corrections Division.

A tremor passed through Xu Qing, starting in the depths of his

heart, rapidly spreading to his extremities, and turning into a
rumbling sound in his mind.
The Corrections Division collapsed? Xu Qing almost couldn’t
believe it. Hefting his command sword, he sent an inquiry to Kong
Xianglong.

The response came almost immediately. Kong Xianglong’s voice

was tinged with grief and indignation as he said, “Xu Qing, the
Corrections Division exploded! The prisoners are currently fleeing.
They’re everywhere. Tons of them. Unit D. Unit C. Unit B. The
palace lord, the deputy palace lord, and the honor guards are
currently using the county capital’s taboo treasure to fight with the
clone of a god that was imprisoned in the Corrections Division.”

Xu Qing was about to ask some follow-up questions when his

transmission jade slip vibrated and a voice message came in from
Arch-Immortal Plumdark.

“Xu Qing,” she asked, her voice quavering, “where... where are
you? Are you well...? I’m at the Corrections Division and you’re not
here....”

Given how shaken she sounded, Xu Qing immediately responded

and let her know he was fine. Hearing that, she breathed a sigh of
relief and seemed about to ask him some more details.

However, he was so flustered he ended the conversation and then

sent a voice message to Kong Xianglong. “Kong Xianglong, you
need to know that—”
Before he could even finish the message, Kong Xianglong sent his
own urgent message.

“Xu Qing, if you’re not here in the county capital, then find a hiding
spot and stay away. Don’t come back, at least for a few days.
Prisoners are fleeing from the Corrections Division, and you’re a
jailer. There are going to be villains on the roads, so be careful. By
the way... something even bigger has happened! I just got news
that a huge Holytide army just showed up on the border of Sea-
Sealing County. This entire thing was premeditated! Xu Qing,
war’s about to start!”

Kong Xianglong sounded anxious, but by the end of his message,

his voice was decisive.

Xu Qing was still reeling. This turn of events was completely

unexpected. All he could do was try to calm down. He took a deep
breath, dropped to the ground, and found an underground area to
hide. There, he took steps to conceal his aura.

He wasn’t very far from the county capital. Given the level of his
cultivation base, he could make the trip in about an hour. And that
meant that it wouldn’t be long before prisoners from the
Corrections Division could arrive. Although the prisoners were all
in a very weak state, when those from Unit C were back in the
open, without the heavenly daos of the minor world suppressing
them, their battle prowess would quickly return. Kong Xianglong
was right. He needed to stay hidden and wait for a few days
before going back.

Sea-Sealing County is going to be thrown into chaos.

Next he took out his transmission jade slip and sent a voice
message to the innkeeper to let him know what was happening,
and also to have the Wood Spirits be on guard. Next he sent a
message to the Captain.

The Captain didn’t respond. Xu Qing frowned. After some thought,

he messaged Qing Qiu. She didn’t respond either. Sighing, he put
away the jade slip and sat down cross-legged to try to settle his
thoughts.

In that manner, a day passed.

At a certain point, his command sword vibrated, and the

exhausted voice of the palace lord echoed out.

“All swordsages in the vicinity of the county capital are hereby

given notice to return at once. Report by this evening!
Furthermore, I have three important updates.

“One: the governor is dead.

“Two: the prisoners in the Corrections Division have all escaped.

On your way back, take extra precautions to avoid any dangerous
situations.
“Three: the Holytides have invaded Sea-Sealing County with a
large army. According to our intelligence reports, the Holytides’
ancestral emperor has awakened and given orders to wage war.

“Swordsages... war is upon us.”

Xu Qing put away the command sword, organized his bag of

holding, and did a quick check to make sure he was in condition to
travel. Then, his eyes gleamed with cold light as he flew up into
the air and started traveling.

It was currently noontime. The dome of heaven looked different

than it had the previous day. Something like a net seemed to be
spreading across the sky. It glittered like gold as it expanded to
cover the canopy of heaven. It emanated pulsing pressure, and as
soon as Xu Qing was out in the open, it flickered as if noting his
presence and making a record of it.

Looking thoughtful, Xu Qing shot toward the county capital.

Along the way, he kept his guard up. Before long, he was near the
capital, which was when he got another message from Kong
Xianglong.

According to Kong Xianglong, the chaos in the county capital had

been temporarily quelled by the lieutenant governor and palace
lords of the three Greater Celestial Divisions. Because war was
coming, and the Swordsage Palace held primary responsibilities
for matters of war, the palace lord had been appointed as the
acting governor.

Two dharmic decrees had been issued earlier in the day.

The first was the one summoning all swordsages back to the
capital. The second was that the entire county was being locked
down and the capital’s taboo treasure activated. The huge net in
the sky was the manifestation of that taboo treasure.

Xu Qing looked up at the golden net, put his command sword

away, and then continued on his way. Shortly after... the county
capital became visible up ahead.

It looked completely different than before.

The floating city was full of cracks and crevices. It looked heavily
damaged. What was more, the three palaces of the Greater
Celestial Divisions were also in extremely bad shape. Most
shocking of all was the situation on the ground. The gaping pit
where the Corrections Division existed had collapsed in on itself,
and the opening was now plugged with rocks and debris.
Numerous massive fissures snaked out from it in all directions. For
all intents and purposes, the Corrections Division didn’t exist
anymore.

There were many more swordsages present on patrol duty, as well

as guards from the county capital. They were keeping a close eye
on everything, looking somber and desolate, but at the same time,
full of grief and anger.

There was mutagen present, as well as the lingering fluctuations

of magical techniques. Because such things had not yet been
purged, the air rippled around them.

Xu Qing was in a grim mood as he entered the county capital.

More than a few swordsages noticed him and put their guard up.
Some even scanned him with divine will. When they realized who
he was, they made way for him.

Xu Qing headed to the Corrections Division first.

Some of the jailers had already carved out a narrow pathway

leading down inside. Upon noticing Xu Qing, they nodded in
greeting. None spoke. They looked like wild beasts on the lookout
to devour someone, who then spotted one of their own kind.

Xu Qing quietly walked past them and went through the narrow
passage. Once inside, he saw that the cell blocks were all in ruins.

Eyes turning colder and colder, he eventually found his way to D-

132. The door was busted open, and the inside was full of rubble.
The cells were all destroyed, and the prisoners were gone. The
boy was also missing. Xu Qing inspected the area and eventually
found a spot in the back corner where there was a pile of broken
bamboo slips. Every single bamboo slip contained the same basic
information…. Xu Qing collected the fragments, then continued
down to Level 89.

There, he looked at the mural. The minor world... had been

destroyed.

“You’re here,” a hoarse voice said from some nearby rubble.

Xu Qing spotted Ghost Hand sitting there, his body riddled with
wounds. He was surrounded by empty alcohol jugs. He had one
remaining jug in his hand as he looked at Xu Qing. He chuckled
bitterly.

“They escaped. Every single one of them. Well, I killed a few. But
not enough....”

Xu Qing approached and studied Ghost Hand’s injuries. They

were serious. His cultivation base was even fractured. Sensing the
strong aura of death on him, Xu Qing took out some medicinal pills
and put them off to the side.

“I’m not dead yet, Xu Qing. Say, have any alcohol?” Ghost Hand
tossed the empty alcohol jug to the side, where it clattered off into
the darkness.

Xu Qing nodded. Taking out a jug from his bag of holding, he

handed it over.

Ghost Hand accepted it with a trembling hand. Opening it, he took

a long drink. Afterwards, he coughed hard, and his face flushed in
an unhealthy way. Taking a few gasping breaths, he looked at the
shattered mural.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to die this easily,” he said. “Remember,
Xu Qing, I’ve been powering up my sword for hundreds of years
now, and I still haven’t used it.... There were just too many of them
escaping. My sword is meant take down a single enemy. So I
wasn’t going to waste it on something like this.

“I’m saving it for the sake of Unit C. I’m going to use it on the cretin
that destroyed the Corrections Division.... Until I do that, I’m not
going to die.” His voice became increasingly filled with
determination.

Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed. Then, feeling very conflicted,

he left.

***

Far from Sea-Sealing County, in the depths of the Holytide

Region, there was a very special plain that wasn’t part of any
county. It was in the very middle of the Holytide Region, and was
considered a holy land to the Holytide species.

It was pure white, not because there was snow there, but because
there was sand. Each grain contained powerful spirit energy.

There were countless statues present, humanoid in shape, and

pulsing with ancient auras. They were the personal guard of Grand
Duke Holytide, who had betrayed humankind years in the past. In
the years since that event, the cultivators of the guard legion had
turned into statues that stood over that white plain. Ironically, the
entire place seemed like sacred ground.

The source of that sacredness was a temple in the middle of the

plain, which was also pure white. It was the Holytide’s ancestral
temple, which was where their ancestral emperor slept.

There were currently four hulking figures outside the temple,

prostrated and unmoving.

All four of them wore imperial robes and had imperial crowns on
their heads. They were the four emperors of the Holytides’ four
royal dynasties. Emperor Heavengale was one of them. [1]

“Your Ancestral Highness,” he said respectfully, “we’ve done

everything according to plan.”

Next to Emperor Heavengale was Emperor Redspirit, who said,

“Your Ancestral Highness, the Redspirit Army has entered Sea-
Sealing County. Regarding the matter of the Nightshade godchild,
we’ve uncovered as many clues as we can, and await your
decision.”

After a long moment of silence from the temple, an ancient voice

echoed out from inside.
“Shelve the godchild matter for the time being. Focus on important
things!”

“Your decree shall be obeyed, Ancestral Emperor!” The four

emperors ducked their heads and kowtowed.

1. Emperor Heavengale appeared “onscreen” in chapter 458. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThis is the beginning of Volume 6: Clear

and Bright. Yet again, here's the solar terms reference link. It
should also be pointed out that his solar term (transliterated
Qingming) bears the same name as one of the big Chinese
holidays, Qingming Festival, which is often translated as Tomb-
Sweeping Festival. It’s a holiday in which Chinese families visit the
tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites and make ritual
offerings to their ancestors. So, although the name of his solar
term (and the holiday) sounds nice, it’s laced with an implication of
sadness.

This is the beginning of Volume 6: Clear and Bright. Yet again,

here's the solar terms reference link. It should also be pointed out
that his solar term (transliterated Qingming) bears the same name
as one of the big Chinese holidays, Qingming Festival, which is
often translated as Tomb-Sweeping Festival. It’s a holiday in which
Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the
gravesites and make ritual offerings to their ancestors. So,
although the name of his solar term (and the holiday) sounds nice,
it’s laced with an implication of sadness.
Chapter 475: Secretary-General

Xu Qing emerged from the collapsed Corrections Division looking

very somber. Glancing up at the ruined city above, he took to flight
and made his way toward the Eight Sect Coalition’s subsidiary
sect.

Along the way, he passed countless devastated buildings. The

dramatic events of the previous day had clearly had a huge effect
on the city. Previously, the streets had been crowded with
pedestrians. Now, there were few people out and about. Those
who were on the streets hurried about their business. On their
faces, Xu Qing saw hesitancy, confusion, anxiety, and even terror.
The unusual circumstances surrounding the governor’s death
would have been enough to cause panic. But then the Corrections
Division collapsed, and that made things much worse. Finally,
news of the Holytide invasion was spreading, and that pushed
people into a state of shock. There were even cultivators who
seemed overwhelmed with fear. After all, not everyone was a
swordsage. Eventually, Xu Qing stopped looking around.

He was soon at the Eight Sect Coalition’s subsidiary sect.

With Arch-Immortal Plumdark in charge, the subsidiary sect was in

fairly good condition. However, the coalition forces inside were all
packing for travel.
Xu Qing took in the scene and, without pausing for a moment,
went to Arch-Immortal Plumdark’s residence. Arch-Immortal
Plumdark was there with her friend Li Shitao. The two of them
looked like they were having a very serious discussion. When
Arch-Immortal Plumdark saw Xu Qing, she smiled warmly.

“Xu Qing, I was just going to go looking for you. We received an

urgent summons from the sect. Our contingent can’t stay here any
longer. We’re teleporting back. Forbidden by the Zombie went
completely out of control. The Swordsage Palace has already
issued orders to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture; all human sects
are required to mobilize and deal with the situation.”

Xu Qing’s heart sank. He had been present to witness the first

inklings of unrest in Forbidden by the Zombie, and he had a good
idea what was probably happening there.

“The truth is that the Eight Sect Coalition and the Swordsage
Court knew all along that the Holytides were behind that initial
incident in Forbidden by the Zombie. They instigated the current
flare-up as well. Given the circumstances, it seems they want to
bog down the major sects in the other prefectures in Sea-Sealing
County. We’re entering troubling times, Xu Qing. Given how close
you are to the palace lord of the Swordsage Palace, you should be
safe. That’s why I’m not asking you to come back with us. You’ll
stay here. But... you still need to keep your guard up.” [1]
Looking concerned, she gave three jade slips to him. “The first
contains a concealment magic similar to the symbols I painted on
you. The second is a long-range teleportation talisman. You can
use it in the heat of the moment to escape a dangerous situation.
The last one contains a slip of my divine will. It will help you
absorb one deadly attack.”

Xu Qing’s heart was anything but calm as he accepted the jade

slips. Then he took out some of the dao fruits he’d acquired from
the Ten Entrails Tree, which were miraculous ingredients when
used in equipment forging and pill concocting. Considering the
plentiful resources at the disposal of the Swordsage Palace, it
made more sense to give them to the Eight Sect Coalition. They
would surely find a good use for them. When Arch-Immortal
Plumdark saw them, her expression flickered. Instead of politely
refusing them, she simply took them.

About two hours later, things were in order in the subsidiary sect.
As Xu Qing watched, the Eight Sect Coalition forces left. At the
last possible moment, Arch-Immortal Plumdark turned and looked
at him. Their gazes met, and then the light of teleportation flared,
and she disappeared along with the rest of the coalition disciples.

Li Shitao clearly had a lot on her mind. After Arch-Immortal

Plumdark was gone, she nodded to Xu Qing and hurried away.

Looking at the empty teleportation portal, Xu Qing felt numb. It

was actually a familiar feeling. It brought him back to the years he
had spent in the slums.

I should report for duty at the Swordsage Palace. Turning, he

walked in that direction. In the evening sun, his swordsage uniform
shone like blood, and his shadow stretched out long behind him.

It was dark by the time he got to the Swordsage Palace. Upon

arriving, he sent a message to Kong Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong flew out to meet him. When he caught sight of Xu

Qing, he looked visibly surprised. He could tell that Xu Qing’s
cultivation base had advanced significantly. Kong Xianglong
actually felt like he was standing in the presence of a Nascent
Soul cultivator. Under normal circumstances, he would have
curiously inquired about the details. But considering what was
happening, he wasn’t in the mood for that.

“Xu Qing,” he said, keeping his voice low, “I just got news from the
outside. The taboo treasure isn’t strong enough to keep out the
Holytide army. It’s only slowing them down a bit.

“Let’s go. All the other swordsages are coming back, and we’re
supposed to have an assembly with the palace lord tonight to talk
about our battle strategy. As of now, Xu Qing... you really are
going to start working as a secretary-general.”

Xu Qing nodded calmly. He’d known all along that even though
he’d been appointed as a jailer, his true post was as the palace
lord’s secretary-general. [2]
Just as Kong Xianglong had suggested, it was shortly after Xu
Qing arrived at the Swordsage Palace that he received a
summons from the palace lord. He made his way without delay to
the Grand Hall of Swordsages deep in the Swordsage Palace.
When he arrived, he saw the palace lord standing in front of a
huge projected map, his expression somber and his eyes
bloodshot.

The palace lord smelled of blood and looked completely

exhausted. Clearly, he hadn’t had any rest since the dramatic
events began.

There were seven or eight other swordsages with him, plus the
four honor guards and the deputy palace lords. All of them had
injuries of some sort, with the most seriously injured being the two
deputy palace lords. They’d been hurt the previous day when they
joined the palace lord in dealing with the god from the Corrections
Division. There was no time now to focus on recovery. Now, they
were getting new orders from the palace lord.

“Yes, sir!” said the four honor guards and two deputy palace lords.
Looking somber, they left, passing Xu Qing along the way and
giving him a nod.

After that, the hall was empty, and the palace lord looked away
from the map and looked at Xu Qing, his expression stern.
Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed gravely. “Swordsage Xu Qing,
reporting for duty.”

“Xu Qing, I want you to audit the swordsage personnel list.

Determine who hasn’t come back and why. I also want you to
handle the preparations for the assembly tonight. Can you do
that?”

“Your orders shall be followed,” Xu Qing said.

The palace lord nodded, then turned away and paid no further
heed to Xu Qing. He had many things to handle. Sea-Sealing
County was dealing with internal trouble and outside aggression,
and now that the governor was gone, the palace lord was
responsible for everything.

Xu Qing knew his place, and quickly left the hall. Taking out his
command sword, he got busy following orders. He was now the
palace lord’s secretary-general, not in name only, but in reality. He
had the authority to check all the swordsage records, and all
swordsages would have to cooperate with his arrangements. That
said, there was too much work for him to handle alone, so after
mulling the matter over, he sent a message to Kong Xianglong.

Shortly thereafter, Kong Xianglong arrived along with Sir

Mountain-River, Wang Chen, and Duskspirit. With their help, he
began the audit of the swordsage personnel list, including details
about those who had not returned.
Before long, it was only about two hours until the assembly was to
start. The time and place had been set, so Xu Qing prepared the
notification to be sent out.

“As per the orders of the palace lord, all swordsages will assemble
an hour before midnight in Square #1 of the East Wing.”

Xu Qing’s voice echoed out from command swords far and wide. It
was his first time speaking publicly with his authority as a
secretary-general.

Before long, it was time for the meeting.

Square #1 in the East Wing soon filled with swordsages. There

was no need to issue orders explaining how to assemble.
Swordsages were a disciplined lot, and before long, all 100,000
swordsages were standing in ranks according to their cultivation
base.

No one spoke. The atmosphere was somber, and it was clear that
everyone had a lot on their mind. Their eyes flickered with a mix of
fury and determination.

The governor was dead. The Corrections Division had collapsed.

War was on the horizon. Those things didn’t make the swordsages
afraid. Instead, it stoked their killing intent. Their auras combined,
spreading out and causing a vortex to spin in the dome of heaven
above. The four honor guards were present, as well as the deputy
palace lords. And then, the palace lord appeared in front of
everyone, his expression grave. He seemed threatening without
being angry. Right behind him was Xu Qing.

All gazes were fixed on the stage, so of course everyone saw Xu

Qing. His face remained expressionless as he came to a stop nine
meters behind the palace lord.

The palace lord looked out at the crowd for a moment. Then he
spoke in a grim voice that echoed out in all directions.

“Swordsages, war is here.

“The Holytides have long coveted Sea-Sealing County. But this

county belongs to us humans. This isn’t the first time war has
broken out. And every time it did in the past, they suffered defeat!
There have been no exceptions! For nearly a thousand years, the
late governor and I, as well as the other leaders in the county
capital, have prepared for this moment.

“The Holytides have sent in the Redspirit Dynasty and the

Moonmist Dynasty as their vanguard. They’ve already entered
Sea-Sealing County. Yet I feel very confident.

“As long as everyone remains loyal and responsible, nothing

unexpected will go wrong. Everything has been planned out in
detail. Just like all the great martyrs of the past here in Sea-
Sealing County, we’ll prove that we can defend our lands. When
the winds of war blow, we will come out victorious. We will stand
strong against this Holytide threat.
“We have the assistance of the Administration Palace, as well as
379 allied species including the Saintfiends. They, too, will join the
fighting. As of this morning, I personally conferred with the Demi-
Immortals. They have chosen to retreat into their ancestral land
and seal themselves therein. They will not come out under any
circumstances. Therefore, we are not in a weak position in this
war.”

As the palace lord spoke, he did not get impassioned or worked

up. He spoke slowly and analytically.

“However, there’s one thing all of you need to know. Today, two
things happened in the distant imperial capital.

“First. Our emperor dispatched a new governor along with an army

in our direction via cross-region teleportation. They should have
arrived tomorrow. However, earlier this afternoon, they were
ambushed by Nightshades. We have no idea if they’re alive or
dead.

“Second. A Nightshade army is advancing on the imperial capital.

“Hard times are coming. For the time being, we here in Sea-
Sealing County are solely responsible for defending against the
enemy invasion. In all likelihood, this is going to be a prolonged
war. In all likelihood, this will be a bitter fight without any backup
on the horizon. Regardless, we have to deal with the situation at
hand. Do not let this influence your determination to follow through
with your pledge. The fact remains: there is nowhere for us to
retreat to.

“Of the thirteen prefectures in our county, three have already been
occupied by the Holytides. Thankfully, our taboo treasures have
been fully activated, slowing their advance. That has bought us a
bit of time.

“During that time, we have a few issues we need to resolve.

“Great chaos has broken out in two forbidden grounds. Forbidden

by the Zombie and Forbidden by the Garment. It’s a Holytide
strategy to distract and weaken our prefectural forces.

“The Corrections Division collapsed, and the prisoners escaped.

That is going to cause a lot of chaos in Sea-Sealing County. As a
result, we are facing internal trouble and outside aggression. That
is yet another Holytide strategy.”

The 100,000 swordsages were clearly getting a bit worked up,

including Xu Qing. The palace lord’s words were hammering home
how much danger Sea-Sealing County was in. However, the
palace lord’s voice remained calm, and was a stabilizing force. As
a result, the somber and desolate resolve in the hearts of the
swordsages didn’t lessen.

The palace lord stopped speaking for a moment as he looked at

the crowd. Then he said, “Fear not. If heaven collapses, I will hold
it up!” [3]
1. Xu Qing saw the dramatic event in Forbidden by the Zombie in
chapter 385. In the subsequent aftermath in chapter 386, there
was a clue dropped that we now can realize was pointing to the
Holytides. ☜

2. Xu Qing was appointed as secretary-general in chapter 399. ☜

3. It's worth noting that in contexts of war, national

disaster/conflict, etc., 'heaven' can metaphorically refer to the
country, or sometimes the leadership of the country. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to Bodydrop and Biggbin for the

reviews!

Thank you to Bodydrop and Biggbin for the reviews!

Chapter 476: Matters of War in Sea-Sealing

The iron-willed and unyielding palace lord didn’t need to say a lot.
His short speech was more than enough. The swordsages looked
up at him, their eyes shining with determination, respect, and faith.

“All of you remember the oath you took when you became
swordsages. Defend humanity. Sever the doom of dawn. Cause
the light of heaven and earth to blossom. [1]

“It’s not just a slogan or a catchphrase. You spoke those words. I

spoke them. And now... we will live them. Going forward, we must
love each other like family, have each other’s backs, never waver,
and never give in to defeat!

“We will either live or die with Sea-Sealing County. We will fight to
the end! Regardless of what chaos comes to grip our county... we
will lead the armies of humankind into battle for the sake of our
emperor. And when the time comes, we will take the flame of the
Holytide’s legacy... and extinguish it!”

The palace lord looked out at the 100,000 swordsages and

continued, “And now, prepare to receive your orders! Xu Qing,
keep a record of this.”

Xu Qing took three steps forward, produced a jade slip, and

somberly prepared to record information.
“Notify all human sects from outside Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture and Injustice Prefecture that they are hereby
conscripted to quell the unrest in Forbidden by the Zombie and
Forbidden by the Garment!

“Notify all sects that we require complete loyalty. The Holytides

have invaded us with the goal of exterminating the human species.
Any sect who does not follow orders, or refuses to die fighting the
Holytides, will be considered traitors against humanity.

“Notify the Swordsage Courts in all prefectures to rally all other

human cultivators. Form new armies, head to the west, and meet
the invading foes on the field of battle.

“Notify the Administration Palace that they shall lead a new army
of allied nonhuman species. The Yao Clan is hereby ordered to
participate in this effort. They will be stationed on the northern
front.

“Notify the Justice Palace that they shall lead the three great sects
from the county capital to be the link between the northern and
western armies. They will be responsible for logistics and
transportation!

“Notify the lieutenant governor that he shall be responsible for

defending the county capital, and maintaining law and order
throughout the Sea-Sealing County.
“Furthermore... notify all remaining nonhumans and other
organizations in the Sea-Sealing County who have not been
assigned to the war effort, even if they are evil cultivators or grues,
that in order to prevent unrest during this period of war, they’re to
send all of their Spirit Trove and Void Returning cultivators to war.
Any who refuse to cooperate will be exterminated!

“Notify all human organizations to hand over control of their taboo

treasures to the county capital. The only exceptions are the sects
in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and Injustice Prefecture.

“Honor guards!”

Daoist Sima, the highest ranking of the four honor guards in the
Swordsage Palace, stepped forward and saluted.

“The four of you are responsible for seeing these orders carried
out. Any who refuse to cooperate should be executed on the spot!”

“Yes, sir!” the four honor guards said, their expression grave.

Xu Qing kept a careful record of each order. His responsibility

would be to process and send out the orders after they were
uttered, and also keep track of their progress.

“Brother Yunshan, Brother Shentu!” the palace lord said, turning to

look at the two deputy palace lords of the Swordsage Palace.
They stepped forward with respectful looks on their faces.
“The situation with the prisoners who escaped from the
Corrections Division needs to be resolved as soon as possible.
One third of all swordsages will remain in the county capital to take
care of things here. The remaining seventy percent will be divided
into 700 companies. Each company will have 100 swordsages in
it. Split them up into squads as necessary. We want at least 7,000
squads. Each squad will be assigned to a different area, and will
cooperate with the jailers to track down the escaped prisoners! If
you can arrest them, arrest them. If it’s not convenient to arrest
them, kill them. Don’t let any escape. You two deputy palace lords
will take the lead in this matter. I want the entire thing handled in
ten days or less. Ten days from now, regroup here to advance to
the battlefield!”

The two deputy palace lords nodded, and the 100,000 swordsages
all bristled with killing intent. The jailers among them all had cold
expressions, and unusually strong killing intent. After all, they were
the ones responsible for the prisoners, and knew them well. With
other swordsages helping them, they would be able to work very
efficiently. The truth was that even if the palace lord hadn’t issued
orders like this, the jailers would have decided on their own... to
track down the prisoners that they were responsible for.

With the orders given, the swordsages spread out into the night to
start working. Most of them followed the leadership of the two
deputy palace lords and headed out of the county capital.
Xu Qing did not leave the capital. But that didn’t mean he had
nothing to do. Quite the opposite. He had no time for rest as he
helped the palace lord handle all sorts of random tasks. He was
also responsible for filtering all the reports coming in.

After the assembly was over, the palace lord convened a smaller
counsel with the Administration Palace and the Justice Palace. Xu
Qing stood by his side, keeping the minutes of the meeting, and
also forwarding any new information from the palace lord to those
on the outside.

Before long, Xu Qing’s voice could be heard throughout the

various prefectures as he transmitted the palace lord’s orders.
Virtually overnight, people from all groups became familiar with the
palace lord’s secretary-general.

Given how closely Xu Qing was working with the palace lord, as
the days passed, he personally witnessed how exhausted the
palace lord was, thanks to working nonstop. Every few days, the
palace lord would exchange communications with the lieutenant
governor and the other two palace lords.

More and more dharmic decrees were issued. All of Sea-Sealing

County was astir.

As Xu Qing became responsible for dealing with more and more

reports, it reached the point where he needed help. Therefore, he
summoned some swordsages and formed a new division.
It was called the Secretariat Division.

Qing Qiu was among those he recruited. She had returned two
days prior. The moment she’d received Xu Qing’s notification, and
came to understand the situation, she’d hurried back. When she
came into his presence, she had a very strange expression on her
face. However, Xu Qing didn’t have time for a discussion. He just
assigned her a number of important tasks.

I really wish the Captain was here.... Despite how busy he was, Xu
Qing kept thinking about the Captain. Unfortunately, the Captain
wasn’t responding to any messages.

Occasionally, nonhumans would send representatives for

audiences. More often than not, Xu Qing was there to receive
them.

At the moment, Xu Qing was in one of the Swordsage Palace’s

reception halls, rubbing the bridge of his nose. In front of him was
a very angry nonhuman cultivator.

He was an emissary from the Spirit Ear species. They looked very
similar to humans, except they had a second set of ears and twin
pupils. They also had gray skin, and no hair whatsoever.

“Exalted Xu, our species really cannot join the war effort. Our
patriarch and the other high-level cultivators are unable to leave
our homeland. If they do, our enemies, the Persewater species,
will definitely cause big problems.”
Xu Qing looked at the jade slip he held in his hand. Virtually all the
nonhumans who had come for audiences had some sort of
problem with the palace lord’s demand that the Spirit Trove and
Void Returning cultivators fight in the war. Many groups didn’t want
to comply, but also knew that they were being forced to comply.
Therefore, their only option was to complain and protest.

“Your species has nine late Nascent Soul stage cultivators,” Xu

Qing said. “Thirty-seven in the mid stage. And forty-five in the
early stage. You have over three hundred Gold Core cultivators.
The Persewater species has similar numbers.... So how exactly
are they going to cause ‘big problems’ for you?”

Xu Qing looked coldly at the nonhuman.

The Spirit Ear emissary was clearly taken aback. The exact
numbers of cultivators in their species wasn’t public knowledge.
Normally speaking, they kept thirty percent of their forces top
secret. Yet Xu Qing obviously had very accurate numbers.

The nonhuman was just preparing a response when Xu Qing

received a summons from the palace lord. He stood.

“Look,” he said coolly, “either you comply, or your species gets

wiped out. Qing Qiu, you handle the final details. If they refuse to
cooperate, notify Honor Guard Sima.”

“Yes, sir,” Qing Qiu said, approaching the Spirit Ear cultivator. Xu
Qing didn’t pay any further attention as he headed toward the
Grand Hall of Swordsages.

He’d already dealt with too many situations like the one with the
Spirit Ears. In reality, the stance of people like this wasn’t very
complicated. In short, they didn’t want to send their high-level
experts fighting in the war.

But there were likely other, less obvious reasons. For instance, if
Sea-Sealing County lost the war, then any top experts left behind
in the surviving species and organizations would have a much
easier time profiting from the fallout. And as long as they were
careful, they wouldn’t need to worry about any repercussions. In
reality, that was exactly what the palace lord was worried about,
and the reason why he had issued such a harsh dharmic decree.
The four honor guards had already exterminated a handful of
defiant species.

“Internal trouble and outside aggression,” Xu Qing murmured.

In all of Sea-Sealing County, there was no government agency

more in tune with the general state of affairs than the Secretariat
Division. All war reports came through the Secretariat Division,
and after they were filtered and sorted, they were delivered to the
palace lord. That was how the palace lord wanted things handled.
And though it made the war effort more streamlined, it put a lot of
weight on Xu Qing’s shoulders. Not only did he need to organize
all the reports, but he also needed to verify their accuracy.
As he was thinking about those things, he arrived at the Grand
Hall of Swordsages.

As the palace lord’s only secretary-general, he was able to enter

the palace lord’s presence without being announced. The
swordsages outside nodded deferentially to him when he arrived,
and he entered.

The palace lord wasn’t the only person inside. The lieutenant
governor was there, as were the palace lords from the other two
palaces. Also present was a middle-aged cultivator dressed like a
scholar. Xu Qing had encountered him multiple times in the past
few days. He was Marquis Yao. These five individuals were clearly
having some sort of disagreement.

“Brother Liangxiu,” said Marquis Yao, “how can you be treating the
nonhumans in the prefecture so harshly at a time like this? If we
don’t get things under control quickly, open rebellion could break
out. And if that happens, then all other military affairs will have to
be delayed until the taboo treasure fallout passes!”

“Tianyan is right,” the lieutenant governor said. He sighed.

“Liangxiu, don’t you think you’re being a bit extreme? I’m sure we
can think of other ways to make use of the top experts from the
nonhuman species.”

The palace lords from the Administration Palace and the Justice
Palace, a man and a woman, were just sitting looking on with cold
expressions.

Xu Qing kept his head bowed as he approached his spot behind

the palace lord. The palace lord’s expression was cold and grim.
Not responding to Marquis Yao or the lieutenant governor, he just
stood there looking completely unruffled.

A long moment passed, and then the palace lord said, “Xu Qing,
read today’s report.”

Xu Qing nodded, took a step forward, and then began.

“Between the two forbidden grounds, the most catastrophic

situation is in Forbidden by the Zombie. The circumstances in
Forbidden by the Garment are less severe. Thanks to the hard
work of the forces in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and Injustice
Prefecture, both forbidden grounds have been brought under a
certain level of control. According to the reports from the
respective Swordsage Courts, the stalemate will continue for
about a month.

“In Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, the Seven Blood Eyes sect

from the Eight Sect Coalition requested help from 93 nonhuman
sects from the Forbidden Sea, as well as forces from the continent
of South Phoenix.

“The Swordsage Courts from the other eight prefectures have

finished their conscription campaigns. They’ve gathered 37 large
sects, 975 mid-sized sects, and 7,831 small sects that are
currently marshaling on the western front.

“A total of 39 human sects of varying sizes refused to follow

orders, and in line with the orders from the Swordsage Palace,
were exterminated by various Swordsage Courts as a warning to
the others.

“Thirty percent of the nonhumans overseen by the Administration

Palace and the Yao Clan have gathered on the northern front. The
remaining seventy percent have demanded compensation to
participate, and are refusing to do anything until they get it.

“The three great sects overseen by the Justice Palace are all fully
equipped. With their combined strength, they have successfully
transported the first six batches of war supplies to the battlefield.

“In addition, of the various species and organizations that were not
required to join the war effort, a total of 421 have refused to send
their top experts as required by your command. Only 215 have
honored the dharmic decree. The four honor guards have already
exterminated 13 species, and are reporting that the resulting
intimidation factor is effective. They have submitted an official
request to continue with that work.

“As of one hour ago, all human taboo treasures have been
successfully commandeered.
“Today, the swordsages sent out into Sea-Sealing County have
killed 9,513 escaped prisoners, which is a ten percent increase
over yesterday. Unfortunately, 971 swordsages lost their lives in
the process.

“The situation is dire on the western front. The Holytides have

fielded three Void Returning experts. What’s more, the Earthsoil
Dynasty has joined the fighting. The county capital’s taboo
treasure net has been forced to fall back by 35,000 kilometers.

“The Heavengale Dynasty arrived on the northern front today, and

their emperor is personally taking command of the troops there.”

Having finished with the report, Xu Qing took a step back.

1. The swordsage oath was first mentioned in chapter 399, and

was repeated in chapter 418. ☜
Chapter 477: The Desolate Wind Blows, the
Waters of Yi are Cold

Silence reigned in the hall. Everyone present, including the

lieutenant governor, Marquis Yao, and the palace lords from the
Administration Palace and Justice Palace, were all privy to various
war reports. But none of them had a comprehensive
understanding of the situation like the Swordsage Palace did. After
all, the palace lord from the Swordsage Palace was temporarily
serving as the governor. Therefore, it was only natural that the
Swordsage Palace would have the most complete information
during this period of conflict.

“Did you all hear that?” the palace lord said, his face
expressionless. “Lieutenant Governor, it’s not that I don’t want to
use less severe methods to get cooperation from the nonhuman
experts. It’s just that we don’t have time.”

The lieutenant governor didn’t say anything in response.

“Marquis Yao, why has a full seventy percent of the allied army not
even budged? They’re demanding compensation? What
outrageous gall!” The palace lord’s voice was as cold as a winter
wind. “Over four hundred groups have refused to dispatch their
experts. If a rebellion breaks out in Sea-Sealing County right now,
what do you think will happen as a result? Have you put any
thought into that, Marquis Yao?

“Both fronts are facing impending crises. Given the current state of
Sea-Sealing County, I’m shocked the lot of you are sitting around
moaning and whining about things. If I don’t kill a few nonhumans
to stabilize things, then my surname isn't Kong!”

The palace lord’s voice was so icy the entire hall seemed to get
colder.

“And what happens if the nonhumans join forces to resist?”

Marquis Yao said, his expression steely as he looked at the palace
lord.

“Then,” the palace lord replied, enunciating each word one at a

time, “we kill them.”

“What if they betray us on the battlefield? You’re just going to kill

them all?”

Ignoring Marquis Yao, the palace lord said, “Xu Qing, notify the
four honor guards to continue slaughtering any species that defies
us. I’m curious to see who refuses to comply when they see that.”

Xu Qing nodded and made a notation.

“You’re as obstinate and self-opinionated as ever, Kong Liangxiu,”

Marquis Yao said. “If you do things like this, but don’t keep
absolute control over Sea-Sealing County, then when the time
comes, those nonhumans....” He trailed off. [1]

The palace lord looked at him coldly. “If Sea-Sealing County ends
up being destroyed, then why would I possibly care about what the
nonhumans get up to?”

Marquis Yao gave the palace lord a hard look, then flicked his
sleeve and stalked off.

“When will the allied nonhumans mobilize, Yao Tianyan?” the

palace lord called after him.

“In a day,” came the reply from outside the hall. It was followed by
a cold harrumph.

The lieutenant governor sighed. Standing, he clasped hands to the

palace lord of the Swordsage Palace, then left. The other two
palace lords did the same, showing no facial expression the entire
time.

After that, the hall was quiet. Only Xu Qing and the palace lord
were there.

Seeing that no more orders were forthcoming, Xu Qing clasped

hands and said, “I’ll take my leave now, Palace Lord.”

***
Once the palace lord was alone, he took out a jade slip and slowly
rubbed its surface. Looking in the direction of Yao Mansion, he
frowned.

Was it him?

***

Marquis Yao looked increasingly furious as he returned to his

mansion. Once inside, he made his way to a secret chamber. At
that point, the fury evaporated, and was replaced by a deeply
somber expression.

It probably wasn’t Kong Liangxiu. But then… who assassinated

the governor...?

***

Ten days passed.

During that time, Xu Qing essentially had no opportunities to rest.

His days were spent dealing with more and more reports. That
was especially true after the main armies reached the western and
northern fronts, and actually began fighting the Holytide forces.

Reports came in nonstop.

Marquis Yao followed through on his words. It was impossible to

say how he did it, but in only a single day, he mobilized the allied
nonhumans. Then he left for the northern front, taking virtually all
the Yao Clan cultivators with him. The marquis never made a
public appearance before leaving.

However, Xu Qing noticed the palace lord staring off in the

direction of Yao Mansion on more than one occasion.

The forceful actions of the four honor guards, joined by the two
deputy palace lords, intimidated the majority of the nonhumans.
Their top experts basically had no choice but to comply with the
Swordsage Palace’s dharmic decree, and were assigned to
armies in the various prefectures. Because of that, there were no
Spirit Trove or Void Returning experts in Sea-Sealing County, save
for in the armies.

The escaped prisoners were also handled.

The Swordsage Palace employed a dragnet that initially focused

on the prisoners with the highest cultivation base. Although some
of the weaker prisoners managed to escape, the majority were
captured or killed.

Soon enough, the swordsages that had been dispatched started

returning. On the tenth day, they were all back.

Around that time, the situation on the two main fronts grew critical.
The reports coming through Xu Qing became increasingly
desperate. Casualties were shocking, and they only mounted as
the days went by. By the evening of the tenth day, both the
western front and the northern front sent messages saying they
needed emergency assistance.

Sea-Sealing County’s taboo treasure was fully activated. It was

already on the verge of collapse, and couldn’t be used for very
much longer. Once it fell, the Holytides would sweep through Sea-
Sealing County like a flash flood.

Sadly, no backup army from the imperial capital ever showed up.
What was more, Xu Qing knew through the war reports that the
distant imperial capital, as well as other counties, were in similar
circumstances. The Nightshades... were on the warpath. All of
their subordinate species were also on the attack. Every single
territory controlled by humankind was being threatened.

When Xu Qing delivered those reports to the palace lord, it was

obvious that he was already aware of the situation. When Xu Qing
found him, he was putting on a suit of armor. It was pitch black and
contained over a hundred sections, each of which emanated
terrifying might. When the palace lord spotted Xu Qing, his face
remained as somber as ever as he waved him over.

“Come, help me with my armor.”

Xu Qing approached and started helping the palace lord strap the
armor on. The palace lord looked off at the sunset, and he
suddenly smiled.
“The last time I put on my armor, it was my oldest son who helped
me. That was many years ago.”

Xu Qing looked at the palace lord, who suddenly seemed a lot

older than he had before, and thought back to what Ghost Hand
had mentioned about him having two sons that died in service. [2]

“My oldest son killed himself,” the palace lord said quietly. “I sent
him on an infiltration mission into Holytide territory. He
accomplished the mission, but was discovered in the process.
Rather than putting me in the position of deciding his fate, he took
his own life.”

Xu Qing strapped another section of armor onto the palace lord.

“My second son was very outgoing. Perhaps too outgoing. He was
sentimental and honorable, but at the same time, was a bit of a
ladies’ man. Those two sides to his personality made it easy for
people to plot against him. Eventually, he fell victim to such plots,
and died. There’s something that no one knows, though. I actually
have a grandson. And my grandson... is amazing.”

The palace lord smiled again. Today was the first day Xu Qing
ever saw him smile.

It was only a few days before that Xu Qing came to realize that the
palace lord’s surname was Kong. After learning that, he’d started
to speculate about the grandson that had just been mentioned.[3]
After Xu Qing put the last piece of armor onto the palace lord, the
smile disappeared from his face. His expression was somber once
again, making him seem like his usual rigid and inflexible self.
Taking his helmet, he said, “Xu Qing, send orders to the
Administration Palace and the Justice Palace. Tell the two palace
lords to go to the northern front. They absolutely must hold the
line! As for me, I’m going to take all 100,000 swordsages to the
western front. I want to see how strong those Holytide codgers
have gotten.”

“Yes, sir,” Xu Qing said somberly. “When do we leave, Palace

Lord? I need to prepare a few things.”

“You’re not going to battle. I’ve already arranged for a body double
to replace you.” Palace Lord Kong turned around and looked at Xu
Qing.

Xu Qing was stunned as he looked back. The palace lord’s black

armor emitted a strong baleful aura, as well as the faint sound of
countless wild beasts howling. What was more, countless vicious
souls were visible on the armor.

“I have a different assignment for you,” Palace Lord Kong

continued. “I’m sending you on a top secret mission. You’ll leave
immediately for Daybreak Prefecture. There’s something I need
you to investigate. You’ll start in the local Swordsage Court, and
then follow any leads as necessary!”
He handed a jade slip to Xu Qing. It was the very same jade slip
he had been fiddling with a few days before in the grand hall.

Xu Qing took it, his expression grave.

Palace Lord Kong turned to look once again at the sunset. A long
moment passed.

“Only half a month ago, it was underneath this very same sky...
that the governor perished. Xu Qing, if I die, I want you to give that
jade slip to the new governor, whoever it is. It contains all the clues
I’ve gathered so far regarding the governor’s death. In the
meantime, feel free to study it yourself….”

Xu Qing hid his surprise as he looked at Palace Lord Kong.

The palace lord’s eyes were still focused on the sunset. “There are
too many things about the governor’s death that don’t add up. It’s
not as simple as a mere Holytide assassination. The governor was
half a step into the Smoldering God level. How could he perish,
just like that? He didn’t even fight back! If I didn’t know the
governor so well, I would think he died that way on purpose!

“But in the end, the governor is indeed dead. And the

circumstances around his death... are very suspicious.
Unfortunately, time and tide wait for no man, and I have no time to
continue the investigation.
“I don’t know who the emperor dispatched to Sea-Sealing County
to replace the old governor, but whoever it is, deliver the jade slip
to them. The reason I’m entrusting you with this is that I don’t trust
anyone else. My grandson is too impulsive, so this kind of
responsibility doesn’t suit him.

“Yao Tianyan, the lieutenant governor, and palace lords of the

Justice Palace and Administration Palace... are all potential
suspects. The death of the governor and the collapse of the
Corrections Division were definitely the work of an insider. In fact,
I’m sure some people consider me to be the biggest suspect!

“Whoever the traitor is, their cover is perfect. If we can’t uncover

their true identity, Sea-Sealing County is going to be completely
destabilized.... Xu Qing, the reason I’m confident you’re not a
traitor is that 30,000-meter pillar of light.”

Xu Qing struggled to breathe steadily as the ramifications of the

palace lord’s words hit him.

“I’m also giving you a command medallion that will give you
access to any Swordsage Palace facility in Sea-Sealing County,
even restricted facilities. Normally you’d need to spend battle
credits to get something like that, but not now. The medallion will
ensure that the spell formations don’t react to you. That will let you
conduct your investigation secretly.
“What’s more, the command medallion contains the authority to
call on the full killing power of the county’s taboo treasure. That
should keep you safe while you carry out the investigation.”

Palace Lord Kong handed a blue command medallion to Xu Qing.

Then he turned to leave. Stopping at the door with his back to Xu
Qing, he said, “Xu Qing, do you remember what I said to you when
we met for the first time in the Corrections Division, a year ago?”

“I remember!”

“Repeat it for me.”

Raising his voice, Xu Qing said, “Every swordsage is a sharp

sword wielded for humankind as a whole. They should be ready to
sacrifice their lives at any moment, all for humanity’s sake.”

Hearing that, Palace Lord Kong laughed heartily and put on his
helmet. As he walked away, he said, “I am a swordsage too!”

1. Kong Liangxiu: Kong is listed #99 on the top 100 surnames list.
Liang means “bright, clear, resonant” and Xiu means “decorate,
embellish, repair” as well as “cultivate, cultivation.” Kong has a
long O sound, so it does NOT sound like ‘kong’ from King Kong.
Liang sort of rhymes with the English word “song”, except it starts
with a sort of Y sound after the L. Xiu starts out with a sound
between SH and S, and sort of rhymes with “no.” Long also has a
long O sound. It rhymes with the first syllable “kong” but does not
sound like the English word “long.” To hear it pronounced by
google, go here and click the “listen” button. When I asked Madam
Deathblade about his name, she gave me a long analysis of the
meaning of the two different characters, which basically
encompasses the information I gave above. Then she ended by
saying, “he sounds like a nerd.” ☜

2. Ghost Hand mentioned the palace lord’s sons in chapter 436. ☜

3. It’s interesting to go back and read some of the interactions

between Kong Liangxiu and his grandson, now that we know the
details of their relationship. There’s nothing mind-blowing there. I
just thought it was more touching now that we know why he
always went so hard on his grandson. Such chapters include
chapter 411, , . There is also a very interesting comment toward
the end of chapter 417 that relates to their relationship. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThe title of this chapter has a lot of

meaning. It’s the first line of a famous poem generally attributed to
Jing Ke, arguably the most famous assassin in the history of
ancient China. Supposedly, he recited the poem (or possibly sang
it as a song), before departing Yi County on his famous failed
attempt to assassinate the King of Qin. Given the final scene in
this chapter, you can draw your own conclusions about why the
author chose this line of poetry as the chapter title. Incidentally, the
Jing Ke assassination mission was the focus of a relatively well-
known Chinese movie called The Emperor and the Assassin.
Another factoid: Yi County is part of modern-day Baoding
Prefecture. I lived in Baoding when I first moved to China (before
moving to the larger city where Madam Deathblade and I got
married and Battle Boy was born). Yi County also very close to the
city where Madam Deathblade grew up.Thank you to Ankhalonn
and Inglorien for the reviews.

The title of this chapter has a lot of meaning. It’s the first line of a
famous poem generally attributed to Jing Ke, arguably the most
famous assassin in the history of ancient China. Supposedly, he
recited the poem (or possibly sang it as a song), before departing
Yi County on his famous failed attempt to assassinate the King of
Qin. Given the final scene in this chapter, you can draw your own
conclusions about why the author chose this line of poetry as the
chapter title. Incidentally, the Jing Ke assassination mission was
the focus of a relatively well-known Chinese movie called The
Emperor and the Assassin. Another factoid: Yi County is part of
modern-day Baoding Prefecture. I lived in Baoding when I first
moved to China (before moving to the larger city where Madam
Deathblade and I got married and Battle Boy was born). Yi County
also very close to the city where Madam Deathblade grew up.

Thank you to Ankhalonn and Inglorien for the reviews.

Chapter 478: Clues Left by the Palace Lord

That night, the palace lords from the Administration and Justice
Palaces left for the northern front.

After that, Palace Lord Kong led 100,000 swordsages off to the
west with great fanfare. That group of 100,000 included the best of
the best from the Sea-Sealing County for the past centuries. The
elite cultivators in that group represented all the prefectures in the
county. Each one had passed the most difficult of assessments to
become a swordsage. All had been on countless missions, and
had gone through grueling training to hone their killing ability and
toughness. In fact, you could say that they represented the heart
of Sea-Sealing County.

And on this day, they took to the field. 100,000 swordsages. Just
like the oath they had sworn, they headed to the western front with
decisiveness and tenacity.

Xu Qing stood on a mountain outside the county capital, watching

them go. He had already concealed his aura. The cold wind
caused his garment to flap, and sent his long hair swaying behind
him. After watching the swordsage army leave, his expression
turned fierce. Turning, he shot in the direction of Daybreak
Prefecture. He was like a lone wolf stalking through the night.
“Daybreak Prefecture....” he murmured. As he sped along with his
guard up, his heart pounded.

After all, Mount Daybreak was in Daybreak Prefecture. His most

deep-seated desire upon reaching the county capital was to
eventually travel to Mount Daybreak. Never could he have
imagined that he would end up going there like this.

As he flew, he took out the jade slip from Palace Lord Kong and
studied the contents. The palace lord had explained a lot before
they parted, and had made his way of thinking very clear. The
governor’s sudden death was extremely strange, and there was
no telling who the secret traitor was.

As he studied the information in the jade slip, Xu Qing suddenly

stopped in place and struggled to control his breathing.

The lightmost fatehavoc pill?

Despite everything Xu Qing knew about the dao of medicine, he

had never heard of such a pill.

Palace Lord Kong’s jade slip gave a detailed description of it. It

was a taboo pill that had been outlawed during the time of Ancient
Emperor Dark Serenity. The reason for the ban on the pill was that
top experts from countless species had absolutely detested it. A
lightmost fatehavoc pill wouldn’t do anything to an ordinary
cultivator. However, it was a pill that was extremely dangerous to
government leaders, as it had the potential to kill them almost
instantly.

The reason for that was related to destiny aura: the pill could
cause a deadly eruption in destiny aura power. And the more
destiny aura was gathered in someone, the more powerful the
effect would be.

The pill was originally created to resist the rule of the Ancient
Spirits, and was created using the light of a perished sun. It
resurfaced in the days of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, and was
used to assassinate many humans who had destiny aura, as well
as many nonhuman political leaders. There were even three
nonhuman emperors who were killed with it.

It didn’t matter if someone was human or nonhuman, as long as

they were an important leader, they would naturally gather the
destiny aura of their species. Destiny aura would give a person
something like the mandate of heaven. But at the same time, it
could be turned into something that would wreak havoc on
someone’s fate, and ultimately destroy them with terrifying power.
During the half-month that Palace Lord Kong had been
investigating the governor’s death, the clues he had uncovered
pointed to the possibility of a lightmost fatehavoc pill being
involved.

Xu Qing’s pupils constricted as the information from the jade slip

entered his mind.
“Based on my investigation, there are many possibilities as to why
the governor died. However, among those many possibilities...
only a few of them can account for what happened in the
Corrections Division.

“Imprisoned in the Corrections Division was the clone of the god

sleeping in Forbidden by the Immortal. The method of
imprisonment involved converting destiny aura into a power of
forced amnesia. In other words, the clone believed itself to be the
spirit automaton of the Corrections Division.

“Whoever continues my investigation should study the files of D-

132. For all intents and purposes, D-132 was the epitome of the
Corrections Division, and a miniature representation of the entire
prison. Feel free to consult my secretary-general, Xu Qing, who
was the most recent guard in D-132, and who I’ve been grooming
as my successor. He’s trustworthy.

“The D-132 cellblock was formed by an external manifestation of

the prison’s suppressing power. Inside of it was the finger of that
god’s clone, as well as a spirit manifestation of the destiny aura of
Sea-Sealing County.

“This god clone from Forbidden by the Immortal had a formidable

power: anyone who remembered hīm would be sucked into
endless misfortune. Based on our records, whoever became
wrapped up in that misfortune would experience increasingly
terrifying situations that would ultimately lead to their death.
“The purpose of the destiny aura spirit in D-132 was to wipe out
the memories of that god from anyone who served as a guard
there, thus severing the karma.

“Normally speaking, whatever the circumstances surrounding the

governor’s death, they shouldn’t have any connection to the
Corrections Division. After all, the Corrections Division has been
around for an extremely long time, and has seen many governors
come and go.

“After carefully considering the various possibilities, and weighing

them against each other, I’ve come to focus on the lightmost
fatehavoc pill. As for why I think that pill is involved, whoever
continues the investigation can check Classified Dossier 19.

“I’ve had limited time to run this investigation, and time is now
running out. What’s more, the enemy is still in hiding, while I
myself am exposed. I don’t want to tip my hand, and also, the war
situation is approaching a critical point. Sea-Sealing County is in
great danger, making it impossible for me to secretly carry out this
investigation.

“Thus, I’m sending my secretary-general, Xu Qing, to look for a

very specific clue.

“And that is: daybreak light.

“Activating a lightmost fatehavoc pill requires one special element:

the light of a perished sun. Such light can only exist for a very
short moment. And that kind of light occasionally appears in the
vicinity of Mount Daybreak.

“Whoever is behind this plot is obviously clever and skilled. In all

likelihood, investigating Mount Daybreak won’t lead to anything.
But we can’t ignore it. As for what it reveals in the end... if I die in
battle, then whoever continues the investigation can ask Xu Qing.”
[1]

Xu Qing currently stood on a wide plane under the dark of night, a

thoughtful look on his face as he put away the jade slip. He turned
to look toward the western front, then started moving again toward
Daybreak Prefecture.

A few days passed.

The public believed Xu Qing to be with Palace Lord Kong on the

way to the battlefield, but in reality, he had already used the
concealment magic given to him by Arch-Immortal Plumdark to
‘disappear.’ He was already in the prefecture that lay between the
county capital and Daybreak Prefecture.

It was a very large area that was known for the very unique type of
wind that blew through it. Wherever that wind blew, it would open
up countless strange rifts in the air. That made it impossible to fly,
and thus made ground travel a necessity. After all, the wind only
touched the air, not the ground. According to local legend, when
the sun perished in Daybreak Prefecture, it created an unusual
climate that gave birth to this unique wind. As a result, it came to
be called the ‘sun wind’.

When the sun wind blew, only people with extremely high
cultivation bases could fly. Everyone else had to drop to the
ground. There was no way to reach Daybreak Prefecture without
going through this area.

Xu Qing would drop to the ground when the wind blew. When it
stopped, he would fly back up into the sky again. As he traveled,
he saw how the war was already affecting Sea-Sealing County.
The citizens of the small human nations that existed everywhere
were visibly alarmed. The countless villages that dotted the
wilderness were terrified. Everyone that Xu Qing saw was fearful
because of the war, and also uncertain about the future.

And then there were the nonhumans. Now that Xu Qing wasn’t
wearing his swordsage uniform, and was instead clad in an
ordinary robe, he could see the wild ambition and greed in their
eyes. It was easy to imagine what would happen if the war spread
to these areas, and the Holytide army took over. These
nonhumans would immediately turn on the humans, and take
advantage of the situation to plunder whatever was available.

Palace Lord Kong was right. If he hadn’t forced the nonhuman

experts into service, things would have been a lot worse.
Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light as he continued on his
journey. Occasionally, he would spot human sects off in the
distance. All of them had activated spell formations to seal off their
headquarters. Most of the cultivators were off at war, leaving those
headquarters with only a few people behind to take care of things.

All major sects had activated their taboo treasures and handed
control over to the county capital.

Over the course of a few days of travel, Xu Qing saw brightly

colored light flashing in heaven and earth, which were of course
caused by the use of those various taboo treasures being
activated. One afternoon, the canopy of heaven trembled, and Xu
Qing looked up to see scintillating light flowing across the net in
the sky. Terrifying pressure weighed down as one stream of light
headed to the west, the other to the north. Clearly, power was
being taken from the taboo treasures and used with killing force on
the battlefield.

The rumbling sounds that filled the sky were a constant reminder
to Xu Qing that a bitter war was being fought.

Looking down from the sky, he continued on his way.

Two more days passed.

If he traveled through the night, he would reach the border of

Daybreak Prefecture. As the sun set, and the sun wind blew, Xu
Qing landed near a village.
Something seemed off about the place. It looked different from
other villages that Xu Qing had seen. For example, the trees
weren’t growing out of the ground. Instead, they floated in the air.
There was a flock of birds overhead, and though the feathers of
their wings rippled, they weren’t actually moving. They seemed
stuck in place. And they were being hurt by the sun wind.

The situation on the ground was even more freakish. The buildings
were all upside down. Some parts of the village would disappear,
then appear again a moment later. At the entrance of the village
was a hairless dog with a human face, looking at Xu Qing with
bared teeth, growling.

Xu Qing took in the scene as the sun set and darkness spread.

Once it was dark, everything changed again. It went back to

normal, and resembled any old village. The dog at the entrance
was now a muscular oaf. He grinned at Xu Qing with blackish-
yellow teeth and beckoned at him to enter the village.

Xu Qing’s face remained expressionless. He had no time to waste,

and thus, he just circled around the village and continued on his
way.

But then, the village behind him trembled, and then the buildings
grew legs, stood up, and rushed toward him.

Xu Qing stopped in place and turned around. All the buildings

dropped in place. The village oaf was still there, grinning and
waving at him. As he grinned gruishly, the entire village emanated
pure malice.

Xu Qing walked back toward the village.

His shadow stretched behind him, emitting fluctuations of

excitement. It sounded like it was salivating.

“Hungry... so hungry....”

That made Xu Qing think back to when he was in Emperor Ancient

Spirit’s major world, when the shadow had tried to eat some of the
evil souls, only to end up vomiting.

Xu Qing decided he ought to reward the shadow for its loyalty, and
therefore walked a bit more quickly toward the village. It only took
a few moments for him to reach the grinning oaf.

Seeing Xu Qing approaching, the oaf was about to open his mouth
when the shadow suddenly lunged toward him. The shadow
enveloped him, and the oaf disappeared.

As crunching sounds rang out, the entire village trembled.

Numerous eyes popped up on the buildings and trees. They
looked at Xu Qing, then closed.

“Eat,” Xu Qing said coolly, standing there with arms crossed.

1. Some readers might remember that daybreak light was

described obliquely in chapter 392. ☜
Chapter 479: Patriarch Muddlesky and
Stonefiend Seacrusher

After devouring the oaf, the shadow excitedly acknowledged Xu

Qing’s subsequent orders. It was like an extremely obedient but
vicious dog who, in its extreme longing, suddenly received its
master’s approval to go wild.

The buildings in the village now realized that Xu Qing was

someone not to be trifled with. Their legs immediately appeared,
and they turned to flee. It was too late.

Xu Qing’s shadow spread out rapidly, whereupon agonized shrieks

rang out from the buildings. The shrieks didn’t last for long,
though. After the shadow covered the buildings, the shrieks were
replaced by chewing sounds.

“Yum... yummm... yummmm.....”

The shadow was clearly very excited. It even sent out black
tendrils, like tentacles, to capture all the fleeing buildings.

It was a very gruish scene. Anyone who happened upon it would

be astonished. After all, Xu Qing’s method of giving orders to a
grue made him more gruish than the grues themselves. The trees
vanished. The buildings collapsed. The shadow was essentially
devouring everything including the flesh and bones.
Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior suddenly appeared. He blinked a
few times, and his eyes shone with excitement. Apparently, he
was trying to remind Xu Qing of the things he had done in the
past.

Xu Qing ignored him.

Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior suddenly felt the need to be more

vigilant than ever, as he realized that his own sense of existence
was fading. He had read a lot of books in which the main character
had a pet who, because of matters relating to their sense of
existence, gradually faded away, never to be seen again. In the
past, the patriarch had always assumed it was because the author
just forgot about the pet. But based on his current experiences, he
realized that wasn’t the case. It was instead a situation in which
the pet didn’t work hard enough. It didn’t have anything to do with
the author.

I have to break through soon! Very soon! I have to get Nascent

Soul power before the Fiendish Xu! That way my sense of
existence will be much stronger!

As the patriarch stewed in such thoughts, the shadow gorged

itself. Apparently, the flavor really was delicious, as the shadow
even materialized a tongue that it used to lick every last bit of
flavor out. But then, an angry shout rang out.

“You’re going too far!”

Some tentacles appeared that resembled the shadow’s tendrils,
except they were made of flesh and blood. As they burrowed out
of the ground and whipped around wildly, the shadow stretched
toward them excitedly. However, the tentacles then used some
unknown method to spit out some black mist which blocked the
shadow.

But the shadow wasn’t picky with food: it just started devouring the
mist, which got it even more excited. Then, it got closer to the
tentacles, looking like it was very pleased to have found something
so interesting.

When they clashed, chewing sounds mixed with cries of agony.

The tentacles were quickly being ripped to shreds. Only a moment
later, the surviving tentacles self-detonated, and the resulting
explosion shoved the shadow backward and caused it to shatter.
Then the countless chunks of bloody flesh converged in the
distance, forming a strange beast that looked like a qilin, except
that it was covered with tentacles.

The beast looked grimly at the shadow, which was already back in
one piece and clearly unharmed. What kind of grue is this?

“Hurry up and eat it,” Xu Qing said coolly.

The shadow glared malevolently at the beast, then blurred toward

it. Halfway there, it turned into a huge coffin with countless eyes
covering its surface.
“You command grues? Very interesting. It seems that during my
two hundred years of confinement in the Corrections Division,
some very unusual magical techniques have been developed. In
that case... allow me to devour you first, fool!”

With a roar, the beast exploded again, causing a host of bloody

flesh chunks to rush forward. In the blink of an eye, they were right
in front of Xu Qing, and were clearly about to surround him.

“Corrections Division?” Xu Qing murmured, his eyes turning cold.

He shoved his hand out into the middle of all the chunks of flesh
and grabbed a small, slippery object from within. He yanked it out.

A bloodcurdling scream shook the area. The chunks of flesh

dissolved into ashes, and Xu Qing was left holding a trembling,
pitch-black imp. It was dripping wet and had only one eye. What
was more, the back half of its head was missing, and the interior of
its skull was empty. Someone had apparently dug out most of its
brain. The wound had not yet healed over.

It all seemed very strange. Xu Qing knew that not all jailers in the
Corrections Division liked to just kill prisoners. Many of them were
fond of experimentation and research. Many had grand aspirations
that would lead them to perform vivisections on nonhumans. This
imp most likely had been an experiment subject at the moment of
the prison break.
Xu Qing’s shadow approached and swirled around him, looking
curiously at the little imp that was the same color as itself.

“You wouldn’t dare kill me!” the imp shrieked. “My bosses are
Patriarch Muddlesky and Stonefiend Seacrusher! They’re from D-
132! You’ve probably heard of D-132, haven’t you? That’s the
most brutal and mysterious location in the Corrections Division. If
you dare do anything to me, they’ll definitely put you to death!”

Clearly, this little imp didn’t know who Xu Qing was....

It made sense considering how many prisoners had been kept in

the Corrections Division. It wasn’t as if Xu Qing had visited all the
cell blocks. What was more, the majority of prisoners who laid
eyes on him ended up dead.

Xu Qing had been planning to just crush the imp out of existence.
But then he started talking about D-132, and it caused Xu Qing’s
eyes to glitter. Next, he threw him down in front of Patriarch
Golden Vajra Warrior.

“Get a location,” Xu Qing said quietly.

“Yes, sir!” the patriarch said. He flashed a vicious smile as he

stalked toward the little imp.

Before long, screams rang out in all directions. They didn’t last for
very long. After enough time passed for half an incense stick to
burn, the extremely pleased-looking patriarch got the information
out of the imp.

Once they knew the direction to go in, Xu Qing blurred into motion.

About an hour later, they caught sight of an illusory mountain

made of black mist. A pitch-black aura pulsed out from it in all
directions, making it seem extremely malevolent. Anyone who
looked at it would feel instantly uneasy, and wouldn’t dare to
approach it.

“Milord, based on the information from Little Imp, this mountain

has a lot of grues on it. All of them were recruited by the two
bosses he mentioned. They began recruiting after the swordsages
left for war.” Keeping a firm grip on the gasping imp, the patriarch
respectfully continued, “What if I go with Little... Shadow to scout
ahead? Once these two bosses appear, we can—”

“There’s no need for that.” Xu Qing didn’t want to waste any more
time, so he flew toward the misty mountain.

The concealment magic he was using didn’t just hide his aura, it
also concealed his cultivation base. As he entered the mountain,
he waved his hand to part the mist.

A moment later, howls erupted from within the mountain as ghostly

shadows surged out. But before they could even get a sense of
where Xu Qing was, they screamed and exploded.
Seeing that, the little imp in the patriarch’s hand grew increasingly
terrified.

Xu Qing didn’t slow down at all. He strode through the mist,

causing any gruish entities to vanish before they could even get
within thirty meters of him. Thus he climbed closer and closer to
the summit of the mountain.

It was only at this point that whatever entities controlled the

mountain started to realize that something was going on. A
piercing cry erupted, full of wild arrogance.

“What blind dog dares to cause a scene in my presence?”

It was a familiar voice. As it echoed out, a head appeared, rising

up from the summit of the mountain. And beneath it was the
extremely impressive body of a stone guardian lion. The head and
the stone lion didn’t really match, but they emanated an
impressive aura that weighed down viciously on everything.

Xu Qing looked up without a scrap of expression on his face.

Meanwhile, the imp being held by Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior

suddenly got extremely excited.

“Bosses!” he screamed. “Bosses, help!”

A vicious gleam appeared in the eyes of the head, and its

expression was equally ferocious. Looking down through the
mists, it bellowed, “Whoever dares cause problems for one of my
subordinates is courting... huh?” Before the head could finish
speaking, its eyes came to rest on Xu Qing. “What? What?”

The head’s eyes went wide and its pupils constricted. It started
trembling. It seemed it couldn’t believe what it was seeing, and it
even blinked seven or eight times.

All the while, the imp was yelling more and more loudly. “Bosses, it
was this bastard! You have to kill him!”

The head unleashed a piercing scream of terror that caused

everything to tremble violently.

“Holy crap!!” Massive tidal waves of shock pounding the head’s

mind as it turned to flee.

However, the stone lion reacted even more quickly. All four of its
legs pumped wildly, and its tail swished back and forth as it threw
the head off it and started running away at top speed.

After being thrown off the lion, the head flipped end over end a few
times before righting itself and fleeing after the lion.

“Y-y-you? What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at

war? Aren’t all the swordsages off at war? Goddammit! What are
you doing here??”

Remaining completely calm, Xu Qing strode after them in pursuit.

Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior hurried after Xu Qing, keeping his
grip on the imp, who was completely stunned. Its two bosses were
supposed to be illustrious and terrifying figures from D-132, but
now they were fleeing like mad.

“Bosses... the two of you—”

“Shut up!” wailed the head. “He’s the boss! He’s the freaking guard
in charge of D-132!” The head really wished it could just devour
that imp. “I just got free! You little bastard! I can’t believe you
brought this heaven-damned killer here! Do you know how many
times he’s stomped me to death?”

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to rvbrowntn for the review.

Many thanks to rvbrowntn for the review.

Chapter 480: Not One Less!

Upon realizing that its short moment of freedom was coming to an

end now that it had run into a jailer... the head was profoundly
furious.

If it had been an ordinary jailer, it might not have been a big deal.
The head could have made a big scene and probably pulled the
wool over the eyes of someone unfamiliar with it. But when facing
Xu Qing, it didn’t dare to bare even a hint of its teeth. All it dared to
do was flee. Not even it was sure how many times Xu Qing had
killed it. Xu Qing’s methods were profoundly brutal, and what was
more, the fluctuations of godly authority he emanated were
terrifying. And then there was that shadow of his....

The head could remember not too long ago how Xu Qing would
awaken in D-132, and the first thing he would do was stomp the
head out of existence. No matter how many times the head
experienced that, it never got used to it. All it did was instill a deep
terror of Xu Qing into it. It trembled in fear as it fled, and the stone
lion ahead of it was in the same position.

Xu Qing wasn’t in a rush. He watched coldly as the head and the

stone lion ran from him. Now that he wasn’t under the influence of
D-132, some of the memories of that time were returning to him.
One thing he now recalled... was why he had always snapped
those bamboo slips. They had gathered godly power from D-132,
and were also full of the amnesiac destiny aura. What was more,
being all piled together caused the bamboo slips to change on a
substructural level.

Every time I woke up and realized that, I wanted to use the power
of D-132 to create a special treasure.

With such thoughts on his mind, he summoned the hellspirit

bloodwing and then shot forward with such astonishing speed that
he instantly caught up with the head.

All the head saw was a blur, and then Xu Qing was in front of it. It
shrieked in absolute terror as Xu Qing lifted his foot.

“AIIIIEEEEEE! Not this again!” It instinctively closed its eyes, and

then a loud thump rang out.

Xu Qing stomped his foot onto the head, causing it to burst. Then
he looked placidly at the stone lion.

“Get the hell back here!”

The stone lion stopped in place and shivered. It didn’t dare to

continue fleeing. Thinking back to how many times Xu Qing had
burned it to death, it obediently turned back around, then skipped
back to Xu Qing, wagging its tail like a puppy. When it reached
him, it dropped to the ground in front of him in obeisance.

Xu Qing coldly examined the lion. Whether it was because of his

memories or the information carved onto the broken bamboo slips,
he knew that this stone lion was the cloud troll from D-132. More
precisely, under the effects of the destiny aura, it looked like a
cloud troll. But this headless stone lion was its true form. That was
why the head had made such a big deal about Xu Qing putting him
in that specific cell. It was because it wanted to become the stone
lion’s head.

As Xu Qing considered those things, the chunks of flesh that had

been the head flew back together. A moment later, the head was
whole again, and it immediately started shrieking.

“Exalted Jailer, I—”

Xu Qing stomped on it. Another thump rang out as it exploded yet

again.

The stone lion shivered and wagged its tail even harder.

The head recovered fairly quickly, and immediately began

moaning. “I’m done for. Done for! Without the amnesic effects of
D-132, I simply—”

Thump.

It exploded again.

In that manner, an hour passed. After stomping on the head

seventeen or eighteen times, Xu Qing left.
But this time, he wasn’t moving on foot. He was sitting on the back
of the stone lion. As for the head... it was tied onto the stone lion’s
tail. As the stone lion bounded along, its two rear paws would
continuously smack the head, causing it to moan in grief and
indignation. However, it didn’t dare lose its temper with Xu Qing.
Instead, it would curse the lion.

Upon hearing those curses, the stone lion would make sure to
swish its tail vigorously, and kick out its hind legs with increasing
force.

Xu Qing had originally intended to put these two prisoners to

death. But apparently, they had been locked up in D-132 with that
god for so long that they had been slowly transformed in
miraculous ways. Or perhaps it was some curse. Either way,
whenever they died, they were always resurrected almost
immediately.

Now that Xu Qing thought about it, that was how they were back in
D-132.

That said, though he couldn’t kill them, he also couldn’t just let
them go free. So he decided to bring them with him.

The headless stone lion bounded along at incredible speed, using

a lot of force with its rear legs. The head tied to its tail screamed
and cursed constantly. And Xu Qing sat expressionlessly on the
lion’s back, occasionally pointing out to indicate which direction to
travel in.

Around the time the sky was turning bright, Xu Qing could see
Daybreak Prefecture in the distance.

“Daybreak Prefecture?” the bruised head blurted. Spitting out

some chunks of rock it had bitten off the stone lion’s legs, it looked
in the direction of Daybreak Prefecture and blinked a few times.

“Exalted one! Sir! I have information to report! Do you remember

that Paintedfolk bastard Sir Inkwell? He’s in Daybreak Prefecture!
And not just him. That god’s finger from D-132 is also there!”

Xu Qing’s eyebrows shot up and he turned to look at the head.

Putting on a very fawning expression, the head said, “Those damn

prisoners have no sense of gratitude. The Corrections Division
treated us so well! We got food and drink, and they didn’t execute
us. We had a nice place to sleep. In a chaotic world such as ours,
a place like that is hard to find. But them? They actually broke out!

“Exalted one, the truth is that this entire time, I’ve been really
missing life back in the Corrections Division. Every single memory
is something I cherish! I miss it so much! So, being the upright and
righteous head that I am, I absolutely had to give you this
information! Exalted one, you should also know that the old fart Sir
Inkwell was the one that instigated the whole prison break!”
Hearing all of that, Xu Qing looked thoughtfully in the direction of
Daybreak Prefecture.

As the palace lord’s secretary-general, he’d been given access to

more than just the war reports from all of Sea-Sealing County.
He’d also been privy to the details surrounding the collapse of the
Corrections Division.

At the moment of the event, the suppressing power of the

Corrections Division had vanished. The god’s clone, which had
been fooled into thinking it was a spirit automaton, instantly woke
up. Then it erupted with power as it tried to revert itself from a
state of dismemberment into a state of being whole again.

Thankfully, Palace Lord Kong himself was stationed in the

Corrections Division. Thanks to his quick action, along with the
help of the honor guards and the deputy palace lords, bolstered by
the power of the county capital’s taboo treasure, they quickly re-
sealed the clone’s head and torso. However, as they did that, the
governor died and the Corrections Division exploded. The county
capital had descended into chaos, and large numbers of prisoners
took advantage of the moment to escape. And among those who
escaped were some of the other parts of the god’s clone.

The final tally concluded that two fingers and an eye had vanished
without a trace. The only upside was that they sustained severe
injuries in the process.
During the swordsage’s attempt to round up all the prisoners, they
found one of the fingers, and the two deputy palace lords
managed to capture it.

As for the other missing parts, one finger and one eye, there were
no clues regarding their whereabouts. They had gone into hiding
somewhere, and the presumption was that if further intense
searching was carried out, they would be found. But because of
the war, the swordsages didn’t have that spare time to work with.

If what the head just said was true, then the finger from D-132 was
hiding somewhere in Daybreak Prefecture.

As Xu Qing considered matters, the head blinked rapidly a few

times. It was very pleased, as it was thinking that if Xu Qing went
looking for Sir Inkwell, then either Xu Qing would end up dead and
the head would have his freedom back, or the old Paintfolk
bastard would also end up captured, and there would be a big D-
132 reunion party.

As far as the head was concerned, it was too unfair that all the
other D-132 cellmates were free, while it wasn’t. It would be much
better for them all to be suffering. Having reached the conclusion
that this was definitely the best way to think about it, the head
continued speaking.

“Exalted one, back when the Corrections Division exploded, that

old fart Sir Inkwell ran off with the god’s finger and—”
“I’m not a fan of lies,” Xu Qing said coldly.

The head shivered and quickly spoke in a different tone of voice.

“It was the god’s finger! Hē clearly has thoughts of being
independent. Instead of responding to the call of the other body
parts, hē fled with Sir Inkwell. Me and the lion here had no choice
but to follow along.

“Ehhh... while we were traveling, I heard that old fart Sir Inkwell
talking to the finger. From what I could hear, I think hē wanted Sir
Inkwell to paint something.

“Of course, hē’s a god. Very different from us. So Sir Inkwell said
that a painting like that would need special paint. And that’s why
they went to Daybreak Prefecture, to look for the legendary
remains of the fallen sun, and use them as the main ingredient in
the paint.”

The head didn’t dare to hide any elements of the story, and in fact
took great efforts to include every detail. After all, if Xu Qing got
the sense he was lying, he knew he would pay the price.

After some more thought, Xu Qing patted the stone lion’s neck,
and the lion bounded forward toward Daybreak Prefecture.

As the prefecture got closer, Xu Qing mentally reviewed everything

he knew about it. Daybreak Prefecture was unlike Sea-Sealing
County, or any of the other prefectures, for that matter. It contained
virtually no dry land. Instead, it was a massive, incomparably deep
pit covering ninety percent of the prefecture.

Legend had it the huge pit was really a crater that resulted when
the broken face of the god arrived, and one of the suns perished.
When it fell, it created that massive pit.

Thus, Daybreak Prefecture was like a bottomless abyss, a lake so

big it was like a sea. In fact, it was called the Abyssal Sea. The
surface of the pitch-black sea was dotted with occasional
mountain peaks that stuck up out of the water. Over time, the tips
of those huge mountains came to be occupied by humans and
nonhumans alike. The mountains were very unique in that they
were made of a black, crystalline substance that came to exist
when the sun fell and released incomparable heat. That was one
of the reasons why this prefecture was known for producing
cloudmother stones.

In the middle of the Abyssal Sea and all the mountains, there was
an extremely large mountain called Mount Daybreak, which was
where Daybreak Prefecture’s Swordsage Court was located.

What was more, the sun wind in Daybreak Prefecture was

stronger than in surrounding areas. It blew constantly, year-round,
and never abated. As a result, Daybreak Prefecture was a place
where teleportations weren’t possible, and flight was extremely
limited. Instead, over the years that had passed, cultivators of the
various species took to traveling on huge ships.
To accommodate those huge ships, the borders of Daybreak
Prefecture featured numerous harbors. Right now, Xu Qing was
looking at a mid-sized harbor. He was in disguise, and he had
masked his aura. He had also disguised the stone lion and the
head.

The huge harbor reminded him very much of Seven Blood Eyes.
After all, the Abyssal Sea was reminiscent of the Forbidden Sea. It
was even the same color.

A wharf stretched out into the water, but there were no ships
docked. That said, a lot of cultivators were waiting on the wharf.
There were a handful of humans present, but the majority were
nonhumans of every shape and size.

The buzz of conversation reached Xu Qing’s ears as he

approached.
Chapter 481: Euphoria Iris

Xu Qing currently sat atop a big headless turtle that had a fist-
sized barnacle on its tail. He made quite a strange sight, so it was
no wonder the Smokewights noticed him. That said, there were all
sorts of strange and unusual species on the wharf, so Xu Qing
didn’t stick out very much. There were other cultivators who had
mounts, including some who were riding skeletal creatures.

Humans weren’t as common nowadays in Sea-Sealing County.

The various Swordsage Courts had issued the call to war, so most
human cultivators were on the northern and western fronts
defending the county. It wasn’t just the Spirit Trove and Void
Returning cultivators who had been mobilized. Though they had
left some forces behind, especially those who were supposed to
be the future of their sect, the majority of their forces had been
mobilized.

As Xu Qing studied the Daybreak Prefecture harbor, he saw

mostly nonhumans. These people all lived in Sea-Sealing County,
and had benefited for countless years from the protection of
humankind.

Though that protection wasn’t necessarily critical to survival, such

species hadn’t been expelled. As a result, this was their home.
When Xu Qing thought about how many of them had refused to
join the war effort, he shook his head. In some ways he could
understand that decision. They believed that the war wasn’t their
fight, and that it didn’t matter to them who was in charge of Sea-
Sealing County. Given that, why should they fight? From their
viewpoint, it made sense. But Xu Qing was not some sort of saint
that loved all species unconditionally. Given his perspective on the
matter, he didn’t have much love for these nonhumans.

What was especially noteworthy was that Xu Qing had already

spotted some Smokewights among the nonhumans. Smokewights
didn’t just live in the desert. It was common for mist and fog to
crop up in Daybreak Prefecture, and such things made the
conditions perfect for Smokewights.

Their bodies were made from smoke, so unless you were

extremely familiar with them, it wasn’t possible to tell which were
male and which were female. In fact, you couldn’t even make out
their facial features clearly. They looked like shadowy wisps of
smoke that moved through the crowds on the wharf. They seemed
to be searching for something. Also in their group was a type of
special pitch-black puppet, with numerous cracks and crevices
where the Smokewights could live symbiotically.

Xu Qing didn’t like Smokewights. They had treated him maliciously

on his trip through the desert, which was what led to his big fight
with Chu Tianqun in their major world fragment. [1]
After that incident, Xu Qing had done some calculations and come
to the conclusion that he ran into Chu Tianqun only two hours from
the county capital border. And two hours... was how long the
Smokewights had made him wait.

Of course, he was on a secret mission right now, so he

suppressed his killing intent and paid no attention to the
Smokewights. He went down to the dock and sat atop the
headless turtle waiting for this ship to show up.

The Smokewights looked him up and down, but didn’t find

anything suspicious, and continued on their way down the wharf.

Xu Qing had no idea what they were looking for. However, after
they had moved along, the surrounding nonhumans cultivators
started talking.

“The Smokewights have been searching for days now, although

I’m not sure for what. I heard they’re not just searching here.
They’re even out on the open water.”

“I heard someone say that they’re looking for the remains of the
sun that perished here in Daybreak Prefecture. Except that
happened years and years ago. Humans and other species have
long since searched high and low. It’s been thousands of years
since any new bits of flesh have been discovered.”

“They’re probably not really looking for the sun’s remains. I get the
feeling they’re trying to prevent someone from getting into
Daybreak Prefecture.”

Xu Qing looked thoughtfully at the distant Smokewights.

Two hours passed, and more nonhumans gathered on the wharf.

That was when something like a whimpering sound echoed out
from the distant fog. Everyone on the wharf looked in that
direction. Along with the sound came a cold, sinister wind. As it
swept across the wharf, a handful of strange-looking ships floated
out of the fog. There were two types of ships.

One type resembled a swallow. Each was about three thousand

meters long, their decks covered with numerous beautiful
buildings. There were handmaidens on the decks of the ships, all
of them extremely lithe and beautiful, with rabbit ears growing out
of their heads. Xu Qing recognized them. They were members of
the Spirit Rabbit species. They had no ancestral land, and instead
could be found in prefectures far and near. They usually adhered
to whatever powerful experts would accept their service.

The other ships hardly even looked like ships. They seemed more
like giant leaves, with four legs stretching down beneath them like
tree trunks. The leaves were about three hundred meters, and
were much more simple and crude than the swallow ships. There
were a lot more of them. Of the group, about ten percent were
swallow ships, with about ninety percent being leaf ships.
As they neared, the cultivators on the wharf stirred into action, and
began heading toward whatever ship would take them to their
desired destination.

Xu Qing noticed that there were some Nascent Soul cultivators

present. They all went to the swallow ships. The rest of the
cultivators chose the leaf ships. That made it clear to Xu Qing that
the ships were designed for different cultivation bases.

After studying the options, he boarded one of the leaf ships that
was going to Mount Greenmist, which was near the middle of
Daybreak Prefecture, not very far from Mount Daybreak.

It didn’t seem smart to Xu Qing to simply go straight to Mount

Daybreak. It was a secret mission, after all. His plan was to go to
Mount Greenmist, where he would rely on the power of his
cultivation base to make the journey to Mount Daybreak.
Journeying across the water on his own wasn’t something he
could do for long periods of time, but he could manage a short
journey.

After boarding the leaf ship, he looked around. It was a very

simple vessel. There was no cabin and no handmaidens. Instead,
there were three cultivators at the front of the ship, wearing green
robes and ghost masks. They were in charge of the ship. In terms
of passengers, there were over thirty. There was a group of eight
that were obviously traveling as a group, but the others were
individuals. Everyone spread out and took a spot. Given the three-
hundred-meter length of the ship, there was plenty of room for
everyone.

After finding a corner to sit down, Xu Qing looked at the three

cultivators in green robes.

Most of what Xu Qing knew about Daybreak Prefecture came from

the swordsage files he’d read. For example, he knew that ferries
like this were controlled by a group called the Dawnluster
Consortium. It was a business alliance formed from many
organizations. Even the Swordsage Court had a share in the
business. After all, Daybreak Prefecture was a very unique place,
and there was a lot of profit to be had in maritime ventures. Official
members of the Dawnluster Consortium wore green robes.

After studying them briefly, Xu Qing took a look at the other

cultivators on board the leaf ship, then closed his eyes to meditate.

Enough time passed for an incense stick to burn, after which the
ships started leaving the wharf.

That included the ship Xu Qing was on. Sometime after he paid
the fare, the leaf vibrated. Then the four legs started moving the
ship forward. The wind blew, and there was nothing blocking it, so
it swept across the passengers.

Eventually, the leaf ship left the harbor behind. When the wind
picked up, a shimmering shield finally spread out to block it.
However, the wobbling sense of movement remained.
Xu Qing didn’t pay attention to any of that. He focused on
meditating. Three days passed.

During that time he occasionally opened his eyes and looked

around. He would gaze at the depths of the Abyssal Sea, and
could sense its cold, damp aura. Occasionally, strange entities
would appear.

For instance, there were winged whales, flocks of flying red

lanterns, and huge two-headed bats. That said, the Dawnluster
Consortium had brokered deals with all such mutant beasts, so
they didn’t cause any problems for the leaf ship.

At one point, Xu Qing noticed a huge flower blooming shortly

beneath the surface of the water. It was roughly 3,000 meters
across, and was bright red, making it very conspicuous. As Xu
Qing watched, a host of stamens rose up above the water,
swaying back and forth.

When the nonhuman cultivators aboard the leaf ship saw the
stamens, they looked over curiously. The reason was that at the
end of each swaying stamen grew a woman. All sorts of species
were represented. Xu Qing even saw a human female. They were
lithe and beautiful, and none wore clothing. Stroking their hair
coquettishly, they beckoned at the cultivators.

“We’re really lucky, exalted one,” a voice said. It came from the
barnacle attached to the turtle’s tail. That barnacle was really the
head from D-132. Eyes were visible on the barnacle as it stared
out at the flower. “It’s a euphoria iris! Back in the day, that was my
favorite type of flower.”

Xu Qing frowned. He had never heard of euphoria irises before.

Eyes gleaming with reminiscence, the head continued, “Euphoria

irises are a special type of gruish plant native to Daybreak
Prefecture. The stamens transform into women of varying species
that entice passersby.

“If they succeed in getting someone to approach, they grab them

and drag them down to the sea floor where they suck them dry,
leaving behind nothing but a desiccated corpse. An ordinary
Foundation Establishment cultivator would only last for four or five
breaths of time. A Gold Core expert might last for a bit longer, but
not that much. Only individuals like me with unique innate abilities
can turn things around and experience the true bliss of a euphoria
iris. Now, before you make some joke about that being reason I
don’t have a body, let me clarify that—”

“Quiet,” Xu Qing said. The turtle and the barnacle said nothing
further.

As Xu Qing remained in place cross-legged, he cast out his

senses in the direction of the group of eight nonhumans. It
seemed they were discussing the Swordsage Court.

By focusing properly, Xu Qing could hear their conversation.

“The whole world is falling apart! I heard that it’s only when the
population drops in Daybreak Prefecture that these vile euphoria
irises start blooming....”

“Things don’t look good for the humans. The Swordsage Palace is
heading into a huge crisis. From what I heard, a lot of nonhumans
and rogue cultivators are eyeing the Swordsage Court on Mount
Daybreak.”

“I heard that rumor too. There’s somebody recruiting rogue

cultivators, bandits, and criminals from all species. They’re
preparing to strike at Mount Daybreak and loot the Swordsage
Court there.”

“Things are really unstable. I’ve definitely seen a lot of strangers

around lately. I think most are cultivators from outside Daybreak
Prefecture.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with us. Let’s just get home. Who
cares if the humans survive or not? But if they fall... then we
should make sure to get a piece of the pie.”

“True. I heard the Swordsage Court has some serious treasure

stockpiled....”

Xu Qing frowned, and his gaze turned cold. However, that was
when he suddenly noticed something in the fog. He saw eight 30-
meter-tall puppets, pitch black in color, emerging from the fog.
Their eyes glowed red with malice as they looked at the leaf ship.
It was a party of Smokewights.

Xu Qing’s eyes turned icier. As the Smokewight puppets

approached, he assessed their cultivation bases and battle
prowess.

Smoke emerged from the cracks and crevices in the puppets,

which turned into Smokewights. They fanned out to surround the
leaf ship. As for the puppets, they arrayed themselves in front of
the ship so it couldn’t move forward.

The leaf ship’s four legs shivered but didn’t move. Meanwhile, the
cultivators on board looked at the Smokewights with vigilance.

The three cultivators in green robes and ghost masks quickly got
to their feet. The one in the middle stepped forward, looked at the
Smokewights, and said, “How can I help you, Fellow Daoists from
the Smokewights?”

1. Xu Qing’s distaste for the Smokewights began in chapter 459.

☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThere was one section of this chapter (only

a couple sentences) that I altered. The author had one part where
the stone lion (in turtle form), spoke. This seems to be an
oversight by the author, as there is a big point made (especially
later on) about the stone lion being unable to talk, regardless of
the form it's in. I kept the humor and the point of that sentence, but
tweaked it so that the mistake is no longer so glaring.Many thanks
to gagraphic and Mooinee for the reviews!

There was one section of this chapter (only a couple sentences)

that I altered. The author had one part where the stone lion (in
turtle form), spoke. This seems to be an oversight by the author,
as there is a big point made (especially later on) about the stone
lion being unable to talk, regardless of the form it's in. I kept the
humor and the point of that sentence, but tweaked it so that the
mistake is no longer so glaring.

Many thanks to gagraphic and Mooinee for the reviews!

Chapter 482: Don’t Flip Out In Front of the
Yama King

The Smokewights surrounding the leaf ship didn’t respond to the

green-robed cultivator’s question. Completely ignoring the leaf
ship’s defenses, they floated aboard and started circulating among
the passengers. The cultivators looked around with varying facial
expressions. Some of the Smokewights approached Xu Qing and
circled around him a few times, their vicious faces just barely
visible in the smoke as they inspected him. A moment passed, and
the Smokewights left the ship. Returning to the puppets, they
gathered in front of the centermost puppet and kowtowed.

“Exalted one, of the thirty-five cultivators, six have suspicious

auras.”

The expressions of the passengers flickered when they heard that.

Before anyone could do anything, the puppets’ eyes glowed even

more brightly with a red color. It was especially evident in the
center most puppet. In fact, it was so bright the entire leaf ship
looked like it was the color of blood.

“Kill them,” the puppet said in a cold voice. In response, the

Smokewights rose into the air and transformed into six huge faces
that shot toward the leaf ship.
Battle prowess equivalent to six heavenly palaces erupted from
the six vicious faces. In any location, battle prowess of that caliber
would be considered the backbone of a species. And that was
more the case considering there were no Spirit Trove or Void
Returning cultivators in Sea-Sealing County right now. The most
powerful were Nascent Soul experts, but people like that would be
stationed in their sect or species headquarters. As a result, Gold
Core was the highest level of battle prowess that could be found
out and about.

The six faces rushed toward six individual cultivators. Three of

them were lone travelers. Two were members of the group of
eight. And one of them was one of the green-robed members of
the consortium.

Rumbling booms echoed out as the six cultivators fought back. But
the red light shining from the puppets weakened them, such that
the six Smokewights easily devoured five of them. The final
individual fled. But before he could get far, the center most puppet
blurred into motion. Chasing after him, the puppet unleashed a
palm strike that caused everything to shake. The fleeing cultivator
screamed, then exploded.

Pseudo-Nascent Soul, Xu Qing thought.

He had been able to tell from the beginning that the six faces were
not individual Smokewights. They were formed by numerous
Smokewights merged together. As for the eight puppets, the
center most puppet had pseudo-Nascent Soul battle prowess,
while the others were at the level of seven or eight heavenly
palaces. That level of battle prowess was on par with the Holytide
Black Guard.

These must be elites among the Smokewights.

Xu Qing stifled his killing intent, as he didn’t want to reveal himself

right after he had just arrived in the prefecture. He sat in place
coolly. That said, he had already released his taboo poison, and
was ready to activate it at a moment’s notice.

As Xu Qing sat there in concealment, the six faces hovered above,

scanning the crowd of passengers.

Every cultivator on the leaf ship was breathing heavily and looked
furious. That included the two cultivators from the Dawnluster
Consortium. They were obviously enraged that their compatriot
had just been killed. However, they didn’t dare say anything.

“Exalted one, the magical device reading... hasn’t weakened.

There’s still someone suspicious onboard.”

The puppet with pseudo-Nascent Soul battle prowess just hovered

there for a moment.

“Kill them all.”

“Yes, sir!”
When the cultivators on the leaf ship heard that, their faces fell. All
at once, they burst into motion. Even the green-robed cultivators
fled at top speed.

None of them moved quickly enough. The six faces broke apart,
turning into twelve faces, each of which had five-palace battle
prowess. As they shot in pursuit of the passengers, the puppets
also took motion, with the exception being the pseudo-Nascent
Soul puppet.

The puppets with seven- and eight-palace battle prowess could

easily slaughter random cultivators like this. In the blink of an eye,
miserable shrieks rang out everywhere.

The one to attack Xu Qing was one of the twelve Smokewight

faces. It now looked like a human. Within the blurring smoke that
made it up was the face of a middle-aged woman. As she neared,
her mouth opened wide. At the same time, tendrils of smoke
snaked out from her, which performed incantation gestures to
launch a magical attack.

Xu Qing just looked at her coldly.

All of a sudden, she shivered, then let loose a bloodcurdling

scream. There was no way she could stand up to the power of Xu
Qing’s taboo poison, and began to immediately dissolve. She
backed up at high speed, smoke crumbling everywhere. No
attempt to dispel the poison did any good, and her screams
intensified. A moment later, the smoke vanished, as she was
destroyed in body and soul.

That immediately attracted the fury of the other Smokewights. Two

of the puppets flew toward Xu Qing and launched attacks.

Xu Qing frowned. His mission was to perform a secret

investigation, and thus he hadn’t intended to get involved in a fight.
But since they were attacking him, he would react in kind. As per
his custom, he would wipe them out.

As long as no one finds out, it won’t affect the mission.

He pulled out his dagger, then suddenly vanished. The puppets

could tell something had gone wrong but before they could react,
Xu Qing appeared behind one of them. The dagger slashed
through its neck.

Explosive cultivation base power ripped through the puppet. Then

a boom echoed out as the puppet collapsed. Out from inside
emerged a stream of gray smoke that tried to flee.

The shadow appeared out of nowhere and devoured it.

“I need one of them alive,” Xu Qing said calmly. Bursting into

motion, he slammed into the next puppet. The puppet exploded,
and the gray smoke inside of it fled. However, Patriarch Golden
Vajra Warrior shot forth and surrounded it with crackling lightning.
All of this takes a bit of time to describe, but actually happened in
the time it takes a spark to fly off of a piece of flint. Two puppets
and one face were destroyed, causing the remaining Smokewights
to look over in shock. The pseudo-Nascent Soul puppet reacted
with particular intensity. Its red eyes glowed even more brightly. It
was about to issue some orders about what to do when, out of
nowhere, more agonized shrieks rang out from the Smokewights
in face form.

All eleven of them screamed in horror as their bodies started

corroding. The expressions of the Smokewights within the smoke
were that of agony as they howled. There was nothing they could
do. In the shortest of moments, they lost all their life force, and
became scattered scraps of smoke.

“You!!” Trembling, the pseudo-Nascent Soul puppet turned and

fled. The other four puppets did the same.

They were too slow.

Xu Qing blurred with incredible speed, appearing only a moment

later in front of the pseudo-Nascent Soul puppet.

He could kill actual Nascent Soul enemies, so someone in the

pseudo-Nascent Soul level counted for almost nothing.

Xu Qing’s eight heavenly palace erupted with power. Taboo poison

spread out, and the power of the violet moon converged on his
finger. Then, Xu Qing struck the puppet. As the puppet shivered,
the shadow arrived, wrapping around Xu Qing and instantly
boosting his fleshly body power to the ten-palace level. It was a
peak level of fleshly body power that even an early Nascent Soul
expert would have trouble dealing with, much less a pseudo-
Nascent Soul cultivator....

Xu Qing’s attack caused the pseudo-Nascent Soul puppet to

explode as his hand reached inside and grabbed the white smoke.

The smoke rippled and distorted, revealing the face of a young

woman. She looked terrified as she opened her mouth to speak.
Xu Qing viciously twisted his hand, causing half of her to collapse.
She lapsed into unconsciousness.

Having accomplished that, Xu Qing turned to look at the remaining

four puppets. All were in a bad state, as the shadow, patriarch,
head, and lion had already been fighting them.

Face completely expressionless, Xu Qing went over and

destroyed all four puppets. The gray streams of smoke that
emerged from them couldn’t escape; he captured them all. The
reason he didn’t kill them was that he wanted to get information
from them. He wanted to know exactly what they were looking for,
and how they had determined someone suspicious was on board.

He had been suspicious about the Smokewights ever since

arriving at the harbor.
Back on the leaf ship, he sat down cross-legged and took out one
of the gray streams of smoke. “What are all you Smokewights
looking for?”

The leaf ship was clearly a living being, as it was trembling.

As for the gray smoke, it distorted to reveal a face that glared at

Xu Qing without saying a word.

Not wanting to waste words, Xu Qing released his taboo poison.

The face instantly started screaming shrilly, which in turn caused
the other captive Smokewights to tremble. Moments later, the gray
smoke was destroyed in body and soul. Xu Qing moved on to the
second Smokewight. Voice calm, he asked the same question.

The Smokewight hesitated.

Xu Qing tossed the smoke to the shadow.

“Eat.”

The shadow excitedly opened its mouth and devoured the smoke.
Then it made deliberately loud chewing sounds that were laced
with the screams of the Smokewight. The other Smokewights now
looked at Xu Qing as if he were a Yama King from the Yellow
Springs.

Xu Qing grabbed the third Smokewight. This time, before he could

even ask a question, the gray Smokewight blurted, “Our leaders
gave us a mission. We’re just supposed to look for people who
seem suspicious. And we kill them. We’re not supposed to let
them get anywhere near the depths of Daybreak Prefecture.

“The inspection method relates to their aura.... We can detect

human blood in a cultivator’s aura. Even if it’s a tiny fraction, we
can still find it.”

Xu Qing was stunned. Off to the side, the stone lion, the head, and
Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior all looked instinctively at Xu Qing.
From what they remembered, the Smokewights hadn’t initially
detected Xu Qing.

Xu Qing considered the development. After interrogating the other

gray Smokewights, he came to the conclusion that it was as the
first had said. They were on a mission and didn’t know much in the
way of details. Even torture produced the same answers.

After a while, Xu Qing turned his attention to the last Smokewight,

which was the white smoke from the pseudo-Nascent Soul puppet.
The young woman was conscious again, and when Xu Qing
focused on her, she trembled and her eyes went wide.

“I don’t know anything else....”

Xu Qing waved his hand and was about to ask Patriarch Golden
Vajra Warrior to interrogate her when the shadow suddenly let
loose fluctuations of longing, as if to impart to Xu Qing that it could
do just as good a job as the patriarch.
Xu Qing thought for a moment, then tossed the white smoke to the
shadow.

“I want answers,” he said.

The shadow looked excited, while the patriarch looked shaken.

The latter felt a sense of intense crisis. Meanwhile, the shadow
opened its mouth and gobbled up the young woman.

It was impossible to say what torment the shadow inflicted, but

after enough time passed for half an incense stick to burn, the
shadow spat out the white smoke. The young woman looked
completely terrified, to the point where she had almost lost her
mind. As she trembled, she blurted, “I’ll talk. I’ll talk! The human
Marquis Yao came to our species and entrusted us with—”

All of a sudden, the young woman’s words activated a secret

warding spell within her. Before she could finish speaking, she
violently exploded. Smoke scattered everywhere.

Xu Qing felt ripples of shock flowing through him. It took about ten
breaths of time for him to calm himself. The young woman was
gone.

Marquis Yao?

After a bit more time, he put the matter aside and patted his hand
onto the surface of the leaf ship.

“We need to get to Mount Daybreak. Time is of the essence.”

The leaf ship vibrated, and the four trembling legs started moving
it forward.

Deathblade's ThoughtsThe next three chapters are 2-in-1

chapters, so I’ll be splitting all of them into two releases each.

The next three chapters are 2-in-1 chapters, so I’ll be splitting all of
them into two releases each.
Chapter 483: Lonely One Step, Fiendish the
Next (1)

The leaf boat sped across the surface of the black Abyssal Sea. It
was moving about ten times as fast as before, making it seem like
it was truly fearful of causing any delays for Xu Qing. Whenever it
noticed Xu Qing’s facial expression turning dour, it would speed
up.

Given the information he’d learned from the Smokewights, Xu

Qing had abandoned his previous plan to go to Mount Greenmist.
Instead, he would go directly to Mount Daybreak. That said, he
was feeling more uncertain than ever. For one thing, he was
worried about the war in the north and to the west. What was
more, the information from the Smokewights made it impossible
for him to forget about what the palace lord had mentioned in the
jade slip about a behind-the-scenes traitor.

I can’t do anything to affect the war... The only thing I can do is

finish this mission for the palace lord.

Days passed. The net in the dome of heaven seemed to flicker

more dramatically than before. To Xu Qing, that seemed to
indicate that the war was heating up.

Sighing, he focused on the path ahead.

On the evening of the fourth day, he spotted Mount Daybreak off in
the distance. The mountain was very unique. Instead of being
black like all the other mountains, it was seven-colored. It almost
looked like it was a puzzle put together with many pieces. But in
reality, it was whole. It was clearly larger than any of the other
mountains Xu Qing had passed along the way. It towered over the
Abyssal Sea, reaching high into the sky, roughly about 30,000
meters above water level.

As the moonlight shone down onto the seven-colored Mount

Daybreak, it created a dazzling, beautiful halo around it. It was
possible to glimpse the mountain stretching down into the black
water, making it seem even more majestic.

As Xu Qing neared, he could sense incredible pressure radiating

from the mountain, weighing down on the entire area. The sun
wind was incredibly strong here, causing whimpering sounds to
echo out, and creating innumerable rifts in the air. They would
form, close up, then form again, over and over again.

He felt mixed emotions as he looked at the mountain, which

ultimately became a blend of apprehension and nervousness. On
the one hand, he had to worry about the palace lord’s mission. But
also... he was thinking about his parents’ graves. Sitting atop the
leaf ship, he looked at distant Mount Daybreak. Eventually, he
settled his thoughts, took a deep breath, and flew off the ship
toward the mountain.
As for the leaf ship... as soon as Xu Qing was gone, it sank
underwater. Apparently, it was worried that it would disturb Xu
Qing, so it quietly went down as far as it could go before speeding
away. The stone lion and the head watched with expressions of
envy....

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Xu Qing arrived at

Mount Daybreak. He could sense the defensive barrier
surrounding the mountain, covering it from top to bottom.

It was the Swordsage Court’s grand spell formation, which would

prevent any unauthorized people from entering, even swordsages
from other provinces without the proper qualifications. Because
this place housed secret locations set up by the Swordsage
Palace, even local swordsages were prohibited from going to most
places on the mountain. Only people with sufficient battle credits
could qualify to access such places.

That said, the barrier might well have not existed as far as Xu Qing
was concerned. With the command medallion he had been given,
he basically had the same level of authority as Palace Lord Kong.
When he arrived, the spell formation didn’t block his path, or even
react at all.

First, I’ll start my investigation. Later I’ll look for Mom and Dad’s
graves.
Eyes shining with determination, he took out the palace lord’s
command medallion and slipped onto Mount Daybreak without any
fanfare.

The moment he stepped onto the mountain, his heart thumped in

his chest as he sensed a faint reaction in his blood. As he inhaled,
he realized his heart hurt. He could sense his father and mother.
After his cultivation base reached a certain point, he became
sensitive to matters relating to bloodline. Reaching up, he put his
hand on his chest over his heart.

“Dad... Mom....” His eyes were already bloodshot.

To most people, Xu Qing was a decisive, ruthless killer. He never

revealed his emotions. But that was something he had been
forced to learn. It wasn’t his inherent nature. As he stepped onto
Mount Daybreak, he found himself thinking back to his day to day
life in Peerless City.

Xu Qing looked down and took a moment to settle and conceal his
aura. Right now, the most important thing was to handle Palace
Lord Kong’s mission.

With that, he started climbing the mountain. At the summit, he

could see over a hundred palace buildings. They were made from
rock quarried from Mount Daybreak, so they were also seven-
colored. And they were constructed in a very bold style of
architecture, so they seemed incredibly holy in the moonlight. It
was a beautiful scene.

The Swordsage Court here was much larger than the one back in
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. Normally speaking, there were
many, many more swordsages stationed here than back there. But
because of the war, ninety-nine percent of the Swordsage Court
here had gone to the front lines. As Xu Qing walked along, the
place seemed incredibly peaceful and quiet.

Xu Qing didn’t even see thirty swordsages as he studied the place

from concealment. Most were on patrol, and their expressions
were wary. Obviously, they had heard the rumors about people
planning to make a move on the Swordsage Court.

The cultivators left behind were mostly in the Gold Core level, with
only a few heavenly palaces. There was only one Nascent Soul
swordsage, and his aura was similar to that of Chu Tianqun,
pegging him as being in the early Nascent Soul level.

Xu Qing studied the area for a while, then turned his attention to
the Swordsage Court’s spell formation. It wouldn’t be a simple
thing to break through that formation. It was connected to the great
net in the sky, which was a way of ensuring that all of the
Swordsage Courts in Sea-Sealing County were safe. After
checking the formation, Xu Qing looked away and focused on the
interior of the virtually empty Swordsage Court. Making sure to
avoid the patrols, he continued toward the summit.
He had one destination in mind: the Swordsage Court’s Archives
Pavilion.

The concealment provided to Xu Qing by the palace lord’s

command medallion ensured that things went very smoothly. After
the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he had arrived. The
warding spells protecting the pavilion would prevent even
swordsages from casually entering. But the command medallion
emitted a soft glow that caused the warding spell to ripple and
open up.

Before going inside, he sent a divine will message to his shadow,

which quickly spread out and enveloped the stone lion and the
head. It was almost as if they had been placed into a bag.

After making sure they were secure, Xu Qing stepped inside and
took a moment to get his bearings. After making sure there were
no swordsages on duty at the moment, he went inside and started
looking for the files he needed.

The pavilion had four floors, and too many files to count. There
was no way Xu Qing would be able to look through all of them.
Instead, he found files that related to daybreak light. It was on the
third floor that he found the files he was looking for. After unlocking
the warding spell, he started reading.

Soon enough, he frowned. According to the records, it was exactly

as the previous information indicated. Daybreak light was light cast
out before a sun perished. And it was intelligent, not dead in any
way. Over the years, daybreak light had appeared 752 times. That
said, it seemed contradictory. If it formed when a sun perished,
then shouldn’t it have all exploded out that one single time? It
shouldn’t have appeared over and over again over a period of
many years.

The answer came when the Swordsage Palace did further

research. Eventually, they came to find that, in some respects,
daybreak light was related to a perishing sun. But that wasn’t the
only thing that would cause it to form. Apparently, when a sun
perished, it would change some of the surrounding magical laws of
heaven and earth. And from that point on, that area was
essentially alive. And that was why the daybreak light continued to
manifest over the years.

It only happened on Mount Daybreak.

According to one story in the file, just before perishing, the sun
coughed up a mouthful of blood that scattered around the area.
That sun’s blood was seven-colored, which was why the mountain
was also seven-colored.

Because this place had the aura of a sun, it met one of the
prerequisites required to produce daybreak light.

At the same time, daybreak light could be a huge benefit to one’s

cultivation base. It could help a cultivator gain enlightenment of the
power of suns, and could also be used in bloodline
retroconversion. And when used in equipment forging, it produced
astounding results. Furthermore, research done by the Swordsage
Palace showed that it was extremely effective in resisting the
power of gods. For all of those various reasons, it was extremely
rare. In fact, the Swordsage Court had kept accurate records of
every single time daybreak light appeared. That included when it
appeared and where it ended up.

Xu Qing reviewed the records and didn’t find anything unusual.

Every single bit of daybreak light was accounted for, with most
having been sent to the Swordsage Palace, and only a few having
been traded to other organizations. The Swordsage Court’s
records included all the details of the light that had been traded
out.

Xu Qing looked around some more, but that was all the relevant
information.

Short of tracking down every single place where the daybreak light
went, it’s going to be hard to get any clues by going down this
path. Xu Qing frowned and looked around at the endless files
around him.

***

Deeper in Daybreak Prefecture, in the depths of the Abyssal Sea...

was an area filled with boundless mutagen, as well as a terrifying
will of death that weighed down on everything around it. Things
were blurry there, almost as if it were a place formed by the
opening of a god’s eyes.

Any cultivator who came to this place would probably explode or

be mutated. It was a forbidden region. The source of it all was
some of the remains of a sun, which had seemingly long since
vanished.

Standing shivering atop a chunk of flesh fully 3,000 meters in size

was Sir Inkwell. Hovering in front of him was a 300-meter long
finger that emanated terrifying godly might.

“Oh mighty exalted one,” he said, his voice trembling, “according

to what I heard, in the countless years that have passed, many
species have come here looking for the remains, but never found
them. Yet you found them right away! You truly are a god favored
by heaven!

“That being said, this part of the sun’s remains fell here long, long
ago. There’s no life left in it. It’s going to be hard to use it for the
paint we need. We need some living things to blend into the mix.
The more life force, the more potent the paint will be....”

When the god’s finger heard that, it swiveled in a certain direction.

Everything around it rippled and distorted, then it vanished.

Seeing the finger speeding off into the distance, Sir Inkwell
scowled on the verge of tears.
How do I turn this around...? Once I finish painting, īt’ll kill me. And
if I don’t paint it, I’ll still end up dead....
Chapter 483: Lonely One Step, Fiendish the
Next (2)

It was that moment right before the break of dawn. The sky was
dark, though the moon still hung high. That said, the moonlight
couldn’t pierce the mist and fog covering Daybreak Prefecture.
And thus, the entire Abyssal Sea was dark. There was only one
spot in which it was possible to see the moon, and that was at the
summit of tall mountains in the Abyssal Sea. However, not all the
mountains towered high above the mist and cloud. The brightest of
them all was Mount Daybreak.

Xu Qing still stood there on the third floor of the Archives Pavilion.
As he looked out the window, the breeze swept past, stirring his
hair. Moonlight glittered in his eyes.

I need more clues. However, tracking them down by myself is

going to take a really long time.

His frown deepened. He couldn’t explain the matter to anyone

else. Even if he told other swordsages, he would need to be very
careful about who he trusted. If the palace lord was correct, and
the person responsible for the governor’s death was a traitor, then
they would definitely be a very powerful person. Therefore... he
didn’t dare to casually put his trust in swordsages.
After all, if he made a mistake in whom he trusted, he could end
up in a deadly crisis.

He put some more thought into the matter, then went through the
files one more time. Finally, he left the Archives Pavilion, taking
advantage of the concealment effect to make his way through the
Swordsage Court.

Dawn neared, and the moonlight faded, causing everything to turn

even darker. At the same time, the wind grew even colder than
before. As it blew on Xu Qing, it caused his daoist robe to sway.
He walked quietly through Mount Daybreak, intending to find his
parents’ grave to pay his respects. He had been waiting for this
day for a very long time.

His mood was unstable. His thoughts created ripples in his

emotions, ripples that penetrated to his very core. He couldn’t
suppress those emotions or get rid of them. Eventually, they
became so intense he began to tremble physically. It was
something that rarely happened. He didn’t attempt to control them.
He just closed his eyes, sent his senses out, and followed the tug
of his bloodline.

He passed a residence that tugged him toward it.

He passed some boulders that tugged him toward them.

He passed a pagoda that tugged him toward it.

He walked for a long time, going through many areas. Wherever
he went, he felt that tug, yet it didn’t lead him anywhere specific.
Eventually, he had traversed the greater part of Mount Daybreak.

Finally, he came to a stop at the very summit of the mountain. The

wind was very strong here. As the sun rose, the dark sky turned
crimson, like fire. It pierced through the clouds, landing on the
waters of the Abyssal Sea, and illuminating all the mountains. Of
course, it shone directly onto Mount Daybreak. Seven-colored light
shone off of every rock and pebble that covered Mount Daybreak.
Mixing with the daylight, it formed something incredibly beautiful,
making the place more eye-catching than anything else.

From a distance, that seven-colored mountain rose high above the

black water, becoming a dazzling source of light that seemed
almost as majestic as the sun itself. As the light shone
everywhere, the sky grew brighter, and the sun climbed higher. All
the while, Mount Daybreak cast seven-colored light on everything
around it. It was spectacularly beautiful.

Xu Qing opened his eyes and looked down the mountain. He

understood. He knew why all the places he had passed tugged at
his blood. He realized why he had felt as if the graves he were
looking for were at his side, yet couldn’t be seen.

“I buried Dad and Mom at Mount Daybreak.” That was what the
Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan had said to Xu Qing. [1]
As of this moment, Xu Qing knew why.

Mom and Dad’s grave is Mount Daybreak itself.... They’re buried

in the heart of the mountain, which is why I felt the tug wherever I
went.

He looked down at Mount Daybreak beneath his feet. He wanted

to enter the interior of the mountain, but it was unique. Given the
level of his cultivation base, he couldn’t do that.

Time passed.

Xu Qing quietly dropped to his knees and put his hand on a

boulder in front of him. He bowed his head. No one knew he was
here, so of course, no one saw the tears dripping off his nose and
splattering onto the boulder like drops of ink.

The seven-colored light coming off of Mount Daybreak spread out

like a gentle hand that closed around him. Xu Qing trembled as he
wept silently. A very long time passed. He put his forehead onto
the boulder.

“Dad... Mom, rest in peace....” His voice was so low that not even
he could hear it.

Finally, he looked up, and there were no tears in his eyes. As he

got to his feet, he looked incredibly bleak. He started down the
mountain.
The sky was now bright. Boundless sunlight shone onto him, and
onto the mountain. The dawn light was spectacular, creating the
most gorgeous scenery imaginable.

Xu Qing left. He hadn’t wanted much. He just hoped to come to

Mount Daybreak and pay respects in front of his parents’ graves.
Once he was at the bottom, he looked back at the seven-colored
mountain.

Later on, when I have no more regrets in life, I’ll come back here
and settle down.

He closed his eyes.

After a few breaths of time passed, he opened them. His mind and
heart were in order, and his eyes were once again cold and harsh.
Turning, he walked off with a determined step.

His destination was an underwater valley some distance away

from Mount Daybreak. According to the records, that was the last
location where daybreak light had been seen. He wanted to
investigate the area to see if there were any clues to be found.
Under the surface of the water, it seemed like a different world.
The mist above blocked the sunlight, as well as the warmth.

Xu Qing shot away from Mount Daybreak and into that darkness,
picking up speed until he was a blur of afterimages that headed
down and down. The mutagen here was strong, and full of
unhealthy yin energy. He occasionally saw green ghost fire,
dancing about in the silence.

After the sun perished, mutagen flourished.... Keeping his guard

up, he kept moving. He knew full well that the mutagen-laced
depths of the massive Abyssal Sea would be full of danger. There
would be ferocious and vile beings that lived there. That was one
of the main reasons Daybreak Prefecture cultivators didn’t travel
underwater. It was similar to the Forbidden Sea. Everyone knew
that there were terrifying entities beneath the waters in the
Daybreak Prefecture. Anyone who stayed under the water for long
enough would eventually run into incredibly dangerous situations.

Xu Qing made sure to strengthen the concealing magic, making

him like a specter that headed toward that specific underwater
valley. Four hours later, when Xu Qing was far from Mount
Daybreak’s spell formation, he reached his destination.

The so-called valley was actually a deep crevice that ran along the
lake bed. It was fully 300 meters across, and ran for a length of
several thousand meters. Black mist floated up from inside the
crevice and drifted around everywhere.

Xu Qing observed it from a distance. He was tempted to rush right

in, but instead, squatted in place and hid behind a rock formation.
There were some very familiar fluctuations in that black mist.
“Delicious... smoke....” the shadow projected via divine will. At the
same time, it finally released the stone lion and the head, who
emerged trembling. The two of them didn’t move a muscle. Being
entrapped by the shadow had made them feel like they were going
to be devoured, and they were still a bit traumatized.

Xu Qing ignored them. After confirming that there were indeed

Smokewights in the black mist, he gave the shadow orders to go
scout the area.

The shadow immediately stretched out. However, it didn’t go into

the crevice. A short time later, it returned looking very excited.
Apparently, it had seen something, but was acting so twitchy it was
impossible to understand. Even Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior
looked confused.

Frowning, Xu Qing took the head off the stone lion and tossed it to
the shadow.

“Take it with you.”

The head was terrified as the shadow swallowed it in a single gulp,

then raced toward the crevice. It returned a short time later.

“Exalted one, I saw everything,” the head gushed. “There are

Smokewights there. A few hundred of them. And quite a few are in
Nascent Soul! They’re building some sort of magical treasure.
From what I could see, and also based on my vast experience, I
recognized it instantly. It’s a disposable taboo treasure!”
Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior frowned as he looked at the head.
More than ever, he was feeling a sense of impending crisis.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing looked in the direction of the crevice, his eyes

shining coldly. The fact that the Smokewights were constructing a
magical treasure so close to Mount Daybreak made it fairly
obvious what they were up to. Obviously, they were targeting
Mount Daybreak or something connected to it. Although he
couldn’t be absolutely certain of that, it seemed the most likely
explanation.

However… whether he was right or not didn’t really matter. He

didn’t like Smokewights to begin with. What was more, Mount
Daybreak meant something different to him now.

He was going to destroy this valley of Smokewights.

If there are Nascent Soul Smokewights there, I can’t just stroll in

and kill everyone. He waved his hand, causing his third heavenly
palace to tremble. The power of taboo poison streamed out in all
directions.

Next, he sensed which way the current was running, and carefully
applied more poison into it.

And thus, he spent about an hour lacing the entire area with taboo
poison power. Then, when he was sure everything was ready, his
eyes glittered with killing intent as he waved his finger. Instantly,
poison billowed into the crevice, taking with it countless little
beetles.

It took only a short moment for the poison to fill the crevice. Then
anguished screams rang out from inside.

***

Some distance away in the depths of the water, a 300-meter-long

finger was speeding along right out in the open. Whatever living
beings it encountered were quickly bound and strung up behind it.

From a distance, it looked like there were several hundred

cultivators, all of them unable to escape, their eyes full of despair.

1. The Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan said that to Xu Qing in

chapter 315. ☜
Chapter 484: Golden Crow Devours Sun (1)

Outside of Mount Daybreak, next to the underwater valley, Xu

Qing studied the situation, then turned and left. Behind him,
agonized shrieks continue to ring out, as well as howls of rage.

Smokewights then began to emerge from the valley, their divine

sense out in full force as they scanned the area in both frustration
and anger. The interior of the valley was in complete disorder.
Before, there had been hundreds of Smokewights inside, but now
there were only a few left. Xu Qing’s taboo poison had killed most
of them in body and soul. Xu Qing’s poison really was just that
ridiculously brutal. Those who were not dead yet were moaning in
agony. They were doing everything they could to stop themselves
from decomposing, but their bodies of smoke continued to fall
apart. One after another, they died.

The work on the magical treasure was now stalled. And as the
mutagen in the poison filled it, it became clear it wouldn’t survive
for long.

“Who’s there?”

There were seven or eight Smokewight puppets who emitted

terrifying Nascent Soul fluctuations. They were now frantically
searching for the perpetrator. The puppets were corroding rapidly,
exposing their true bodies within and making it clear they couldn’t
escape the effects of the attack. Obviously, they were urgently
looking for the enemy in the hopes of finding an antidote. Though
their plan had involved concealing any evidence of their presence,
including energy fluctuations, things had so quickly gone out of
control that they were ignoring that directive.

Sadly for them, Xu Qing’s jade slip of concealment had been given
to him by Arch-Immortal Plumdark, so there was no way some
mere Nascent Soul cultivators would be able to perceive it. What
was more, as soon as he unleashed his poison, he took a very
quick look at the results and then left. After confirming that his
poison was working, he had decided to simply wait until the
Smokewights were all dead before going back to investigate the
valley.

Normally speaking, they should all be dead in an hour. But I’ll wait
six hours just to be safe.

However, even as he sped along, a sudden sense of terror rose in

his chest. Expression flickering, he turned to look in the general
direction of the valley. He had just sensed a familiar aura.

As soon as it appeared, something changed about the lake bed;

mutagen levels began to increase.

What was even more shocking to Xu Qing was that everything in

the area began to ripple and distort, to where it became hard to
see clearly.
A god!

Xu Qing thought back to what the head said about Sir Inkwell.
Given this new aura, his face turned grim and he started fleeing
even faster than before. This aura wasn’t coming from inside the
valley. It was coming from a slightly different direction.

Probably attracted by the energy fluctuations. The finger of that

god must have brought Sir Inkwell to look for the remains of the
sun. But would the energy fluctuations really be that much of a
draw...? Don’t tell me that valley really does have some of a sun’s
remains in it?

Back when the head mentioned these things, Xu Qing hadn’t

placed much importance in the information. He and the god’s
finger were on completely different levels, so he didn’t intend to go
looking for it. His intention was to make use of his concealment
abilities to complete the mission and then go check in at the
Swordsage Palace. After all, Daybreak Prefecture was such a big
place that the chances of randomly running into the god’s finger
were extremely small.

For one thing, when that sun perished, it collapsed, meaning that
its remains scattered far and wide. Add in the fact that it happened
so long ago, it meant that most pieces had already been located.

The proximity to Mount Daybreak made it even less likely that

some of the sun’s remains were nearby.
Could it be the head and stone lion drawing the attention of the
finger? Xu Qing looked down fiercely at the head and the lion.

Trembling, the stone lion rocked back and forth as if to tell Xu Qing
that it had nothing to do with the situation.

“It’s not me, exalted one!” the head wailed. “It really isn’t me. I
couldn’t attract the attention of that god even if I wanted to.”

Killing intent glittered in Xu Qing’s eyes, and he made a decision

to teach a lesson to the lion and head once he was sure he was
safe. Looking away from them, he continued on his way.

He didn’t dare to use the power of his taboo poison, so he kept it

inside. Although that power could be used as a cover, as had been
proven when he used it on the violet moon, that was in a
circumstance in which the red moon wasn’t anywhere close by.
Right now, he wasn’t sure if using it would have the same effect or
the opposite effect.

He anxiously tapped into every bit of concealment power the jade

slip would offer. However, after only ten breaths of time had
passed, the fluctuations behind him grew more intense, and the
area around him became even more distorted. As the fear in his
heart reached explosive levels, a terrifying stream of divine will
spread out from the mist behind him. It spread out to cover
everything, including Xu Qing.
As everything turned blurry, a 300-meter long finger suddenly
appeared in front of Xu Qing.

A tremor of fear passed through him, and every fiber of his being
screamed at him that he was in mortal danger. He felt like his body
was about to be ripped apart limb from limb.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Qing released the power of his

taboo poison and the power of the violet moon. As it swept
through him, he fled in the opposite direction.

It didn’t do any good.

He was no longer in the Corrections Division. Back there, the

finger was in a state of suppression, but out here, īt was free.
Though it had been injured during the prison break, even if those
injuries were far worse than they were, Xu Qing still wouldn’t have
been able to fight back.

As godly authority filled Xu Qing, pushing him to a higher level, his

mind spun. The divine will of the god’s finger overtook him and
dragged him close.

The power of that god’s finger superseded every asset Xu Qing

had at his disposal. Then he was thrown behind the finger onto a
pile of despairing nonhumans that īt was dragging along. The
stone lion and the head were there too.
The latter shrieked. “Boss! Boss!! It’s me! Me! The head! We’re
cell mates....”

The finger ignored the head, whose cries had absolutely no effect
whatsoever. Instead, the finger shifted to point in the direction of
Mount Daybreak. And īt looked hesitant. In the end, the finger
didn’t get any closer to the mountain. Instead, the finger vanished,
to appear a great distance away. After another teleportation, the
finger arrived in a location with a lot of living beings.

Already, īt had captured over five hundred cultivators, including

quite a few Smokewights.

Xu Qing himself hadn’t attracted any special attention. The other

cultivators all seemed full of terror and despair. There was
something very strange about the way they looked. Most were
incomplete. They had been ripped apart. Eyes, noses, ears,
organs, and limbs were scattered everywhere. Even the
Smokewights were in similar condition, with their smoke bodies
having been ripped apart.

Because of the power of the god’s finger, after being piled up, they
couldn’t leave. They just lay there in pieces. It was a very
grotesque and very inauspicious scene.

Xu Qing looked around with a scowl. However, he didn’t try to

leave. Instead, he tapped into the two types of godly authority
within him to prevent himself from being ripped apart. That effort
kept him whole. Then he struggled to look around. However, all he
saw was a blur. Obviously, he was being dragged along at high
speed behind the god’s finger.

What’s this finger doing? Xu Qing forced himself to calm down and
start thinking of a way out of this situation. Back in the Corrections
Division, they suppressed this thing using destiny aura....

Countless thoughts ran through Xu Qing’s mind. Meanwhile,

rumbling sounds echoed out as the god’s finger suddenly stopped
moving. The sudden lurching motion caused quite a few of the
surrounding cultivators to explode. Blood sprayed out of Xu Qing’s
mouth. Thankfully he had godsource and an extraordinary fleshly
body. Though cracks spread out across him, they didn’t rip him
apart.

Again, he struggled to look around. The most noteworthy thing he

spotted was a 3,000-meter chunk of rotting flesh.

Standing atop it was an old man with an anxious expression on his

face. He was none other than Sir Inkwell of the Paintedfolk.

Before Xu Qing could study the situation any further, the pile of
cultivator body parts flew through the air toward the chunk of flesh.
As soon as they hit it, the flesh wriggled, and crevices opened up
on its surface. It sucked in all of the body parts. Some were
sucked all the way into the crevices, others stuck out partly. Then
it began absorbing them. The stone lion and the head were among
those who got partly stuck inside the flesh.

Screams of agony echoed out. In some cases, the cultivators

could cry out loud, in other cases, they sent out streams of divine
will.

Xu Qing himself was about half-sucked into the flesh, and as

screams echoed out around him, his heart swelled with
astonishment.

The reason was that he didn’t feel the pain of being dissolved.
Instead, the moment he was sucked into that chunk of flesh, he
felt an intense sensation of longing coming from the golden crow
on his back.

Is this... part of that sun’s remains??

His eyes widened, and his mind reeled. He turned to look at Sir
Inkwell not too far away. Sir Inkwell had already spotted the head
and the stone lion, and he had just noticed Xu Qing as well. Their
gazes met.

The head, of which only half a face was visible, looked at Sir
Inkwell. “Hahaha! A reunion....”

Sir Inkwell ignored the head and focused on Xu Qing. A curious

look gleamed in his eyes as he slowly approached.

“Exalted jailer?”
“You’ve really done something amazing,” Xu Qing said.

Sir Inkwell stopped in place, his eyes suddenly glittering

mysteriously.

He looked Xu Qing up and down briefly, and quickly noted that the
‘exalted jailer’ didn’t seem the least bit frightened. The calm
expression on his face made Sir Inkwell suddenly feel like he was
back in D-132. That, in turn, caused the cautious Sir Inkwell to
stifle his previous clever thoughts. Something didn’t seem right
here. He looked at the head. Before he could say anything else,
though, wails of anguish echoed out, and the air vibrated as the
god’s finger appeared in front of Sir Inkwell.

Sir Inkwell tried to prevent himself from trembling, and even

plastered a fawning smile onto his face.

“Oh great and mighty lord who is favored by heaven, mighty god
from the sky who is recovering by means of the sun’s remains, sir,
you are surely foreordained to conquer Revered Ancient and
reach the most paramount of positions.”

The pressure from the god’s finger lessened by a bit, and it

released a roar that echoed into the minds of everyone present.

Sir Inkwell couldn’t stop himself from shivering head to toe.

However, his facial expression didn’t change. Looking completely
pious, he continued to speak in what was almost a chant.
“Oh lord, favored by heaven, only a few days are left until you can
recover. The paint needed to restore your fleshly body is half
complete. Were this any other vulgar and filthy god, the paint
material would be sufficient. But for a god favored by heaven, your
humble servant needs to have the perfect ingredients to create the
perfect body for you. Sir, you really cannot allow yourself to be
profaned.

“Therefore... I need more life force. Once I bring some life back to
this flesh, then it will benefit you, oh exalted god favored by
heaven.”

The god’s finger thrummed a bit impatiently, causing some of the

wounds on its surface to open up again. However, īt didn’t seem to
care, and instead rose up and circled around the area a few times.
Then, everything in the area blurred and distorted again before īt
disappeared.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed in response to this development, and his

mind was working on overdrive. He knew full well that he was in
an extremely dangerous situation, but at the same time, he could
tell this was a destined opportunity.

The golden crow tattoo on his back was heating up with longing,
but he kept it under tight control. It wasn’t time yet.

Deathblade's ThoughtsI swear to god, if I had a dollar for every

"flag raised" comment I've seen in this translation, I would have my
kids' college funds squared away. It's getting to the point where I
have to resist the urge to slam my head against the wall every
time I see comments like that.Apparently the current criteria for
such a comment is "anything remotely sentimental or emotional
uttered by any character or mentioned passingly in the narrative."
If ya'll would like maybe I could set up a bot to automatically make
"flag raised" comments in those circumstances.

I swear to god, if I had a dollar for every "flag raised" comment I've
seen in this translation, I would have my kids' college funds
squared away. It's getting to the point where I have to resist the
urge to slam my head against the wall every time I see comments
like that.

Apparently the current criteria for such a comment is "anything

remotely sentimental or emotional uttered by any character or
mentioned passingly in the narrative." If ya'll would like maybe I
could set up a bot to automatically make "flag raised" comments in
those circumstances.
Chapter 484: Golden Crow Devours Sun (2)

The conversation between Sir Inkwell and the god’s finger gave
Xu Qing the sensation that there was something not quite right
with the finger....

The finger’s thinking ability seems off.

As Xu Qing analyzed the situation, he tried to put himself in Sir

Inkwell’s shoes, and figure out the Paintedfolk’s state of mind as
he dealt with the situation.

Meanwhile, Sir Inkwell breathed a sigh of relief. Walking over to

the head, he squatted down, poked it and said, “Head, what are
you doing here? Don’t tell me. Instead of going into hiding, you let
yourself get found by our exalted jailer?”

The head glared back at him. “Why should I answer your

questions, huh? If you’ve got what it takes, kill me! We were all in
prison together, did you forget? I’m not afraid of you!”

Sir Inkwell didn’t seem angry. Narrowing his eyes, he reached out
and smacked the head with force.

The head exploded.

Smiling, Sir Inkwell looked over at Xu Qing, his eyes flickering with
a deep look. “Exalted jailer, you got interrupted just now. What was
that about me doing something amazing?

“Let me think. Don’t tell me…. You were thinking of saying that you
intentionally got captured by that god, and that you’re not really
alone, that there are some top experts from Sea-Sealing County
waiting out in Daybreak Prefecture? The palace lord? Marquis
Yao? The lieutenant governor? And that your whole plan is to
capture the god’s finger?

“Your job is to lead them here, and they’re already on their way?
And when you said I’ve done something amazing, you meant that I
bought precious time with the god’s finger for you? Well, exalted
jailer, I’m not a three-year-old. Did you really think I would believe
a story such as that?”

Sir Inkwell licked his lips maliciously as he scooped out the

crushed remnants of the head.

Moments later, the head was back in one piece, and was about to
start cursing when Sir Inkwell grinned and interrupted, “Head,
we’re all on the same side! I killed you to save you, so quiet down.
Also, thanks for bringing our exalted jailer here. You were right, we
really did end up having a D-132 reunion.”

The head laughed with cold derision. Instead of confirming or

denying what Sir Inkwell said, it started looking around for the
stone lion.
Sir Inkwell looked away from the head, walked over to Xu Qing,
and squatted down in front of him. He licked his lips again.

“What’s wrong, exalted jailer? Did I hit the nail on the head?”

Xu Qing ignored Sir Inkwell. Face completely expressionless, he

looked around the area and probed the warding spell that made it
impossible to escape. The warding spell had been put in place by
the god’s finger, so it wasn’t going to be easy to break through.

After his brief inspection, he looked back at Sir Inkwell.

“You don’t need to probe for information,” he said calmly. “If you
want to live, hurry up and tell me everything you know.”

Sir Inkwell’s eyebrows shot up.

Some distance away, the head had found the stone lion.

“You’re usually pretty smart, old man,” the head said mockingly.
“Since when did you start acting so stupid? We’re having this
freaking reunion, so either paint that body so we can all die, or
help us figure out a way to get out of here. Sitting around probing
for information is just wasting time. And it’s exhausting, don’t you
think?”

The head’s words caused Sir Inkwell to sigh inwardly. In this case,
the head was absolutely right. Sir Inkwell had been marked in a
way that made it impossible to flee. And that wasn’t even to
mention the warding spell. Truth be told, his ‘probing’ earlier had
been more like an expression of wishful thinking.... But he also
knew that the scenario he had laid out couldn’t possibly be
happening. If Xu Qing had said it was, he would have been
convinced he was lying. Feeling very mixed emotions, he sighed
out loud.

“How exactly do you plan to get out of here? We’re all going to die
here....”

“Back up!” Xu Qing suddenly said.

Sir Inkwell looked at Xu Qing and was about to say something,

except Xu Qing looked away dismissively. Based on the
conversation he’d just heard between Sir Inkwell and the god’s
finger, he had a theory he wanted to test.

A drowning person would grasp at even a piece of straw if it was

extended to them. However, that straw had to be at least
somewhat realistic first.

It seemed like the right moment to ask. That was especially true
considering what Xu Qing remembered about D-132 from before
the collapse of the Corrections Division. And he was even more
certain now that his memories had started recovering. He was
fairly certain that the prisoners in D-132 had never seen him use
the power of the golden crow. What he had used most effectively
back then was the personhood of a god. In other words, Sir Inkwell
didn’t know he had the golden crow.
Given the frantic events surrounding the prison break, there was
no way they had gained any more information than they already
had. Perhaps the gruish head might know about the golden crow;
it didn’t seem likely that Sir Inkwell did. Not that it mattered much.
It would be more ideal if he didn’t know, but even if he did, Xu
Qing’s plan would still work.

Having reached this point in his train of thought, Xu Qing no longer

suppressed the golden crow on his back. Instantly, broiling heat
erupted from behind him and latched onto the flesh of the fallen
sun.

The sun’s remains shivered as if they were alive.

Rumbling sounds filled the area, and the ripples and distortions in
the air grew more prominent. Heatwaves rolled off Xu Qing,
spreading out everywhere. Sir Inkwell looked visibly surprised as
he quickly backed away from Xu Qing.

Xu Qing’s facial expression hadn’t changed at all, but it was

possible to see golden striations spreading across his face. Those
marks were extensions of the totem tattoo on his back, which was
spreading out to the rest of his body.

As of this moment, power started racing madly from the sun’s

remains and into the golden crow. Everything shook violently, and
the surrounding mist swirled into a shocking vortex.
Xu Qing’s heart was racing. He could sense excitement and
longing from the golden crow. Because of that, he was now
absolutely certain that he had stumbled onto an immense destined
opportunity. However, he needed time to take full advantage of the
situation, and let the golden crow gorge itself. After all, there was
too much flesh to assimilate in a short time.

Sir Inkwell was visibly stunned, and the head, which had just
managed to free the stone lion, gasped in shock. That said, the
gasp seemed a little bit exaggerated.

“He’s absorbing the sun’s flesh...?” Sir Inkwell murmured, his eyes
glittering brightly. “Back in D-132, I could sense unusual
fluctuations coming from our exalted jailer, but I could never have
guessed he was somehow connected to a sun!!

“Wait, I get it. Exalted jailer, did you hear that this god’s finger had
found some of a sun’s remains, and therefore you came here on
purpose? Am I right?

“But how did you know that the god’s finger would capture you?
Wait, that’s easy to explain. It’s been years now since these
remains have lost any life in them. And the only way to bring life
back into them would be by means of life force! Of course. That’s
the only obvious explanation! Brilliant. Absolutely, ridiculously
brilliant!
“Exalted one, you actually managed to out think a god, sir! I’m very
impressed. Now I understand why you said I did something
amazing. You’re right! I really did do something amazing! And
since you came up with this whole plan, exalted one, it means you
obviously have an exit strategy in place!”

Sir Inkwell was getting increasingly excited.

Meanwhile, the head blinked a few times, looking a bit confused.

Ever since Xu Qing ascended Mount Daybreak, the head and the
stone lion had been unable to see anything that happened. They
only reappeared when Xu Qing poisoned the valley and were then
captured by the god’s finger. So the head wasn’t really sure what
happened in between those two events. But after hearing Sir
Inkwell’s analysis, the head shivered in astonishment. After all, the
story made perfect sense. Why else would Xu Qing have come to
Daybreak Prefecture instead of going to war? That said, the head
also felt like something about the story didn’t make sense, though
he wasn’t sure what.

As for Xu Qing, he didn’t reveal anything via his facial expression.

He just focused on absorbing the power in the sun’s remains. At
the same time, he just looked at Sir Inkwell and the head. The
head didn’t seem worth worrying about. But Xu Qing was still
suspicious of Sir Inkwell. He seemed to be too cooperative, as if
he was working on his own agenda. A drowning person who
feared for their life wouldn’t be able to do that.
As Xu Qing considered that, Sir Inkwell dropped down to stand on
the surface of the flesh.

“Exalted jailer, considering the crucial hints I dropped for your sake
back in D-132, plus what I’ve done here, I beg of you to save me!

“That villainous finger wants me to paint a body for it. But I dare
not do so! Once the painting is finished, the finger will definitely
devour me. I can sense the thing’s hunger. That’s why I’ve been
buying time by claiming that the paint doesn’t have enough life in
it. But I’ve already delayed to the point where I can’t delay any
longer. Thankfully, you arrived just in the nick of time.”

Xu Qing coldly studied Sir Inkwell. He didn’t pick up on anything in

the old man’s facial expression to indicate he was being deceptive.
That said, Xu Qing still didn’t trust that Sir Inkwell was being
completely honest. That was even more the case when he
considered all of the nonhuman cultivators that the sun’s remains
had absorbed.

They were apparently other people that Sir Inkwell had scammed
into sacrificing their lives.

But if Xu Qing was going to work with Sir Inkwell, there was no
reason to point that out. He needed time. For one thing, he
needed to absorb the sun’s remains. And also, he needed to wait
until the god’s finger returned. Regardless of how honest Sir
Inkwell was being, Xu Qing knew he couldn’t completely control
him. Xu Qing needed to seize the upper hand, and he needed to
do it before the finger came back.

With such thoughts on his mind, Xu Qing calmly said, “You need to
buy me some time.”
Chapter 485: Golden Crow Dao Soul
Accompanied by Daybreak (1)

“Exalted jailer, let me plan things out,” Sir Inkwell said excitedly. “In
order to buy time for you, sir, I can just use the same general
method I’d devised earlier in the hopes of getting myself out of this
situation. Originally, I didn’t have much faith that it would work. But
with you here, sir, I think it should work fine.

“Exalted jailer, all we have to do is wait until the finger returns. I’ll
explain that you have a Golden Crow Body, and therefore, you can
bring life back to these remains. You just need to fuse with it.

“I’ll start painting for the finger, but I can control how long it takes.
I’ll go really slowly, and wait for your signal before finishing.

“However, the entire thing will be a trick. I’ll paint something that
looks like a body, but is, in reality, a cage of flesh. The finger was
injured in the prison break, and lost some of its thinking ability.
Besides, it won’t be possible to identify what I’m painting by just
looking at it. I’m very confident no one would be able to notice it’s
a trick. Once it’s inside, then we lock the cage and flee!

“Because this cage will be made from the remains of a sun, it will
be quite sturdy. My original estimate was that it would hold strong
for a few days. But with the life provided by your golden crow, sir, I
think it would trap the finger for half a month or more.
“That should give us plenty of time to get away. What do you think,
sir? If you have some other ideas, I’m happy to follow your lead.”

Despite having gone through that entire explanation, Sir Inkwell

apparently had more to say. “Oh right, exalted jailer. I’m not sure if
you’re aware, but I came to realize that the palace lord used a
taboo treasure to strike the finger during the prison break.
Because of that, the finger has become somewhat forgetful....”

Xu Qing looked at Sir Inkwell and nodded. Then he closed his

eyes and focused fully on directing the golden crow to devour the
power in the sun’s remains. As the golden crow wildly absorbed
the power, Xu Qing could sense more tails growing on it. In a very
short amount of time, it reached the level of over sixty tails.

Based on his previous experience, he was fairly certain that once

he broke past ninety-nine tails, Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad
Spirits would reach the third stage. The power of the third stage
was equivalent to Nascent Soul!

Furthermore, because his golden crow was already part of his fifth
heavenly palace, once the golden crow reached the next stage,
that heavenly palace would experience a heaven-shaking, earth-
shattering transformation. In fact, it would make an advance
transformation into the pseudo-Nascent Soul level.

Xu Qing was looking forward to that very much.

As time slipped by, the golden crow continued its work, and Xu
Qing’s aura climbed higher and higher. In fact, he began to pulse
with fluctuations that terrified both the head and Sir Inkwell. At the
same time, the sun’s remains showed more and more signs of life,
as if they might awaken.

All of a sudden, the terrifying divine will of the god’s finger swept
forth from the depths of the Abyssal Sea. Then the finger
appeared, dragging a host of nonhuman cultivators with it. The
majority of them were Smokewights. They were all in a tattered
state as the finger threw them toward the sun’s remains.

One of the reasons Smokewights often lived in desert

environments was because of the sun. As a result, they provided a
lot of nutrients, which was a help to Xu Qing’s cultivation.

That said, the return of the finger made Xu Qing more than a little
nervous. He opened his eyes. Obviously, the finger sensed that
something unusual was going on with the sun’s flesh, and it sent
divine will sweeping about.

Off to the side, Sir Inkwell looked like the paragon of piety as he
kowtowed, “Oh great lord, you truly are a god favored by heaven,
sir! While you were gone, I discovered that you happened to
capture a very interesting fellow. It’s him!” Sir Inkwell pointed at Xu
Qing. “Exalted one, you might not remember him, but he was
actually the guard back in our D-132. I just took a close look at him
and found that he has a Golden Crow Body. That means he’s the
descendant of a sun!

“Discovering him is like an amazing blessing from heaven and

earth, oh exalted one. He can actually bring a certain level of life
back to the sun’s remains!

“And because of that, your humble servant can paint a new god
body for you! The mere thought of having the honor of painting a
new body for someone favored by heaven has filled me with the
utmost excitement!”

Thrumming, the god’s finger turned and locked onto the sun’s
remains, then began pulsing with fluctuations of hope. Everything
in the area rumbled. The water shattered, and the ground cracked.

Alarmed, Sir Inkwell was about to start painting. However, that was
when Xu Qing gritted his teeth against the discomfort of being in
this god’s presence.

“Exalted god,” he said, “there isn’t enough life in this sun’s

remains. Check if you’d like. If you give me some time, I can bring
more life into it. If you use flesh full of life to paint your body, it will
turn out perfect!

“After all, there aren’t many of this sun’s remains left in the world.
If you waste this one, who knows when you might find another.
Exalted god, do you mind waiting a short time?”
As Xu Qing spoke, the golden crow expanded its influence,
causing the sun’s flesh to emanate an aura of awakening. When
the finger’s terrifying divine will picked up on that, the finger
seemed hesitant and thoughtful.

Off to the side, Sir Inkwell’s eyes flickered imperceptibly as he

noted that Xu Qing had already gone off script.

Xu Qing ignored him. Looking at the finger, he suppressed his

anxiety and continued, “Exalted god, the Smokewights you just
brought have a unique body composition, and are full of life. I’m
sure you noticed that. They’re very useful. If you can get more, we
can bring even more life into the remains. Furthermore, if you’re
able to bring some daybreak light to this sun’s remains, it will
reach an incredibly high level very quickly!”

Based on the records back on Mount Daybreak, he knew that the

most recent daybreak light to appear had been seventy years in
the past, and had been recovered by the Swordsage Palace. None
had appeared since then. That said, nothing Xu Qing had said so
far was a lie. Everything was truthful. He could bring more life into
the remains, and the Smokewights would be helpful in that regard.
As for daybreak light, it was related to the fallen sun, so adding it
would make the process better, were some of it to be recovered.

The finger scanned the area again with divine will, all the while
pulsing with fluctuations of irritation. However, after a few breaths
of time passed, the finger vanished into the distance.
Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He’d made a bit of a gamble just
now, and it had all been based on the assumption that the finger
was completely focused on that new body.

If Sir Inkwell could use that method to manipulate the finger, then
Xu Qing was willing to bet that he could too. And by doing so, he
had taken the upper hand in the situation.

“Well played, exalted one,” Sir Inkwell said, chuckling.

Xu Qing ignored him. With the finger gone, he pushed the golden
crow again, and it started assimilating the power in the remains. If
the god’s finger really did try to find some daybreak light, then it
wouldn’t return any time soon.

Daybreak light was exceedingly rare, to the point where Xu Qing

doubted the finger would even be able to find some.

At this point, the golden crow had over eighty tails.

The breakthrough point wasn’t very far off.

Xu Qing was now feeling confident that the golden crow would
indeed break through to the third stage. If he could get free from
the warding spell, then he could use the power of the taboo
treasure the palace lord had given him to strike a powerful blow.
And if he did that, then he would most likely be able to make his
escape.
Off in the distance, the head could tell that Xu Qing and Sir Inkwell
were playing some game. Therefore, it climbed onto the stone lion
and surreptitiously started planning to escape once Xu Qing and
Sir Inkwell made their move.

In that manner, time passed.

Xu Qing’s aura kept getting stronger and stronger. Soon, the

golden crow had ninety-three tails.

And it kept going.

Ninety-four. Ninety-five. Ninety-six....

Around the time the ninety-seventh tail grew out, powerful

fluctuations suddenly swept over them. The god’s finger was on
the way back! It was carrying several thousand Smokewights, all
of whom were moaning in despair. If that were all there were to it,
it might not be a big deal. But to Xu Qing’s utter shock, the finger
also had a seven-colored beam of light with it!

That light contained life force, and it gave off the sense of being
newly born. It seemed completely and utterly holy, as if it had
actually come to exist when the sun perished, but now was filled
with hope and a sense of new life!

It glittered dazzlingly, sending out immeasurably powerful pressure

that felt vastly superior to what Xu Qing remembered feeling from
the tree branch from the Ten Entrails Tree. When he saw that light,
he started breathing heavily, and his eyes went wide.

Daybreak light!

Even as the golden crow continued to absorb the sun’s remains, it

pulsed with intense hope, as if it wanted both the remains and the
daybreak light.

It actually found some? Xu Qing was so astonished that he had a

hard time believing it was true. He wasn’t sure how the god’s
finger had pulled this off. Daybreak light was clearly very rare, and
hardly ever appeared. And yet... īt managed to bring some back!

Xu Qing didn’t care about the Smokewights; all of his attention

was focused on that daybreak light. At any other time, he would
have been shaken to the core by this level of godliness. But now...
he was conflicted.

He needed time.

That was why he’d told the finger that Smokewights would work,
but that daybreak light would be much better. He’d assumed the
finger would stay away much longer as a result. That, in turn,
would give him the time he needed to advance his golden crow to
the next stage, then break through the warding spell.

Never could he have imagined that the god’s finger would return
so quickly... with daybreak light!
Chapter 485: Golden Crow Dao Soul
Accompanied by Daybreak (2)

As Xu Qing looked on in surprise, the finger tossed the thousands

of screaming Smokewights into the sun’s remains by Xu Qing. The
Smokewights instantly became nutrients that the flesh assimilated.
By extension, Xu Qing benefited.

As for the daybreak light, the finger flicked it right toward Xu

Qing....

Xu Qing stood there in silence. The moment the light neared, the
golden crow snapped it up, preventing it from reaching the sun’s
flesh. The light erupted inside the golden crow, causing a seven-
colored glow to fill the area. From a distance, it almost looked like
the sun’s remains really were going to awaken. Powerful
fluctuations rolled out everywhere, and at the same time the
nourishment from thousands of Smokewights bolstered the life in
the flesh.

The ninety-ninth tail sprang out of the golden crow.

The one hundredth tail was just about to appear. Meanwhile, Xu

Qing’s cultivation base was growing, and a Nascent Soul aura was
building in the golden crow.
The god’s finger thrummed as īts divine will scanned the sun’s
flesh. Clearly, īt didn’t care about what was happening with Xu
Qing’s golden crow. Instead, the finger turned and pointed directly
at Sir Inkwell’s forehead. The explosive nature of the finger made
it seem like īt was already vexed beyond measure. It was as if the
fact that a body had not been painted made the finger so enraged
that īt wanted to lay waste to everything in the area.

Sir Inkwell trembled as he sensed death looming over him.

“That’s no problem at all, heaven-favored one. Your humble

servant will start painting your body immediately!”

Sir Inkwell quickly took out a paintbrush and waved it in the

direction of the sun’s flesh. In response, some energy and blood
emerged from inside and converged in front of him. Next, he
dipped the tip of the brush into it a few times, then began to paint
something. With only a few brush strokes, he completed the basic
outline of the body.

Seeing that, the finger’s impatience seemed to fade a bit, to be

replaced by deep-seated longing. Ignoring everything in the area,
the finger’s divine will became fully focused on Sir Inkwell’s work.

“Oh heaven-favored one, you can insert your divine will into the
body if you wish, sir. That will ensure that you’re fused with the
body from the beginning. It’s an idea your humble servant came
up with specifically for you. This will increase the likelihood of
success, and reduce the chances that the body will reject you.”

It was hard to say if it was because Sir Inkwell was working so

hard or because of his efforts to sell the act, but either way, he no
longer seemed scholarly and refined like before. Instead he
seemed crazed, with his hair disheveled.

The god’s finger sent divine will into the outline of the body, and as
Sir Inkwell continued to paint, the finger fused more and more
deeply. At the same time, the body became clearer and clearer.

When Xu Qing saw what was happening, he felt more anxious

than ever. He knew he didn’t have much time to work with. If Sir
Inkwell finished that painting, then Xu Qing wouldn’t have any
control over what happened. That wasn’t to mention that he didn’t
trust Sir Inkwell. Although they were working together, he was still
convinced the Paintedfolk man had some malicious ulterior
motives.

I need the golden crow to reach the next stage before he

finishes.... Xu Qing gritted his teeth and checked the golden crow’s
progress on the one hundredth tail.

That was going to be the key to everything. Unfortunately, it wasn’t

forming very quickly. Right now, it was only about half finished.

Must go faster! he howled inwardly.

The golden crow could sense his anxiety and tried to speed up. It
madly absorbed the sun’s flesh, and even started assimilating
some of the Smokewights that were still present.

In that manner, an incense stick’s worth of time passed.

From a distance, the scene playing out was very gruish.

A completely deranged old man with bloodshot eyes and

disheveled hair was madly painting a 300-meter-tall body. The
body’s skull was already completely painted, and its flesh was
starting to take shape. It looked very shocking and ghastly. The
body emanated sun-like fluctuations, and as the divine will of the
god’s finger fused with it, godly might pulsed out, along with a
feeling of awakening.

Some distance away on the sun’s flesh, Xu Qing closed his eyes
and sat in place. The flesh around him was already withering up
dramatically. One reason was because of Xu Qing absorbing it,
the other was because of Sir Inkwell using it as paint.

The stone lion and the head were cautiously inching away, until
they reached the warding spell, which made it impossible for them
to move any further.

The head had been hoping to look more closely at what was
happening, but was now moaning inwardly. The two of them are
trying to one-up each other. Each one is trying to turn the other
into a scapegoat. Based on what I can see... my god! This is
terrifying. We’re dead. Dead….

The head couldn’t understand why it was so unlucky. In fact, it was

already starting to think back fondly to the Corrections Division.

That was when Xu Qing’s golden crow finished with its one
hundredth tail. The golden crow was obviously excited, and
wanted to erupt with flames, spread its wings, and fly high into the
sky. However, Xu Qing restrained it!

It was almost as if he clamped his hand around its throat. The

golden crow could do nothing other than meekly re-enter Xu Qing
and go back to his fifth heavenly palace. That palace had been
created by Golden Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits. Once back
inside, the golden crow changed. Instead of looking like a crow, it
looked like a young man.

He wore an imperial gown and an emperor’s crown. His facial

features were the same as Xu Qing’s, except he didn’t have a
flesh-and-blood body. Countless streams of dharma force and the
dao of the golden crow made... a dao soul! [1]

It was a bit blurry, making it obvious it was in an embryonic state.

But the moment it appeared, fluctuations that vastly surpassed the
Gold Core level erupted from Xu Qing’s fifth heavenly palace. As
they spread through his sea of consciousness, the golden crow
rose to the third stage. And at that point, his fifth heavenly palace
couldn’t really be called a heavenly palace anymore.

It was now an incubator for a dao soul!

This was a unique position. One of his palaces was in the Nascent
Soul level, while the others hadn’t progressed. Because of that, Xu
Qing’s level was actually... pseudo-Nascent Soul!

As his battle prowess rose with heaven-shaking, earth-toppling

force, Xu Qing sensed the shapeless warding spell, which was
made from innumerable transparent chains. He felt god power
fluctuations in the area, almost like countless incredibly tiny worms
wriggling.

And he could sense an aura of new life coming from the body Sir
Inkwell was painting. He hadn’t been able to sense that before, but
now it was very clear. That was because he was changing on a
substructural level, and had now developed divine sense!

Divine sense was something unique to Nascent Soul cultivators,

and it was a power formed by the combination of his dao soul and
regular soul. It was also the foundation of divine abilities.

Before Nascent Soul, magical techniques were magical

techniques. After reaching Nascent Soul, there weren’t just
magical techniques, there were also divine abilities.
Beyond that, now that the golden crow had reached the third
stage, a powerful nourishing force flowed out of his fifth heavenly
palace to replenish Xu Qing. That was from Golden Crow
Assimilates Myriad Spirits; whenever it devoured something, it
could help Xu Qing in return. That said, this particular instance
was providing an astonishing level of replenishment that
surpassed anything from before.

Rumbling sounds filled Xu Qing as his fleshly body was further

refined. The replenishment was so astonishing that it affected his
heavenly palaces; his ninth heavenly palace was now getting very
close to being fully materialized.

His current heavenly palaces had been formed in the following

order: the first was a black umbrella; the second was a seven-
colored wind-chanting lamp; the third was a taboo poison core; the
fourth was a violet moon palace; the fifth was an imperial-class
technique; the sixth was a heavenly dao bluegreen dragon; the
seventh was occupied by the Ghost Emperor mountain; and the
eighth was the hellspirit bloodwing lamp.

As for the ninth, Xu Qing had completed it by half thanks to the

Ten Entrails Tree. But with the replenishment power coursing
through him, it reached seventy percent. Then eighty percent.
Ninety percent! After an incense stick’s worth of time, his ninth
heavenly palace reached a state of ninety-nine percent
completion. All it needed was something inserted inside to
complete it.
“And that item will be... golden crow, spit out that light!”

Xu Qing’s mind raced as he sent divine sense to his fifth heavenly

palace. Inside, the golden crow dao soul opened its eyes, causing
a seven-colored glow to spring out of its mouth.

It was daybreak light. As that light flashed, it flowed toward the

ninth heavenly palace.

When it entered, the ninth heavenly palace became a seven-

colored palace that was crystalline and semitransparent. It glowed
like the sunrise. The daybreak light became a sphere of light,
within which was some immense living creature that resembled a
phoenix, except asleep.

The perished sun here was not a golden crow. Instead, it was a
different type of living being. The reason Xu Qing’s golden crow
had been able to devour it was that they were similar on a
substructural level. When the ninth heavenly palace materialized,
and the daybreak light settled inside, Xu Qing’s cultivation base
experienced a breakthrough!

His battle prowess skyrocketed, and at the same time, the

replenishment from his golden crow continued, causing his tenth
heavenly palace to start forming!

Xu Qing was shaken, but also felt keen anticipation. Then he

opened his eyes and looked at Sir Inkwell and the god’s finger. To
Xu Qing, the changes that had occurred to him felt heaven-
shaking and earth-toppling. But they were all internal. To the god’s
finger, the most important thing was the body being painted, and
therefore, the finger didn’t bother paying attention to Xu Qing.

However, Sir Inkwell did notice, and his eyes glittered. Pretending
that nothing had happened, he continued painting. The painted
body was now about half complete, and the godly might within it
was astonishing. It pulsed out, causing everything to twist and
ripple.

Seeing that, Xu Qing’s heart grew more determined.

If I fled now, the old man would have to stop painting. He wouldn’t
have any more paint to work with. And then he could send the
finger after me. Therefore, now’s not the time to make my escape.
I need to wait until the finger is fully fused!

Calming himself, he sat by waiting, while simultaneously using the

replenishment from the golden crow to further complete his tenth
heavenly palace.

As for what object he would place inside that tenth palace, he

already had a plan.

This time, I’m going to try out my violet crystal!

1. This “soul” is a “Nascent Soul” not the ordinary word for “soul.”
Please keep this in mind whenever dealing with the Nascent Soul
stuff. ☜
Chapter 486: The Violet Crystal Glitters;
The Heavenly Palaces Tremble

When Sir Inkwell saw that Xu Qing didn’t take advantage of the
moment to escape, his heart sank.

The little punk is too cautious. Well, fine. I’ll have to resort to Plan
B!

Snorting coldly in his heart, the old Paintedfolk continued working

on the painting.

Xu Qing directed the replenishment from the golden crow toward

his tenth heavenly palace, causing rumbling to echo within his sea
of consciousness as the palace rapidly materialized.

After reaching the five-flame level in Foundation Establishment, I

didn’t plan to add any more life lamps. I thought my limit was going
to be eight palaces. Of the ten heavenly palaces I now have, three
are made from life lamps. And now, I’m working on my seventh
heavenly palace, which is one of the original group of eight. After I
complete it, I’ll only be one palace away from being in the great
circle of Gold Core! [1]

As Xu Qing contemplated those details, the replenishment from

the golden crow surged, and time passed. When Sir Inkwell was
about seventy percent finished painting the god body, and as the
sun’s remains withered up, Xu Qing’s tenth heavenly palace was
more than half complete.

It won’t be long now.

Xu Qing felt keen anticipation. He was really looking forward to

finding out what would happen when he used the violet crystal to
finish his tenth palace. While keeping an eye on Sir Inkwell in case
he fled, Xu Qing focused on the materialization. Before long, the
tenth palace had reached ninety percent completion. Then, after a
few dozen breaths of time passed, Sir Inkwell’s painting was
complete except for the head. At that point, Xu Qing’s tenth
heavenly palace was ninety-nine percent complete.

Violet crystal!

Without any hesitation, Xu Qing lifted his right hand and turned it
semitransparent with the Gruegloom Daoseizing Art. Plunging it
into his chest, he ignored the piercing pain as he wrapped his
fingers around the violet crystal. However, instead of pulling it out,
he pushed it toward his sea of consciousness.

“Fuse!” The anticipation he felt in his heart reached incredibly

intense levels.

However, as the violet crystal got close to his sea of

consciousness, before he could even insert it, he felt a very strong
force of rejection. It wasn’t coming from one of the heavenly
palaces. No, it was coming from all of his heavenly palaces. As
one, they were sending out fluctuations to keep the violet crystal
away.

Xu Qing’s jaw nearly dropped.

That force of rejection seemed to irritate the crystal. Seemingly

offended, the crystal released a tiny fraction of the boundless and
paramount force it was capable of. That stream of force contained
something absolutely domineering. It was majestic and paragonic,
like something that could crush anything and everything in the
world. Intense rumbling filled Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness,
causing his entire body to tremble.

The violet crystal seemed to transform into a heaven-shaking,

earth-shattering archaean mountain, pulsing with the aura of
aeons. Compared to it, Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness seemed
like a tiny, burlap sack. There was no way something so massive
could fit into such a small sack.

Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness shook violently, and cracks

started spreading through it. His ten heavenly palaces were all
trembling.

The three palaces formed from life lamps, including the black
umbrella, the seven-colored wind-chanting lamp, and the hellspirit
bloodwing lamp, generally burned with flames that seemed like
they would stay lit forever. Yet right now, they were flickering as if
they might go out!
They had all been created from the blood of Ancient Emperors and
Imperial Sovereigns, yet right now, they simply couldn’t stand up to
a scrap of power from the violet crystal. And beyond that, they
looked like they might break. This definitely surpassed anything Xu
Qing could have planned for, and it caused a look of blank shock
to fill his face.

Then something happened with his taboo poison core that left him
completely gobsmacked. That taboo poison core originated from
ancestral god power from a god domain. However, before it could
even release the full extent of its power, it shrank back, becoming
clearly blurry, as if it might be erased out of existence. As it
struggled, it became increasingly unstable, making it seem like it
might collapse at any moment. His violet moon heavenly palace
came from the essence of Crimson Mother. But right now, that
palace was trembling like a waif in a winter wind. Cracks spread
out over the palace, and it looked like it might shatter.

Nothing like this had ever happened before!

This.... Xu Qing felt waves of shock smashing into him.

Then he realized that his heavenly dao bluegreen dragon and

Ghost Emperor mountain were both shivering like mad. The
bluegreen dragon was sending out fluctuations of terror, as if it
was looking at some horrifying entity that could completely destroy
it. And the Ghost Emperor mountain was bowing its head in
subservience to the violet crystal. The golden crow was already at
stage three, and had turned into a dao soul, but right now it looked
extremely nervous and was whimpering.

In his mind and heart, Xu Qing felt like he had suddenly been
thrown into the midst of a violent hurricane. He knew that his violet
crystal was special. After all, it had always been the key to keeping
his shadow in check. But he could never have predicted that it
would be so unbelievably terrifying. What was more, he had only
pushed the violet crystal toward his sea of consciousness, not into
it. Yet all of his heavenly palaces were acting like little girls being
approached by an evil tyrant. They didn’t even want it to be near
them.

Because of the palaces’ instinctive rejection, the violet crystal’s

domineering nature erupted. It was easy to guess what would
happen if Xu Qing forced the violet crystal closer to his sea of
consciousness. The sea of consciousness wouldn’t be able to
sustain the pressure. It would collapse, and all of his heavenly
palaces would shatter.

Xu Qing’s hand trembled. All of a sudden, it didn’t feel like he was

holding a violet crystal. Instead, he was holding a bolt of lightning
that could destroy the world! Without the slightest hesitation, he
carefully pulled the crystal away from his sea of consciousness
and back to its spot in his chest.

As the violet crystal moved away, his sea of consciousness slowly

stopped trembling and went back to normal.
What exactly just happened?

Xu Qing’s forehead was covered with a sheen of sweat. All of a

sudden, he realized that he really didn’t know much about the
violet crystal. However, what he did know was that now wasn’t the
time to sit around thinking about it, so he forced himself to put the
matter aside for now.

If I can’t use the violet crystal....

His eyes gleamed with determination as he took out the bamboo

slips that had been infused both with D-132’s suppressing force,
and also the power of the god’s finger. That collection of bamboo
slips contained a record of everything Xu Qing had experienced
after waking up in D-132.

They contained both the power of memory and the power of

amnesia. After taking them out of his bag of holding, Xu Qing
inserted them directly into the tenth heavenly palace in his sea of
consciousness. The moment he did that, the bamboo slips
collapsed into dust. Then that dust swirled together in the tenth
heavenly palace to become... a bamboo slip that glowed with the
color of blood. It was covered with lines of text, all in Xu Qing’s
handwriting. The text shifted back and forth between blurry and
clear. Sometimes it disappeared, but it would always return. It was
extremely gruish. The strong blood-colored light it emitted turned
his tenth heavenly palace a deep crimson color.
As the tenth heavenly palace changed form, it came to look like...
D-132! And the blood-colored light it emitted was just like the glow
cast by the god’s finger.

If you looked closely, that blood-colored light contained bits of

white that crisscrossed the red. Within that heavenly palace that
resembled D-132, the bamboo slip floated, casting out a glow that
combined white and red. It looked profoundly sinister.

The moment the process was complete, Xu Qing’s cultivation base

skyrocketed. It was completely appropriate to say that, at that
moment, Xu Qing had essentially reached the ultimate possible
peak in Gold Core.

From ancient times until modern, people like that had indeed
existed before in the Revered Ancient mainland. However, it would
be easier to find a phoenix feather or a qilin horn than to encounter
one of them.

His heavenly palaces now contained the ancestral god taboo

poison, the godsource of the violet moon, and the god power of
misfortune. Those three alone would be enough to dominate
everything near and far. And that wasn’t even to mention the
heavenly dao bluegreen dragon, the Ghost Emperor mountain, or
the daybreak light from the perished sun. A Gold Core cultivator
like this basically didn’t even count as being in Gold Core. If Xu
Qing were to encounter Chu Tianqun right now, it would only take
a moment to crush him.
In fact, he was already considering trying to break through to the
next cultivation realm. After he left the Gold Core level, he would
reach something called the Heavenfate Dao Soul level, which was
also just called Nascent Soul. However, the reality was that Xu
Qing still hadn’t reached his limit. Of the eight palaces formed from
his original five life flames, he still had one more that wasn’t
complete. With that thought on his mind, Xu Qing took a deep
breath. Eyes flashing, he turned to look at Sir Inkwell.

Sir Inkwell’s painting was almost complete. The only thing it was
missing was the pinky finger on the right hand and the face on the
head.

When Xu Qing looked at Sir Inkwell, the Paintedfolk looked back.

And then Sir Inkwell grinned gruishly, reached out with his right
hand, and quickly painted the face.

It was... Xu Qing’s face!

Xu Qing’s eyes became as cold as ice. When Sir Inkwell put the
eyes onto the face, the massive body he had painted suddenly
trembled as if it was awakening.

“Exalted god, the body I’ve painted for you is now complete!”

With that, Sir Inkwell turned and fled at top speed.

The god’s finger thrummed with fluctuations of excitement as it

flew toward the body. As it fused, the surrounding warding spell
shivered and loosened.

That was when Xu Qing made his move.

Xu Qing shot away from the shriveled remains of the sun. Taking
advantage of the loosening of the warding spell, he pierced
through it.

Sir Inkwell did the same, and the two of them fled. The head and
the stone lion also broke free.

The god’s finger wasn’t paying attention to them at all; instead, īt

shrank down and fused with the painted body. It was possible to
see countless tendrils of flesh snaking off of īt and latching onto
the body. Then, as īt struggled, the body’s eyes fluttered as if
trying to open.

Everything in the area rippled and distorted. As the final tendril of

flesh connected, the painted eyes opened. However, the moment
that happened, cracks exploded all over the body, spreading to
cover every inch of it. Then, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering
boom echoed out as… The entire body exploded! A massive
shockwave spread out in all directions. An agonized shriek rippled
out, filled with madness and fury.

As it passed the head and the stone lion, they detonated with a
thump. Then it hit Sir Inkwell, whose body immediately started
turning blurry. It looked like he was about to disappear. That said,
he didn’t seem afraid. Rather, he seemed regretful.
I guess I can’t control a god, huh? What a pity. It was a good
opportunity. Ah, whatever. I guess I should flee for my life now.

While he sighed inwardly, he shouted as loud as he could.

“Don’t panic, oh exalted god! Your humble servant didn’t just

prepare one body for you. There are two! One was a painting, but
the other is real! But they look the same. Sir... just go try out the
other body!”

1. As a brief reminder, life lamps essentially give you an extra

palace. Keep that in mind if you’re trying to do the math on this
part. ☜
Chapter 487: God Possession

An enraged roar drifted through the depths of the Abyssal Sea. As

the painted body collapsed, the god’s finger shot out from within
the haze of flesh and blood, pulsing with a will of destruction.

The head and stone lion had already collapsed, but Sir Inkwell had
used some unique method to last a bit longer and yell those final
words.

Instantly, the furious god’s finger swiveled to point in the direction

of the fleeing Xu Qing.

Although īts mental faculties were impaired to a degree, and īt was

a bit forgetful after being injured, īt immediately identified Xu Qing
as bearing a perfect resemblance to the painted body. As a result,
the finger didn’t bother chasing down Sir Inkwell, and instead shot
toward Xu Qing.

When Xu Qing realized what was happening behind him, his

expression turned dour. Truth be told, the moment he realized Sir
Inkwell was painting that face to resemble him, he had guessed
what was coming.

Unfortunately, Sir Inkwell had been in control of the painting, and

the god’s finger was lurking nearby the entire time, so there was
nothing he could do. The only thing he’d been able to do was
influence the direction in which Sir Inkwell fled.

When Sir Inkwell saw the god’s finger pursuing Xu Qing, a very
complacent expression filled his face. That said, he did feel some
regret.

What a pity I wasn’t able to control a god. Even though it’s only the
pinky finger of a god’s clone, it’s still on a higher level of existence
than I can interfere with. That said, after this experience, I need to
think more about how to make it work better next time. This world
inside of a painting is a very interesting place. If I could control a
god in here, then just imagine what I could do outside the
painting....

That thought got Sir Inkwell fairly excited. He glanced back at the
fleeing Xu Qing.

The jailer certainly showed up at just the right time. Without him, I
might not have escaped. He’s one of the few good people in this
painting. I’m going to miss him. All I can do is hope he ends up
safe and sound.

Sir Inkwell chuckled and sped up. However, that was when he
suddenly felt something extremely malevolent locking onto him.
Face falling, he looked over his shoulder, whereupon his eyes
went wide.
At some point, a gigantic bluegreen dragon had appeared behind
him. It had a dark gray body covered with countless sharp scales,
and it stared at him with ice-cold eyes. It was hundreds of meters
in length, making Sir Inkwell seem like a bug in comparison. A
tremor passed through Sir Inkwell, and his mind reeled.

“A heavenly dao??” he blurted. Waves of shock assailed him.

Although he feared the god’s finger, there was a second thing he
truly feared, and that was destiny aura!

Those were the two things he had been forced to deal with in D-
132. D-132 was used to suppress a god and sever karma. But it
had also suppressed the prisoners, who had all been transformed
to a certain degree by the god’s finger. Though he feared the god’s
finger, that fear wasn’t overwhelming. After all, he was something
of a companion to that finger, and because of their dealings, had
strong karma built up with it. As for the destiny aura... it could
suppress that god’s finger. And given that Sir Inkwell was a
companion to the god’s finger, it meant that destiny aura was like
his nemesis!

And destiny auras came from heavenly daos!

As Sir Inkwell’s eyes went wide, he instinctively let loose a

miserable shriek, as if he had just encountered the most deadly
beast in the world. Turning, he fled at top speed away from the
bluegreen dragon.
Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT. What’s a heavenly dao doing here?
What is that bluegreen dragon, anyway? Don’t tell me the giant
lake in this painting produced it because of the sun’s remains?

As Sir Inkwell fled, his scalp tingled as he realized the bluegreen

dragon had opened its mouth.

Why is it staring at me?

Nothing that Sir Inkwell could do would mean a thing when dealing
with a heavenly dao. Thus, he fled right back into the world of his
painting, which lay on the ground nearby.

However, the bluegreen dragon followed, chasing him right into

the painting. Inside of that painting was Sir Inkwell’s family. They
all looked terrified when the bluegreen dragon appeared. Then
they started disappearing one by one, as if they’d been devoured.
A feeling of terror began to spread out from the painting.

However, Sir Inkwell obviously had some skills. Though he was

facing his nemesis, a heavenly dao that he couldn’t possibly fight
against, he was still able to buy some time.

That was one reason why Xu Qing didn’t make a move against
him back when he was absorbing the sun’s remains. Back then,
Sir Inkwell had been painting in the presence of the god’s finger,
so making a move against him would have been
counterproductive. But now the god’s finger was chasing Xu Qing.
As it turned out, though Sir Inkwell thought he was plotting against
Xu Qing, the reality was that Xu Qing was plotting against him.
From a certain perspective, it seemed... that neither of them had
come out on top.

Sir Inkwell was in mortal danger, but so was Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was currently fleeing at top speed. The godly might of the
god’s finger seemed boundless, and considering it was capable of
greater teleportations, it didn’t seem likely that Xu Qing could
outrun it. After only about four or five breaths of time, everything
around Xu Qing rippled and turned blurry.

The god’s finger raced with madness and determination right

toward Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked over his shoulder and released an explosive

poison mist. He unleashed the godsource of the violet moon, and
summoned a projection of the Ghost Emperor mountain. The
golden crow appeared, a dao soul within it, its eyes glowing
brightly. There was also a seven-colored stream of light that
spread out from Xu Qing, making him seem full of holiness. In
addition, there was a bamboo slip that floated in front of him,
releasing fluctuations exactly the same as the god’s finger.

Finally, he had a command medallion. Raising it overhead, he

shouted, “Taboo treasure!”

The great net that covered Sea-Sealing County, including the

Abyssal Sea, suddenly glittered brightly. Countless streams of
blinding light then converged high above Xu Qing.

Taboo treasures were not things that any person could just
randomly use. They required a certain level of understanding.
Because of that, they often had limitations, and required great
effort to use. In many cases, it was difficult to use much of their
power. Using a taboo treasure wasn’t something that could be
done intuitively. Taboo treasures were critical to any major
organization, and that meant that most people would never get a
chance to study or experiment with them.

Thankfully, Xu Qing had an advantage in that regard. Thanks to

how much Master Seventh favored him, he had been appointed as
a treasure custodian for a short time. That had allowed him to
study and experiment with a taboo treasure, an experience which
was now proving very handy. As a result, the light that gathered
overhead was exceedingly dazzling.

The moment Xu Qing did that, the god’s finger appeared only a
few dozen meters ahead. Its maddened divine will locked onto
him, causing an enraged howl to fill his mind.

“You... took away... my body. Give it back!”

Xu Qing backed away cautiously, while simultaneously tapping

into all his trump cards.

“I didn’t take away your body. That bastard Inkwell painted your
body to look like me, all so he could escape. You should be
chasing him!”

As Xu Qing backed away, the god’s finger rushed forward by nine

meters, its divine will exploded out.

“Give... it... back!”

“My body is filled with a bunch of random stuff that’s not suitable
for you. You can sense it, can’t you?” As Xu Qing struggled to
control his breathing, he sent his shadow out. The shadow
appeared, trembling, then shrank beneath Xu Qing’s feet.

“Give it... back!”

The god’s finger wasn’t listening to anything Xu Qing said. The

finger’s divine will grew more insane as it got closer and closer.

Seeing that, Xu Qing’s eyes filled with a crazy look. His right hand
dropped, and the taboo poison power within him erupted. A
projection of the violet moon appeared, shooting right toward the
god’s finger. Daybreak light erupted dazzlingly, creating a sea of
light around the finger. The golden crow overhead held nothing
back; one hundred tails rippled behind it as the power of a dao
soul swept toward the finger. Things weren’t over yet, though. Xu
Qing was going all out! Taking out some demonization symbols, he
sent the Ghost Emperor mountain out with full force.

And then, Xu Qing pointed at the god’s finger. That was when he
pushed down on the command medallion the palace lord had
given him. The power of a taboo treasure descended. Brilliant light
gathered in the net above, then shot downward in the form of a
glowing hand some several thousand meters in size. As the hand
dropped, the water shattered, spreading out in all directions.

As of this moment, Xu Qing was unleashing every scrap of battle

prowess he was capable of. Intense rumbling sounds echoed into
the sky. However... Xu Qing’s enemy was not a cultivator, but
rather, a god. Maybe īt was only the pinky finger of the clone of a
god. But the terrifying power emanating off of īt could shatter
heaven and rock the earth.

His poison didn’t do much to the finger. Given īt’s maddened state,
īt didn’t care about a bit of rot. What was more, īt was part of a
god’s body, so īt naturally had defenses. The violet moon
godsource was relatively negligible. To cultivators, it would be
boundlessly powerful. But to this god’s finger, that small amount of
essence was something īt could easily rebuff.

Even more noteworthy was that īt’s thinking was currently

muddled; it was completely consumed by desire and madness.
The finger pierced through the power of the poison and the violet
moon. However, as īt neared Xu Qing, īt was resisted by the
daybreak light. But that didn’t last for long.

However, Xu Qing took advantage of the time it bought him. His

golden crow let loose a piercing cry and closed in. The Ghost
Emperor mountain hurtled forward. And the hand of light
descended from above with crushing power. As the taboo hand
grew larger and larger, destructive power pulsed off of it. Then, it
hit the god’s finger at the same time as Xu Qing’s other attacks.

Xu Qing didn’t bother to see what happened as a result. He just

fled with all the speed he could muster, turning into a blur of
afterimages that shot off into the distance.

Behind him, a deafening boom shook heaven and earth. A

massive portion of the Abyssal Sea exploded, sending water
spraying everywhere, and causing huge, destructive waves to roll
out.

Xu Qing coughed up mouthful after mouthful of blood, and his face

went as pale as death. He staggered dramatically, but at the same
time, kept fleeing.

However, after only a dozen or so breaths of time passed, a howl

echoed out that could shake heaven and make ghosts and gods
weep. And then, from the area where Xu Qing’s attacks had all
landed simultaneously, a wriggling mass of shattered flesh slowly
rose up.

As īt stitched itself back together, īt raced after Xu Qing. Xu Qing

knew he couldn’t fight it, so as it closed in, his eyes lit with
craziness as he tapped into the violet crystal! The wriggling mass
of flesh neared, leaving behind a trail of blood. In the blink of an
eye, īt was on top of Xu Qing.
“My... my.... Give... it... back!”

All of a sudden, Xu Qing was no longer visible. The spot where he

had been was now covered with a mountainous mass of bloody
flesh. And a terrifying, evil will spread out from that spot.
Chapter 488: The Finger Didn’t Want To
Possess Him....

The depths of the Abyssal Sea were very quiet. This part of
Daybreak Prefecture was remote to begin with, and few travelers
ever went there. Couple that with the fact that the god’s finger had
already scoured the area to capture living cultivators, and the
result was that right now, the place was completely desolate.
Whether because of the sun’s remains or the god’s finger, this
area now abounded with mutagen, to the point where it was
showing signs of becoming a forbidden region.

The head and the stone lion were both affected by the fluctuations
coming off the god’s finger, and were taking longer than usual to
recover. At the moment, they were mangled masses of gore. Sir
Inkwell’s painting still had some of his family members in it, but
only about five. And the survivors were still being devoured.

As a result of that, no one was aware that something extremely

bizarre was happening beneath the mountainous mass of flesh at
the bottom of the lake.

That was what remained of the god’s finger, and at the moment, īt
was wriggling like mad. As for Xu Qing, he was underneath īt,
completely surrounded by the shredded flesh of the finger, which
was now burrowing into him, causing intense pain to sweep
through him.

It felt like he was being stabbed repeatedly while also being

slashed to ribbons. Xu Qing trembled violently. However, no matter
how he fought back, it didn’t seem to do any good. He couldn’t
stop the invading flesh and blood. Thus, time passed, and the
massive mountain of flesh slowly shrank down.

After enough time passed for an incense stick to burn, the

mountain of flesh was reduced by half, and an outline of Xu Qing
was visible. He was twitching and jerking around, making it
obvious how much pain he was in. The flesh wasn’t done
burrowing into him. Īt continued to squirm as īt madly entered him
through every pore in his body.

Another incense stick’s worth of time passed, after which Xu Qing

became more visible. There was now only one big strip of flesh
left, which turned into a host of tiny tendrils that started digging
into Xu Qing’s forehead.

Then īt was gone.

Xu Qing lay there unmoving, his expression one of frozen pain. He

could not sense anything around him. All of the flesh that made up
the god’s finger was now inside of him, turning into a host of
extremely fine tendrils that filled him from head to toe.
His meridians. His flesh. His bones. Every part of him was filled
with those tendrils. And they were slowly linking together, causing
a terrifying mutagen to spread out and change Xu Qing, to
transform him into something suitable for the god’s habitation.

The violet crystal in his chest was still glowing with violet light. But
that light could repair damage to him, and wasn’t able to fight back
against a transformation that came from the flesh of a god. In fact,
in some ways, that recovery power was actually making the
transformation process proceed more smoothly. Any damage that
was inflicted was quickly healed.

As a result, the flesh of the god’s finger didn’t pay any attention to
the violet crystal, and just slowly continued transforming Xu Qing.

Fleshy growths sprang out from him, like tentacles, spreading out,
growing longer, and swaying back and forth. It was a very bizarre
scene, but what was most bizarre was how those flesh tentacles
were rapidly intertwining around Xu Qing. Close observation would
reveal that meridians and blood vessels were being formed by the
flesh tentacles, and it was actually being done in exactly the same
way that Sir Inkwell had painted the body earlier.

Apparently, the god’s finger had observed that painting process

and learned from it. Each of the fleshy tentacles was like a paint
brush, and the body itself was the paint. In that manner, a new
body began to take shape, which was several hundred meters
from head to toe. The god’s finger was using Xu Qing as the core,
while building another body like an outer shell.

Time passed. The outer shell grew more and more complete. It
was possible to see bones, with muscles slowly taking shape over
them. Then the flesh tentacles began making limbs, and also, they
spread up like a blooming flower to create a neck. Next was the
head. The outer shell made a general framework, while flesh
tentacles proliferated and filled in the gaps. Eventually, the
wriggling tentacles from the neck completed the head. Facial
features appeared, and astonishingly, they were those of Xu Qing.

About an hour later, the outer shell was complete. The body was
unclothed, and the muscles wriggled as skin formed and filled in
any empty spots. When the last gap was removed, a perfect body
was visible, over 900 meters tall, right there in the depths of the
lake.

It was perfectly proportioned, being tall and lean, with broad

shoulders and a sturdy chest. It had terrifyingly powerful
musculature, and bewitching good looks.

One unusual aspect was the body’s hair, which wasn’t black, but
violet. As the violet hair swayed in the surrounding water, it
created an image that seemed both vile and charming at the same
time. Godly might spread out, and something holy pulsed from the
body. It was a combination that was extremely disturbing to say
the least.
This was the body of a god!

However, other than the swaying violet hair, the body wasn’t
moving at all. The eyes had not opened.

That was because īt lacked a soul.

The god’s finger had created a very suitable body, but the last step
had not yet been carried out. And that was... possession. Īt
needed to devour Xu Qing’s soul, and then use godliness to make
īts own soul for the body, a god’s soul. Only then would īt be well
and truly independent! When all was said and done, īt would have
changed from being a god’s finger into being a brand new god in
full form, filled with limitless potential.

This was īt’s dream. And of course, that dream was what Sir
Inkwell had hoped to commandeer. As of now, īt’s dream was
almost complete. All that remained was to simply devour the soul.
After all, īt was a god on a substructural level, and little effort was
required for a god to devour the soul of a mortal.

Thus, the will of the god’s finger erupted inside the body,
converging into one spot that then shot toward Xu Qing’s soul in
his sea of consciousness.

Xu Qing’s befuddled soul sensed the vile, icy will rushing toward it.
It didn’t struggle. However, the desire to fight back had not left it.
Though the soul did not have control of the body, or even
consciousness, or even the ability to sense the outside world,
there was still a crazy notion that existed within Xu Qing.

Years ago, the shadow seemed immeasurably mighty to me. And

there was no way I could have fought back when it tried to
possess me. Just like now. To me, this god’s finger is something I
simply can’t defend against.

Except, the violet crystal made all ten of the heavenly palaces in
my sea of consciousness tremble uncontrollably. The crystal was
what fought back against the possession attempt by the shadow.
So today... why don’t I do the same thing to defend against the
possession attempt by this god’s finger?

The crazy notion that drifted out from Xu Qing’s soul was the exact
reason he hadn’t struggled earlier. He had simply watched the
power of the gods and spirits craft a new body as an outer shell.
He had observed everything. And he had waited....

He had waited for his opponent to try to devour his soul.

That moment had arrived.

As that vile, icy will assaulted him, and the sensation of impending
doom grew more intense, the violet crystal in Xu Qing’s chest
seemed offended. And it erupted!

A boundless, majestic force swept out from the violet crystal,

becoming a paragonic, unstoppable, ancient sea of violet light that
rushed toward the will of the god’s finger with domineering force.
Rumbling echoed out, and Xu Qing’s mind felt like it was filled with
infinite bolts of lightning. A heaven-shaking, earth-shattering
explosion ripped out as the god’s finger, which had previously
been a bit muddled, could suddenly think very clearly. And īt
screamed.

“W-what... what is that?? How could something like that be in a

body like this?? This power... th-this power....”

The god’s will was filled with astonishment, and at the same time,
indescribable terror of the violet crystal. As the screams echoed
about, the god’s will retreated. Īt... wasn’t interested in possessing
Xu Qing anymore.

Xu Qing had made the right gamble!

He had remembered how the violet crystal had been passive from
the moment he acquired it. Even in the most deadly situations, the
crystal never did anything, leaving him with the feeling that if he
died in such a situation... he would truly die. The only time the
crystal had ever reacted explosively was when the shadow tried to
possess him. [1]

That seemed to indicate that the violet crystal had no interest in

things relating to the fleshly body. Nor did it care if Xu Qing himself
faced any sort of deadly crisis. But if something tried to possess
him, then it perked up.
That was what happened with the shadow all those years ago.
And it was happening now with this god’s will.

The god’s will pulsed with intense terror. Īt’s mental faculties had
recovered, and because of that, īt could think and reason. As a
result, īt abandoned all possession attempts and tried to retreat.

It was too slow. The shadow had tried to do the same thing, and it
had also failed.

Next, Xu Qing’s violet crystal released terrifying fluctuations,

causing the violet sea to surge in the direction of the god’s will.

The god’s will screamed as a sealing power slammed into īt.

“NO!!”

The god’s finger struggled violently as īt screamed into Xu Qing’s

mind. To īt, this moment was more of a deadly crisis than what Xu
Qing had experienced earlier. As this fight played out, the 900-
meter-tall body in the depths of the massive lake started twitching.
Then a vicious ghost face appeared on its chest, bulging outward
as if trying to break free into the open. But then a huge violet hand
wrapped around the face, grabbing it and pulling it back. The
ghost face screamed.

Unprecedented despair filled the will of the god’s finger.

“Just who exactly are you?! What exactly is this thing??”

The howls were filled with grief and indignation, as well as wild
madness. Xu Qing’s massive body trembled as the god’s will
repeatedly tried to struggle free. Such efforts were to no avail.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing had come to notice something unusual.... The

power of the violet crystal didn’t seem even close to its true limit.
Yet it wasn’t actually able to seal the god’s will in the same way it
had sealed the shadow. The god’s will was fighting back. As for his
own soul, it was filled with intense pain, and seemed like it might
start withering into nothing.

It’s not that the violet crystal isn’t strong enough. Rather, I’m not
capable of unleashing its full power....

As Xu Qing realized that, cold light flickered in his eyes.

1. The shadow tried to possess Xu Qing in chapter 13. ☜

Chapter 489: Out of Consideration for a
God, We Continue the Traditions of the
Corrections Division

It’s only sealed īt by half.

Now that the god’s finger was no longer muddled in the head, īt
was struggling violently. The finger could sense the violet crystal in
Xu Qing, and could also sense that the sealing power had reached
a limit, and wasn’t getting any stronger. Upon sensing that, īt
reacted immediately.

“You’re not strong enough to sustain the use of that treasure!”

The will of the god’s finger pulsed with fluctuations of delight, then
struggled even more violently, going all out to try to break free.
After all, īt could sense that, thanks to the repeated injuries īt had
sustained, this moment of clarity wouldn’t last for very long.
Therefore, īt hoped to get free of this bizarre, terrifying body and
flee as far away as possible.

That said, though Xu Qing was too weak to release the true might
of the violet crystal, the violet sea of light was still completely
terrifying. Thus, no amount of struggle on the part of the god’s
finger was enough to break free. In fact, the god’s finger was
slowly being dragged backward. The will of the god started to get
very anxious, and was pulsing with a wild sense of frustrated
anger.

Just like the situation with the heavenly palaces, this was like a
little girl facing an evil tyrant. The difference was that the god’s
finger was fighting back with more intensity, and was not willing to
surrender.

Seeing that, Xu Qing frowned. He could sense that his soul was
starting to wither up thanks to this struggle. If things continued in
this manner, and he didn’t give up, then the violet crystal would be
fine, but he would end up destroyed in body and soul.

He sighed inwardly at the realization that the violet crystal actually

wasn’t helping. That said, he also realized that the true reason for
that was himself.... After all, this was no shadow being sealed. It
was a god. The difference in the difficulty between those two
things was like the difference between heaven and earth.

That said, he wasn’t ready to just let this god’s finger make a
getaway.

From the depths of his soul, he said, “You’re right, I’m not strong
enough to control my heavenfate god crystal for much longer. But
that’s not important. What’s important is that if I really go all out, I
might die, but you end up sealed in the end! So, don’t force my
hand!”
“Heavenfate god crystal?” The will of the god’s finger hesitated. Īt
could sense that Xu Qing wasn’t bluffing. He really could perform
the sealing, though it would cost him his life.

“That’s right. When I was born, the destiny aura of the Revered
Ancient mainland converged on me, and thus, I was born with a
heavenfate item inside of me!” Xu Qing offered the explanation in
the most serious of tones.

The god’s finger was dumbstruck. In any other situation, Īt

wouldn’t believe a story like that, but right now... Īt was having
trouble deciding what was true and what wasn’t.

The god’s finger didn’t want to sit around trying to figure out what
was true and what wasn’t. Īt could tell that it was starting to lose its
thinking faculties again. And therefore, it screamed, “Let me go! I
don’t want to possess you. And even if you do manage to seal me,
you’ll be killed in body and soul. Maybe I’ll lose my freedom, but
you’ll lose your life!”

Xu Qing frowned. It was true that he could let the god’s finger go.
All it would take would be a thought on his part, and the violet
crystal would retract, leaving the path free to escape. But he didn’t
want to do that. For one thing, he was the type of person who
would seek revenge over the smallest grievance. He couldn’t just
let an enemy like this go free. Beyond that, he could tell... that this
god’s finger was actually a mixture of deadly threat and destined
opportunity!
What was more, he didn’t dare to let the god’s finger go free. If he
did, the thing could turn around and crush him to death. If the
finger really didn’t want to possess him, then he would be killed
beyond the shadow of a doubt. And even if he somehow wasn’t
crushed to death instantly, and the finger fled, īt would surely look
for another opportunity in the future to kill him. With such thoughts
on his mind, he decided that he definitely couldn’t free īt. Besides,
he also couldn’t risk publicly revealing his biggest secret, which
was the violet crystal. In addition, Xu Qing could tell that though
the god’s finger was fighting back, as long as īt was in the half-
sealed state thanks to the violet crystal, īt actually couldn’t hurt
him.

After considering the situation for a few breaths of time, he calmly

said, “As I said, I can’t sustain the use of the heavenfate god
crystal. But I also said something else. Before you tried to possess
me, I said I have a bunch of random stuff. I didn’t want you coming
inside because I can’t control them all, and—

“Let me out of here!!” the god’s will interrupted furiously. Then īt

struggled mightily, which caused Xu Qing’s soul to wither even
more.

Seeing the situation turning more critical caused Xu Qing’s ferocity

to erupt.

“Shut up! If I had a way to let you free, I’d already have thrown you
the hell out!”
As Xu Qing’s shout echoed within his sea of consciousness, the
god’s finger suddenly hesitated.

“If you don’t let me go, I’ll make sure you die! If you die, and all
that happens to me is I get sealed, then eventually I’ll get free, one
day!” The will of the god’s finger again struggled, but īt seemed
like īt was willing to accept a mutual loss as the outcome of the
conflict.

“You’ll get free one day?” Xu Qing laughed coldly. “You must have
sensed it in the past. Did you forget, or are you intentionally not
mentioning it? It doesn’t matter. Tell me, what is… this?”

The godsource of the violet moon suddenly erupted from within its
heavenly palace, filling his sea of consciousness and turning into a
signal. By now, Xu Qing was very familiar with the process. It
wasn’t his first time using the violet moon as a threat. He was
basically doing the exact same thing he had done to deal with
Emperor Ancient Spirit.

That said, because he was in the Revered Ancient mainland, he

didn’t release the godsource to the full extent. He kept it inside of
himself. But if he died and lost control, then the godsource power
would connect to its origin, and the red moon would sense it.

The will of the god’s finger trembled and spoke as if through gritted
teeth.

“That’s the essence of High God Crimson Mother!”

Īt had entered Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness in a muddle state,
and had vaguely sensed the essence, but had been more focused
on possessing Xu Qing’s soul. Then the violet crystal erupted,
forcing a state of clarity. After that, the terror of the situation made
the god’s finger fully focused on escaping.

“You see, I can’t use the god crystal to seal you, but I also have
other ways to kill you. If Crimson Mother comes, you’ll be
devoured. I’ll die. But you won’t survive!”

As Xu Qing spoke word by word, the will of the god’s finger pulsed
with extreme anxiety. At the same time, īt was starting to lose
control of īts faculties, and was gradually losing the ability to think
clearly.

When Xu Qing saw that he was making some progress, he

growled, “I have something else!”

He activated the power of this sixth heavenly palace, and though

the bluegreen dragon wasn’t there, the heavenly dao aura was still
around.

“A heavenly dao!” The will of the god was even more shaken.

Xu Qing’s third heavenly palace shivered, and taboo poison

seeped out.

“And the curse of a god!”

The will of the god’s finger wasn’t sure what to say. As īts faculties
degraded, they were replaced by a sense of chaos.

Sounding very calm, Xu Qing said, “Therefore, don’t feel

embarrassed. I don’t want you to stick around, but I have no way
to make you leave. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be able to do so
in the future.”

“I... don’t believe... you....”

Xu Qing could sense the god’s will getting muddled again, so he

spoke in a softer tone.

“I can guarantee you that once my cultivation base is high enough,

I’ll free you. In fact, if we get along, maybe I can even make a new
body for you....

“As you know, the destiny aura of Revered Ancient converged on

me when I was born. The heavenfate god crystal accompanies me
for life. As such, staying with me is not a degradation of your
status as a god. And in the future, I’ll definitely qualify to form a
new body for you.”

“I... I... don’t....” The god’s will again felt more muddled.

Xu Qing’s voice became even gentler.

“Don’t struggle. If you do, then I’ll die and you’ll still be devoured.
You’re a god, but you can be easily devoured by a stronger god.
You surely know what kind of pain that will involve. You’ll be ripped
to shreds and swallowed! Do you want to become food?”

“No... I....”

“Exactly! I know you don’t want to become food. So stop

struggling. Just rest. Later on, you’ll have endless possibilities.”
Then Xu Qing concluded with a final question. “Do you want to
live, or would you rather die?”

“Live... I....” The will of the god’s finger seemed dazed.

“I promise!” Xu Qing said resolutely. “Just rest and leave

everything else to me. I’ll take care of everything.”

As Xu Qing spoke softly and gently, a rift opened in his sea of

consciousness, which led right into his D-132 heavenly palace, his
tenth.

“Go. You’ll feel right at home. And you can just rest. Rest....”

Acting on instinct, the will of the god’s finger slowly headed toward
D-132. Xu Qing was right, īt did feel right at home. However, īt
stopped right in front, and a sensation of irritation suddenly rose
within īt.

Xu Qing quickly said, “Don’t overthink things! If you do that, you’ll

just get frustrated. Trust me.... I’ll make you a new body and then
set you free!”
The will of the god’s finger let loose a few more fluctuations. Then
īt eased into D-132 and went to īts usual spot, which was made up
of a few dozen cells. There, īt transformed into a huge, blood-
colored finger, then settled down to sleep.

However, just when Xu Qing was about to breathe a sigh of relief,

D-132 suddenly trembled. Divine will emerged from the god’s
finger.

“Where’s... everyone else...?”

“I’ll bring them soon to join you,” Xu Qing said solemnly.

***

In the outside world it was evening, and red light filled the sky. Not
very far away from Xu Qing and his 900-meter-tall body, was
Mount Daybreak, which was currently in great danger.

Pressure weighed down on the interior of the mountain, while the

spell formation that kept it safe was vibrating. There were about a
dozen locations where the formation was close to breaking open
thanks to the vicious black spikes being stabbed into it. Outside of
the formation were a host of nonhuman cultivators, their vicious
eyes gleaming with greed. Shockingly, quite a few of them were
escaped prisoners from the Corrections Division. They had all
recently answered the call to join forces and besiege Mount
Daybreak.
“There’s definitely a lot of treasure in this Mount Daybreak. The
swordsages are all at the front lines, so they don’t have attention
to spare. Fellow Daoists, the time has come to get our revenge!”

“Break open the spell formation! Kill everyone in the Swordsage

Court. Wipe out the swordsages. Clean this place out. And then
there’s the mountain itself. Hey, everyone, let’s see if we can blow
the entire place up!”

“Good idea! We can make sure that Daybreak Prefecture doesn’t

even have a Mount Daybreak anymore! This is going to be
incredible! Hahaha!”

“And we don’t even have to worry about repercussions! The

humans of Sea-Sealing County... are doomed to be overthrown!”

“The Swordsage Courts everywhere else are also under siege. By

the way, everyone, I have some good news. I have a confirmed
report that the humans of Sea-Sealing County on the northern and
western fronts are in really bad shape! Their defense could
collapse at any moment!”

“Break open this spell formation! We’ll kill all the swordsages and
tear down Mount Daybreak!”

As the demonic, animalistic howls filled the air, the spell formation
rippled, and intense killing intent surged out from the nonhumans.
Rumbling booms filled the air, and the light of magical techniques
glowed. Huge magical devices were being used to assault Mount
Daybreak’s spell formation.

Inside Mount Daybreak were a few dozen swordsages. All of them

looked like they were ready to fight to the death as they faced the
sole Nascent Soul swordsage present.

The Nascent Soul cultivator looked off toward the distant

battlefields to the west and north, and quietly said, “We’ll stand our
ground and die together if we must.”

His voice was soft, but full of conviction.

Chapter 490: Shamelessly Reaping Without
Sowing!

In the depths of the massive lake, the spot where the god’s finger
made īts possession attempt was now unnaturally silent. The
mutagen levels were very high, causing everything to ripple and
distort as it gradually turned into a forbidden region.

The source of that forbidden region was a huge figure standing in

the depths. It was 900 meters tall and looked like some type of
devilish god. It was completely naked, without any clothing.
Swirling mist surrounded it, making it look almost dead. However,
countless faintly glimmering magical symbols could be seen on its
skin, causing it to pulse with an ancient aura that seemed alive.
That figure seemed like a mountain, with shoulders broad enough
to prop up the dome of heaven. It was perfectly proportioned, with
a bewitching face. Within the mutagen and mist, it seemed
profoundly nefarious. It also seemed fatally attractive.

As time passed, the devilish god began to glow with seven-colored

light. At first, it was weak. But it gradually grew more dazzling, until
finally, that devilish god’s body seemed extremely holy. And then
the nefariousness and the holiness combined with each other.

Some time passed, and the huge body shivered. Then it started
dissolving.
It started with the head, then the neck. After that, the limbs. It
almost looked like a person taking off a suit of armor. Countless
tendrils of flesh sucked inward to Xu Qing’s real body.

Before long, all of the exterior flesh and blood was back inside,
and the 900-meter-tall devilish god body had vanished. Xu Qing
opened his eyes. At first, he looked a bit confused. Everything that
had just occurred was inside his sea of consciousness, and now
that he was waking up, it almost seemed like a dream.

The moment he opened his eyes, he coughed up a huge mouthful

of black blood. He wasn’t injured. Instead, he felt something
brimming inside of him. And he felt a fleshly body power that vastly
surpassed anything from before. As the feeling surged within him,
he struggled to control his breathing. And the confused look in his
eyes resolved into clarity.

“My body...” he murmured. After sensing himself, his spirits lifted.

His body felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. After a
few breaths of time passed, his eyes glittered brightly. Then he
burst into motion, causing a piercing boom as he suddenly moved
hundreds of meters in the blink of an eye.

It was an astonishing level of speed. Left behind him was a string

of slowly fading afterimages.

I’m so fast.
Based on what he could sense, his fleshly body was at least three
times stronger than before. Eyes shining, he launched an
experimental punch with his right hand. He used no magical
technique, just fleshly body power. And as a result, a vortex
opened up, rumbling loudly, surrounded by a destructive tempest.
It destroyed anything it touched.

Xu Qing’s pupils constricted, and his heart started pounding.

Clearly, his body was very different compared to before. He was
faster and stronger, but also, a lot tougher. And his attack power
was very different. In a very short time, he had experienced a
heaven-shaking, earth-toppling transformation. His fleshly body
level had changed.

As his heart raced in his chest, he released his taboo poison,

causing it to fill his body and test how well he could sustain godly
power.

Soon he realized that the taboo poison was deeply fused with his
body. In the past, releasing the taboo poison would cause his own
flesh to corrode. Thankfully, he had built up a resistance, so the
effects weren’t too bad. Combined with the powers of the violet
crystal, he could maintain an equilibrium. But that was only short-
term. If he used the taboo poison for a long time, the effects could
be calamitous. As of now, though, that didn’t seem to be
happening at all. His body seemed fully acclimated to the power of
the taboo poison.
His mood lifted as he did some tests with the violet moon. Soon,
he discovered that he was much more able to deal with the violet
moon’s power as well. Apparently, this body really had been built
with the intention of being able to use the power of a god.

“A god body...” he murmured.

He tested out some more of his magical techniques, and before

long, confirmed that this fleshly body upgrade affected every
aspect of himself. The good fortune he was experiencing left him
feeling very excited. It was sort of like reaping without sowing.

This is what happens when I take really big risks! Of course, this
isn’t truly the body of a god....

Xu Qing could remember the 900-meter-tall external shell from

earlier. By casting his senses into himself, he could see a large
number of golden threads. They seemed infinite, filling every part
of him, and all of them pulsed with a very holy sensation. He could
tell they were harmless, and also that he could control them. That
said, the method of control wasn’t magical techniques or
cultivation base. It was only by tapping into the power of the taboo
poison and the essence of the violet moon that he could do so.
Also, he couldn’t use them to form that same exterior shell as
before.

It seems that the 900-meter-tall exterior shell was the real god
body. Unfortunately, I can’t make it again right now.... Obviously, it
was because he didn’t have enough godly power.

That was the body the god’s finger had prepared. Xu Qing next
scanned his tenth heavenly palace in his sea of consciousness.

Within the cells in D-132, the blood-colored finger rested alone,

sleeping. However, apparently because of being so lonely, īt
wasn’t sleeping soundly, but rather, stirred occasionally.

Sadly I have no control. But one day, I should be able to use the
violet crystal to completely seal it. Then I’ll be in control just as I’m
in control of the shadow.

Xu Qing did not feel bound to stick by the words he had spoken
earlier to the finger. It was just like the time his Master had taken
him along to prepare his special technique. Master Seventh took
him to many sects to look through their secret magical techniques.
When they left each sect, Master Seventh taught Xu Qing how to
bow and offer respects. That way, if they met as enemies, they
could kill them with a clean conscience. This was a similar
situation. Xu Qing felt that what his Master had said made sense,
and therefore, he clasped hands and bowed. Though there was
nothing in front of him to bow to, Xu Qing felt that the sincerity in
his heart was the most important thing. As long as he was being
sincere, it was the same as actually bowing in thanks to the god’s
finger. It was the type of logic Master Seventh had taught to Xu
Qing, and he agreed with it. [1]
However, he still needed to make sure that the finger slept
peacefully, so after bowing, he looked around. After sensing his
next objective, he blurred into motion, becoming another string of
afterimages.

His destination was an unrolled scroll painting. The painting had

once been filled with a large family, but now the only person left
was an old man. His expression was one of terror, and that was
because he wasn’t alone. He was the only person left, but there
was also a vicious bluegreen dragon next to him with its mouth
wide open.

Xu Qing looked coldly at the painting, reached out, and made a

grasping gesture. The painting flew up into his hand. When the
bluegreen dragon sensed him, it flew out.

Looking at Xu Qing, it roared, then let loose a loud belch. Finally, it

returned to the sixth heavenly palace inside Xu Qing.

“Get the hell out of there!” Xu Qing said coolly, looking into the
painting.

The bluegreen dragon knew he wasn’t talking to it, so it settled

down quietly.

Inside the painting, Sir Inkwell shivered with fear. However, he

didn’t dare to ignore Xu Qing, so he emerged from inside the
painting. After taking human form, he floated in front of Xu Qing,
looking terrified.
Shivering uncontrollably, he cautiously asked, “Sir... sir, are you
the god favored by heaven, or are you the jailer?”

He really wasn’t able to tell exactly who he was dealing with.

Face expressionless, Xu Qing sent some divine will to the shadow.

The shadow immediately rose up from the ground, pulsing with a

terrifying aura, looking completely ferocious with bared teeth and
flexing claws. Despite its ferocious appearance, the shadow was
actually feeling very scared. When Xu Qing had been in danger of
being possessed, the shadow had been hiding. The truth was that
it had harbored some hope that the violet crystal might end up
being broken by the god....

If that happened, the shadow might have a chance at freedom.

But when the violet crystal erupted with power, and the god’s
finger moaned in agony, the shadow had become filled with terror
and despair.

That said, regardless of anything, it didn’t want to die. Therefore, it

put on a show of being completely devoted and loyal. It loudly
salivated as all of its countless eyes glared at Sir Inkwell. Then it
growled a bit, like a vicious dog.

When Sir Inkwell saw the shadow like that, his face fell.

“Y-y-you’re... you’re the jailer!! How is that even possible? Weren’t

you being possessed by the god’s finger? How could a godly
possession have failed?”

Sir Inkwell trembled violently. He recognized the shadow. After all,

the shadow had shown a lot of interest in him back in D-132. [2]

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light, and the shadow

understood what he wanted. Acting like the vicious dog, the
shadow lunged forward and sunk its teeth into Sir Inkwell. An
agonized shriek echoed out from the old Paintedfolk’s mouth.

Xu Qing ignored him as he next went to the head and stone lion.
The two of them had still not recovered yet, so though they wanted
to flee, they couldn’t. The stone lion’s legs had not grown back,
while the head was only half complete. Upon seeing Xu Qing
moments ago, they had both begun trembling. Just like Sir Inkwell,
they hadn’t been sure if he was or wasn’t Xu Qing. But then they
heard Sir Inkwell’s voice, and they realized what was going on.
And that filled them with intense terror.

“That god’s possession failed? Holy crap....”

Then the head noticed the bedraggled state of Sir Inkwell and his
painting.

“Congratulations, exalted one!” he gushed fawningly. “Great job!

Your humble servant guessed earlier that the shifty god wouldn’t
be a match for you, sir. And that old fart Sir Inkwell obviously was
being as treacherous as ever. Exalted one, you can consign him to
eternal damnation by hardly lifting your finger! Your humble
servant really is extremely excited. We’re finally getting our D-132
reunion!”

Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior suddenly whooshed out of Xu

Qing’s bag of holding.

“Milord, that’s nothing but villainous poppycock! That head seems

like it’s being ingratiating, but look at the way its eyes roll when it
talks! That makes it obvious the thing is planning its escape. Just
like Little Shadow, these people are all traitors to the core. Milord,
the moment anything goes wrong, they’ll turn on you. They’d love
to see you suffer! My humble advice is to thoroughly crush them!”

The head cast a venomous glare in the direction of the black iron
skewer, and was about to offer a retort. Before it could, Xu Qing
waved his hand in the direction of the head. Instantly, his tenth
heavenly palace appeared, and a violet glow covered the blood-
red light within it.

The moment D-132 appeared, the head’s jaw dropped and its
eyes went wide with disbelief.

“You wanted a reunion, right?” Xu Qing said calmly. “Get inside.”

1. Master Seventh taught Xu Qing to offer respects to enemies in

chapter 304. ☜

2. The shadow showed interest in Sir Inkwell in chapter 410. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to infinitywulf for the review!

Thank you to infinitywulf for the review!
Chapter 491: Someone in a Euphoria Iris

Xu Qing’s voice contained not even a hint of emotion.

When his words echoed into the head’s ears, the head shivered
even more intensely than before. Never could it have ever
imagined that its talk about a reunion would actually come true.
This development left it completely flabbergasted.

Off to the side, Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior felt superlatively

excited as he urged, “Go on! Get inside!”

The head looked like it was really about to start crying, and was
about to say something when Xu Qing waved his hand. A scream
echoed out as the head tumbled into D-132 and back into its same
old cell. Once inside, the head sensed the presence of the finger,
and it let loose an agonized shriek.

“Th-th-this....”

Before it could even react, light glittered as the stone lion also flew
into its old cage in D-132, where it landed with a thump and turned
into a cloud troll. After looking around blankly, it spun until its back
was to the door, then started eating its own tentacles. Apparently
that was the only way it could pacify itself. However, every time it
plucked off a tentacle, that tentacle turned into a head. Clearly, it
was not very happy about the head’s so-called ‘reunion.’
When the head saw that, it started crying.

Before many tears could fall, light glittered again in D-132, and Sir
Inkwell appeared. In order to make sure the god’s finger had
familiar surroundings, Xu Qing didn’t want to kill the old
Paintedfolk. Instead, he would keep him in D-132. He had bite
marks all over him as he stood looking around mutely at D-132.
His cell felt very familiar. Then he heard the head weeping, and
saw the god’s finger sleeping. He looked dazed.

“And thus, the D-132 reunion begins,” Xu Qing said, his voice
echoing within the tenth heavenly palace.

The head wept. The stone lion chewed. Sir Inkwell trembled. And
the god’s finger had apparently found the familiarity īt sought, for īt
slept very soundly.

Having accomplished these things, Xu Qing paid no further

attention to his tenth heavenly palace. Instead, he looked in the
direction of Mount Daybreak, and started moving. Previously, he
hadn’t been capable of long-term travel on the surface of the
Abyssal Sea. But things were different with this new body.

In that matter, time slipped by slowly but surely.

A day later, when he was about two days away from Mount
Daybreak, Xu Qing suddenly slowed down as he realized he had
caught wind of someone crying for help. With his previous body,
his senses were not so acute. It went to show how extraordinary
he was now.

By paying attention closely, he could make out what this person

was saying.

“Help... can someone help... help me....”

The voice sounded weak. At the same time, it caused Xu Qing’s

eyebrows to shoot up as he realized it was a familiar voice. After
some thought, he realized who it was.

“Ning Yan?”

Surprised, Xu Qing looked around at the pitch-black waters of the

Abyssal Sea and thought back to when they had all teleported
away from the Ten Entrails Tree. He hadn’t seen Ning Yan since
that event. [1]

Could it be that the sun winds here interrupted his teleportation

path and caused him to drop down in this area? Then he ran into
some sort of trouble, and that’s why he never made it back to the
county capital?

Curious, Xu Qing started moving in the direction of the voice.

About an hour later, he found its source. Deep beneath the surface
of the Abyssal Sea, he saw an enormous, beautiful flower, right in
the middle of blooming.

It was a euphoria iris.

The flower was some dozens of meters in size, and had a host of
colorful petals that swayed rhythmically. What was more, there
were hundreds of stamens swaying about, and at the end of each
was a nonhuman woman. The stamens didn’t extend above the
surface. Instead, they clustered around the flower, their
expressions joyful as they continuously absorbed something. Right
in the middle of the flower and its countless swaying petals lay a
figure.

It was Ning Yan. His clothing was tattered, and he was gasping for
breath. He looked shriveled to the point of being skeletal. His
listless eyes seemed dazed and lifeless as he looked at the
surrounding nonhuman women absorbing him. He occasionally
shivered, and as he seemed to grow weaker and weaker, he
would occasionally cry out.

“Help... help....”

The euphoria iris was a unique type of flower native to Daybreak

Prefecture, and Xu Qing had seen one on his travels. He had also
been told by the head that even strong men would only last four or
five breaths of time before being turned into a desiccated corpse.
Not even Gold Core experts would last for very long. The flower’s
unique ability was to turn the ends of its stamens into beautiful
members of the opposite sex, who would then attract victims.

An odd expression appeared on Xu Qing’s face as he looked at

the huge euphoria iris. This flower seemed smaller than the one
he’d seen on his travels, although this one seemed much more
attractive.

The women on the ends of the stamens had flushed faces and
seemed extremely flirtatious. Clearly, Ning Yan was providing them
with abundant nutrients.

If Ning Yan was really teleported here... then he’s been stuck for a
long time! I can’t believe he’s still alive! Xu Qing thought back to
everything that happened at the Ten Entrails Tree, and had to
admit that the Captain’s intuition was really on point. There’s
definitely something very unusual about this guy.

After some thought, he decided that he should save the skeletal

Ning Yan. After all, he was a good tool in his and the Captain’s
arsenal, and was relatively easy to make use of. Just leaving him
to die here would be a big pity.

Face calm, he strode forward. As he neared, the euphoria iris

could sense the impending danger. Shivering, it sent its stamens
away from Ning Yan and toward Xu Qing, where they gnashed
their teeth and made threatening noises.

Xu Qing just got closer.

Seeing that, the euphoria iris belched out a pink mist that roiled
forth. At the same time, it uprooted itself to flee.
Meanwhile, the stamens swished to block Xu Qing’s path. Before
they could even get close to him, the ones in the lead screamed in
agony as their skin melted, turning into black goo that dripped
down.

Xu Qing noticed that with some intrigue. Only now was he

realizing that, after his transformation, his taboo poison took effect
even more quickly than before. Pondering that, he continued
forward. As he proceeded, the stamens melted. The beautiful,
nonhuman faces filled with terror as they backed up, trembling.
From their expressions, they clearly didn’t want him getting close
to them.

It was a familiar sensation to Xu Qing. It made him think back to

when he’d pushed the violet crystal close to his heavenly palaces,
or when the god’s finger had experienced something similar. Xu
Qing frowned. He actually didn’t like this scene. So he stamped his
foot down, sending out a ripple that exploded the stamens.

The only thing left behind was the euphoria iris itself, which
shivered in terror.

Pleased, Xu Qing walked onto the flower, past its many petals,
and picked up the emaciated Ning Yan.

Ning Yan was virtually naked. Looking up at Xu Qing with pleading

eyes, he said, “Elder Brother Xu Qing? What are you doing
here...? Help... help me....”
When Xu Qing saw the extent to which Ning Yan had been
tormented, he sighed inwardly. It was just further evidence of the
horrors this world could inflict. Taking out some medicinal pills, he
fed them to Ning Yan. He also took out a new set of clothing for
him. Then he helped him out of the euphoria iris. Once they were
some distance away, and the euphoria iris was melting in a cloud
of poison, a scream echoed out. Behind them was nothing but a
mass of black sludge.

The moment the euphoria iris died, Ning Yan shivered. Then he
seemed to recover to a degree. He looked back in the direction of
the euphoria iris, mixed emotions on his face.

Xu Qing was actually shocked by the look on his face after he

regained his senses. “You miss it?”

“No...” Ning Yan said, shivering. He looked at Xu Qing with eyes

full of gratitude. “Elder Brother Xu Qing, you saved my life. I, Ning
Yan, will never forget this! But what are you doing here...?”

“What are you doing here?” Xu Qing replied calmly. Most

importantly, he wanted to know if Ning Yan had ever realized it
was Xu Qing back at the Ten Entrails Tree. That said, it didn’t
really matter either way. The four of them had all been involved in
that incident, so if word got out, it would be bad for all of them.

“Huh?” Ning Yan said hesitantly. “Elder Brother Xu Qing, I came

here to Daybreak Prefecture on a mission. But then I got snagged
by that damned euphoria iris. I was trapped for so long....”

“So you don’t know about what’s happening in Sea-Sealing

County?” Xu Qing asked.

Ning Yan looked surprised. He had no idea what was happening

outside. Actually, Xu Qing’s earlier guess was correct. Ning Yan
had been teleported here, and had been unable to make his way
out. Then he ran into the euphoria iris. At first, the euphoria iris
had been just a tiny plant. Almost ordinary in nature. But as time
passed, it grew larger and larger. Stronger and stronger. And... no
matter how Ning Yan tried to free himself, he failed.

Xu Qing got the answer he needed just by looking at Ning Yan’s

facial expression.

So, he never guessed that it was me....

Without another word, he started moving again.

Ning Yan hesitated. He had always been afraid of Xu Qing, but for
some reason, he now felt even more afraid; he could sense that
Xu Qing was actually stronger than before. After a moment, he
cautiously started following.

Finally, he asked, “Elder Brother Xu Qing... where are we going?”

“To Mount Daybreak.”

Time passed, and Xu Qing and Ning Yan eventually got closer to
Mount Daybreak.

***

The critical situation at Mount Daybreak was reaching a head.

Whistling sounds filled heaven and earth as numerous black
spikes shot toward Mount Daybreak and slammed into the spell
formation. The shockwaves from the attacks sent rumbling sounds
everywhere.

From the look of it, there were now thousands of black spikes
piercing into the spell formation. Because of them, Mount
Daybreak’s spell formation had deep cracks all over it.

It obviously wasn’t going to last for much longer.

1. The last time we saw Ning Yan was when they all teleported off
the Ten Entrails Tree in chapter 458. ☜
Chapter 492: Multicolored Light Shakes a
Horde of Devils

Outside of Mount Daybreak, every spike that whistled through the

air contained explosively destructive power. And they had an
unusually restrictive effect on spell formations. When they stabbed
into the defensive spell formation, they created black lightning
bolts that slowly connected. Though Mount Daybreak’s spell
formation was very powerful, even it was being slowly weakened.

“It’s gonna blow soon!”

“Hahaha! Keep it up, everyone!”

“After it blows, we’ll charge in, kill everyone, loot the place, then
tear down the mountain!”

This attack on Mount Daybreak was obviously the result of careful

planning. At the moment, there were over a thousand cultivators
involved in the siege. Roughly eighty former prisoners from the
Corrections Division formed the core of the operation. The others
were rogue cultivators and random hoodlums that had been
recruited to help. There were also clues indicating that some of the
major nonhuman species in Daybreak Prefecture were secretly
backing the effort. That was especially true of the spikes being
used on the formation. They were not a weapon that ordinary
cultivators would have access to; only a major species would be
able to provide them.

In terms of the cultivation level of the besieging forces, most of

them were in Foundation Establishment or Gold Core. There were
only three Nascent Soul cultivators present.

Of those, two were male and one was female. All were
nonhumans. One of the males had scales covering his face, while
the other had four arms. The female was middle-aged, with a
second face on her forehead. That second face was charming and
pretty, making her overall appearance grotesque. In terms of
cultivation base, the fluctuations they emitted made their level of
strength obvious. The woman was in the mid Nascent Soul stage
while the two men were in the early stage. All three were prisoners
who had escaped from Unit C in the Corrections Division, and they
were also the ones leading the siege. It was with very cold eyes
that they looked down at Mount Daybreak from high in the air.

“The skeleton crew left behind by the Swordsage Court hasn’t

called for backup. And they even sent orders to the other human
sects nearby to not send aid! Things aren’t going exactly as
predicted....”

“We didn’t make the predictions. The major species backing us

did. I’d say this cooperation of ours is going quite well. Since
there’s been a bit of a twist... let’s clean this place out and figure
things out later!”
“Agreed. I’ve been wanting to taste swordsage flesh for a long
time now.”

Chuckling viciously, the three Nascent Soul nonhumans sent out

orders for more black spikes to be loaded into the magical
devices, and for the assault on the formation to be intensified.

Shockwaves rippled out, shaking Mount Daybreak.

***

The skeleton crew left behind was made up of only a few dozen
swordsages. As they felt the mountain shaking beneath their feet,
their faces flickered with fury. They all knew that there was no
hope of defending Mount Daybreak successfully.

There was no backup on the way. There couldn’t be any backup

on the way.

The majority of the forces from Mount Daybreak, and from

humankind in general, had been sent to the front lines in the west
and north. All taboo treasures were in the control of the county
capital. Everything was focused on defending against the Holytide
invasion of Sea-Sealing County. Because of that, there was
nothing left to provide aid to the interior.

The only backup available was in the various human sects in

Daybreak Prefecture that were currently on lockdown.
It was a big shock to find that these despicable criminals had
magical devices that could target spell formations. That said, they
had obviously been using them sporadically, as if giving Mount
Daybreak a chance to call for help.

Among the group of a few dozen swordsages was a Nascent Soul

expert who was obviously their leader. It was possible to see the
conviction of his swordsage oath in his eyes as he said, “This
siege of Mount Daybreak is obviously about more than the
Swordsage Court. They want us to call for backup. If we did that,
then the major human organizations in Daybreak Prefecture would
all have to open their defenses to come to our aid. These villains
want to use Mount Daybreak as bait!

“That’s why I haven’t asked for any help from anyone. In fact, I’ve
taken advantage of the lulls in their attacks to notify all human
sects in Daybreak Prefecture that they absolutely, positively must
not try to help us in any way! We’re going to fight this battle
without any hope of backup.

“I don’t have the authority to call on the taboo treasure net in the
sky. The main battle is too significant. Humankind as a whole is
more important, and things look bad right now....

“However, I trust the palace lord! Humankind will definitely come

out on top in this war for Sea-Sealing County. We here might fall in
battle, but humans as a whole will rise victorious! And afterward,
every nonhuman organization backing this despicable siege will
suffer the fate of complete extermination!”

The Nascent Soul expert’s eyes were bloodshot as he made his

speech, and the other swordsages surrounding him were clearly
ready to fight to the death.

***

A massive boom echoed out in all directions. The Abyssal Sea

vibrated, and all the mountain ranges shook. Mount Daybreak’s
grand spell formation had collapsed!

The demonic villains and devilish rogues that had been

surrounding the mountain let loose greedy howls as they surged
forth in attack.

The handful of swordsages there to defend Mount Daybreak also

charged forward. Magical devices installed in the mountain were
activated, sending out blinding beams of light.

The battle had begun.

The magical devices could unleash astonishing power, making it

impossible for the first wave of attackers to advance very far. But
the enemy had prepared well. A moment later, the three Nascent
Soul nonhumans made their move, causing a huge screen of light
to descend from above.
That light came from a magical treasure given to them by the
nonhuman species backing this event. It turned into a huge palm
print that dropped onto Mount Daybreak and crushed all of the
defensive magical devices. Popping sounds rang out left and right
as the magical devices crumbled. Rumbling sounds filled heaven
and earth as the second and third wave of rogue cultivators and
random hoodlums raced forward. A major crisis was building.

Seeing what was happening caused a look of madness to fill the

Nascent Soul swordsage’s eyes. Shouting a battle cry, he fought
back along with the dozens of swordsages at his side. However,
their counterattack seemed like a little sailboat fighting back
against a burst dam. It just wasn’t enough. In the blink of an eye,
they sustained heavy injuries, causing blood to spray from their
mouths.

The Nascent Soul swordsage sustained a combined attack from

the three Nascent Soul nonhumans, leaving him badly hurt.

However, there wasn’t a scrap of regret or pain on his face. Eyes

radiating madness, he backed up a bit, along with the other
swordsages. When he looked around at the grief and indignation
in the eyes of the other swordsages, his expression became even
fiercer. He took out a transmission jade slip.

“All human sects in Daybreak Prefecture, this is Sun Hai from the
Swordsage Court on Mount Daybreak. This is my final message to
all of you....
“Do not send us any help! Your job is to stay safe in your spell
formations, and wait... for humankind to rise to victory! When that
happens, report what happened today to the Swordsage Palace!

“Any species involved in this attack, whether rogue cultivators or

not, and any species backing them, shall be sent to hell. And I,
Sun Hai, will be waiting for them there, with all of my fellow
swordsages at my side today!

“Swordsages are pledged to defend humankind, even if we die in

the process!” [1]

Sun Hai laughed heartily. The surrounding swordsages, despite

being in a situation of complete despair, also joined him in
laughing. When their laughter reached the ears of the enemy
rogue cultivators, their killing intent burned, and they charged
forward with increased rage.

Just when things seemed completely hopeless for the

swordsages....

A piercing cry that could shake heaven and earth erupted from the
direction of the Abyssal Sea. The fog and water roiled as a huge
golden crow with a wingspan of hundreds of meters rose up,
surrounded by a sea of fire. Bursting with a spectacular aura, it
shot toward Mount Daybreak. The golden crow glittered with black
light, and from within the boundless sea of fire around it, more
than a hundred tails swirled, releasing a terrifying aura.
Even more notable was a small figure seated cross-legged on its
head, clad in an imperial robe, with an imperial crown on its head.
That tiny figure’s eyes were ice cold. It seemed threatening without
being angry, and pulsed with a massive killing intent along with
Nascent Soul fluctuations.

As the golden crow let loose its cry, the tiny figure got to its feet,
and together, they erupted with a spirit that could conquer
mountains and rivers.

In response to this unexpected event, the nonhuman cultivators

assaulting Mount Daybreak looked over their shoulders with
shocked looks. That was especially true of the three Nascent Soul
criminals, whose pupils constricted.

The middle-aged woman with the mid Nascent Soul stage

cultivation base looked over with narrowed eyes.

“Jiaolin,” she said coldly, “go slaughter that golden crow!” [2]

The moment the words left her mouth, the Nascent Soul
nonhuman with the scaled face turned, his eyes flickering with
killing intent. Calling to a handful of other cultivators to come with
him, he flew to meet the golden crow.

Meanwhile, the swordsages on Mount Daybreak were visibly

surprised. That was especially true of the Nascent Soul
swordsage.
“Stay away!” he shouted anxiously. “I don’t care who you are, just
get out of here! Run!”

However, even as he shouted those words, the group that had

split off from the main attacking force to block the golden crow...
suddenly found themselves in darkness. An evening glow of
sunset had been covered over!

The entire sky had turned pitch black, as if it had turned into an
ocean of darkness. And it was just barely possible to spot a
bluegreen dragon swirling above, howling, its draconic whiskers
floating around it. As it moved, it unleashed heaven-shaking,
earth-shattering fluctuations. The mighty pressure it exuded
weighed down on the rogue cultivators with such crushing force
that all of them vomited.

Then Mount Daybreak trembled violently as all of the weaker

cultivators in the criminal army suddenly shivered and exploded.
Miserable shrieks rang out as they were destroyed in body and
soul.

As the canopy of heaven turned dark, countless eyes appeared,

extremely gruish in appearance. They blinked, and the nonhuman
cultivators’ hearts shivered, leaving them stunned. A red bolt of
lightning appeared, shooting back and forth among the stunned
cultivators, piercing through each of them.
Then, to the astonishment of all of the enemy cultivators, a beam
of light appeared from within the Abyssal Sea. As it shot toward
them, it let loose a piercing sound. It was... daybreak light!

Within that seven-colored light was a person.

He was not dressed in ordinary clothing. Instead, he wore the

white uniform of a swordsage. His eyes were ice-cold and
contained killing intent that could reach the highest heights.

He was none other than Xu Qing.

He had been some distance away, but he had seen Mount

Daybreak’s spell formation collapse. Whether it was because of
his responsibility as a swordsage, or what Mount Daybreak meant
to him personally, there was no way he would allow it to be
desecrated.

Thus, he attacked.

Up above, the Nascent Soul nonhuman with the scales slammed

into the golden crow. The sea of flames raged, intense rumbling
sounds shook everything, and the sound of combat rang out.

Xu Qing glanced there, then looked away. Now that the golden
crow had reached the third stage, it had Nascent Soul battle
prowess. What was more, he didn’t need to control it. Imperial-
class techniques eventually gained their own independent
thinking, which meant the golden crow could handle itself.
Xu Qing accelerated. With the blessing provided by the godly
body, he became a blur that almost instantly reached Mount
Daybreak. The first thing he did was slam into a Gold Core
nonhuman. That cultivator was an extraordinary individual, but all
he could do was scream for a moment before he exploded. As the
mist of blood spread out, Xu Qing emerged from within. A moment
later, he was in front of another Gold Core nonhuman. Before that
cultivator could react, Xu Qing took out a dagger and slashed it
through his throat. The force was such that the head flew off the
shoulders, accompanied by an explosion of blood.

It was a somewhat familiar scene. Eyes cold, Xu Qing leapt

forward, performing an incantation gesture and pointing out.
Daybreak light shot out from him, heading toward the gaping
swordsages.

As it neared, it created a defensive barrier around them. Xu Qing

didn’t have time at the moment for explanations. He simply
unleashed the power of his third heavenly palace.

He was going all out! Given the circumstances, he wasn’t thinking

a lot about keeping secrets. A poison cloud spread, and when it
touched the nonhuman cultivators, they screamed and melted into
bloody sludges. It was a shocking and ghastly scene.

As Xu Qing’s poison spread out, his shadow went crazy. In order

to prove its worth and loyalty, it took advantage of the darkness to
start parasitizing everything it could. It took control of one
nonhuman cultivator after another. To their terror, they found they
couldn’t control their own bodies. They started self-detonating and
killing each other.

Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior was on the killing path as well. In

an attempt to elevate his own position and make himself seem
stronger, he put everything on the line. As a red lightning bolt, he
shot back and forth, causing endless booms and rumbling sounds.

And then there was the heavenly dao bluegreen dragon. As it

exhaled left and right, the power of the magical treasures provided
by the major nonhuman species began to ripple and distort.
Meanwhile, the defensive magical devices on Mount Daybreak
were bolstered by destiny aura. Activating, they started unleashing
devastating attacks.

Deafening booms rang out everywhere. Xu Qing had arrived just

in the nick of time!

1. Sun Hai: Sun is #10 on the list of 100 common surnames. Hai
means “sea, ocean.” Madam Deathblade said this name makes
her think of someone that has “big ambitions and big dreams.”
This is the exact same name as one of the characters in I Shall
Seal the Heavens, who first appeared in chapter 820. I don’t want
to spoil ISSTH for those who haven’t read it, but the Sun Hai in
that novel ended up being an important supporting character. And
he ended up going bald…. That character does not have anything
to do with the Sun Hai in this chapter. ☜
2. Jiaolin: This side character obviously isn’t very important, but it
is noteworthy that “jiao” is the same jiao as in “flood dragon.”
These creatures are notable for their scales, and this guy has
scales. “Jiao” is not a surname, so this doesn’t come across as an
ordinary human name. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to Boiledegg for the review!

Thank you to Boiledegg for the review!

Chapter 493: It Was You! It Was You!!

Xu Qing descended, wreathed in daybreak light. He attacked

ferociously, without holding anything back. He even activated his
Ghost Emperor heavenly palace, causing the extremely terrifying
pressure of the Ghost Emperor mountain to appear above him. It
didn’t crush down in an attack, but rather, emanated shocking
might from above. Its mere existence would strike fear and shock
into the hearts of any enemies who remained hidden or in
disguise, and would cause them to think twice before making an
attack.

Though the Ghost Emperor mountain didn’t ‘join the fight,’ its
presence also caused many of the nonhuman cultivators below to
start crumbling.

But everything so far wasn’t gruish enough. What was truly gruish
was when Xu Qing unleashed the aura of D-132, which caused all
of the invading cultivators to be suddenly overwhelmed with an
aura of misfortune.

That misfortune became immediately evident on the battlefield in

terrifying fashion. Magical techniques suddenly flew in the wrong
direction, and unexpected yet fatal accidents started occurring left
and right. One cultivator slipped up in his attack, ripping the
cultivator next to them to shreds. Another cultivator tripped and fell
right into a puddle of deadly poison. Another person was in the
middle of unleashing a technique when it backfired, killing him.

Astonishment rippled through the ranks of the invading rogue

cultivators. Some of the prisoners among them recognized Xu
Qing, and started crying out.

“He’s a jailer. He’s the Fiendish Xu from Unit D!”

There were two Nascent Soul cultivators still hovering overhead,

and one was the nonhuman with four arms. Shivering, he stared at
Xu Qing and then shrieked, “He’s Xu Qing! A Unit C jailer from the
Corrections Division!”

This particular nonhuman was a prisoner from Unit C, and had

actually been in East District 13, which Xu Qing had been in
charge of.

The middle-aged woman examined Xu Qing briefly. “Who cares

about some puny jailer? He might have some skill, but he can’t
stand up to all of us. The western and northern fronts are all in big
trouble, so there’s no way any top swordsage experts could be
here right now. Everyone join forces to kill this guy! He’s obviously
got a lot of valuable stuff that’s going to be ours now!”

Eyes flashing with killing intent, she shot toward Xu Qing. The
four-armed cultivator gritted his teeth, then followed, his eyes
flashing viciously. Even as he flew through the air, a suit of armor
spread out over him. It was a manifestation of his life essence, and
was incredibly tough. From a distance, it resembled a turtle shell.
Rumbling booms echoed out as the two Nascent Soul cultivators
flew to block Xu Qing’s path.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. Even before he arrived on the scene,

he’d sensed the presence of these Nascent Soul cultivators. He
knew that the strongest of them was in the mid Nascent Soul
stage. However, the biggest threat to him wasn’t these three
individuals.

The biggest threat came from the canopy of heaven.

There were energy fluctuations coming from above that covered

the whole battlefield, and Xu Qing could sense the resulting
pressure.

I can’t tell if that’s a cultivator or something else....

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered coldly. He lifted his right foot, then

stomped it down. Beneath his feet, his shadow transformed into a
coffin that surrounded him, then fused into him.

Instantly, his fleshly body power reached unprecedented heights.

His fleshly body had already been remolded by the god’s finger,
making it many times stronger than before. By combining that
effect with the Shadow Fusion Secret Magic, he could release
terrifying power that far surpassed the Gold Core level.
As the four-armed nonhuman approached and unleashed a
barrage of divine abilities and magical techniques, Xu Qing
completely ignored all that. Moving far, far faster than his
opponent, he closed in, clenched his right hand into a fist, and
launched a punch.

The punch landed, and the four-armed nonhuman’s life essence

turtle shell cracked in numerous places. The nonhuman coughed
up blood like mad as he tumbled backward, eyes shining with
surprise.

Xu Qing was actually a bit taken aback. Based on his assessment,

that punch should have been enough to kill this opponent.

Nonhumans do have a lot of life essence innate abilities... this

villain’s external shell is really tough.

The four-armed nonhuman backed away, his heart filled with

waves of astonishment, and all of his organs trembling on the
verge of collapse. He knew full well how tough his life essence
shell was, so he would never have been able to guess that a
single punch would be enough to nearly destroy it.

“You—”

Before he could say anything else, Xu Qing strode forward and

launched a second punch. In response, the middle-aged woman
with the charming face on her forehead lunged to intervene.
Hands flashing in an incantation gesture, she summoned a huge
black umbrella made of mist.

The umbrella had countless charming faces on it that moaned in

an enticing way as the umbrella approached Xu Qing. Then the
charming faces turned vicious as they opened their mouths to
devour him.

Xu Qing’s face remained expressionless. As daybreak light shone

out from him, he shattered the woman’s umbrella, causing all of
the vicious faces to scream as they collapsed. The middle-aged
woman was then forced into retreat. Daybreak light was like a
precious treasure that could resist even the power of a god. To it,
simple magical techniques were things that could easily be wiped
out of existence. That was one of the terrifying things about that
type of light.

Everything happened so quickly that, even as the middle-aged

woman’s face flickered with surprise, Xu Qing blurred into motion
toward the fleeing four-armed nonhuman.

The four-armed cultivator resorted to a minor teleportation to gain

some distance. However, the enemy’s suppressive spell formation
didn’t just apply to Mount Daybreak. Everyone was affected.
Teleportations couldn’t go very far, and therefore, Xu Qing
managed to close the distance and launch another fist strike.
It was a moment of deadly crisis, and the four-armed cultivator’s
expression was one of deep madness. Stopping in place, he
turned and put his four hands together into one big fist attack. As
for his species, they had innate abilities focused on fleshly body
power. In other words, his biggest trump card wasn’t a magical
technique, but rather, his own fleshly body. Right now, he was
putting everything on the line, tapping into all his strength to fight
back. In fact, two nascent souls appeared behind him, further
bolstering him.

That said, it wasn’t even possible to compare his fleshly body to

Xu Qing. That’s how far apart they were. When they slammed into
each other, the four-armed nonhuman’s fists couldn’t stand up to
the force. The flesh was shredded, the bones shattered, and the
arms were broken. As the nonhuman tumbled backward, the
effects spread to the rest of him, and his entire body exploded.

One of his nascent souls was caught up and shredded to pieces.

The lone surviving nascent soul screamed in terror and fled in the
opposite direction.

Xu Qing was about to give chase when the middle-aged woman

gritted her teeth and performed a double-handed incantation
gesture. Instantly, the charming face on her forehead blurred and
switched places with her existing face. Afterwards, she was a
charming woman who looked at Xu Qing, opened her mouth, and
exhaled a red mist.
The mist contained a powerful emotional longing; anyone who the
mist hit would be attacked by their own emotions, and would
suddenly want to yield to the woman. This was the technique she
had used to make a name for herself. Over the years, she had
used it to enslave quite a few experts who were in the same level
as herself.

But today, she was dealing with Xu Qing.

Xu Qing didn’t even look at the red mist. He pointed his right
finger, and a projection of a violet moon appeared above the mist.

The red mist seethed, and frantic fluctuations rolled out from it. A
thump rang out as it exploded. The woman’s face fell, and blood
sprayed out of her mouth. Then her face turned a shade of violet,
and her expression became vicious, as if she were dealing with an
internal attack.

Not slowing down at all, Xu Qing chased after the four-armed

cultivator’s nascent soul.

“Why are you only attacking me??” the four-armed cultivator

howled in despair.

Xu Qing didn’t bother wasting time trying to determine if the

cultivator’s voice contained some sound-based magical technique.
The daybreak light around him rippled, and then he waved his
hand in a slapping attack. The eyes of the four-armed nonhuman’s
nascent soul went wide. There was no way he could evade an
attack like this in his current form. A boom rang out as he was
killed in body and soul.

Meanwhile, the golden crow let loose another cry before devouring
the nonhuman with the scales. The horrifying chewing sounds that
echoed out shook all the remaining cultivators to the core.

Two Nascent Soul experts were already dead. It was such a

crushing blow to the invading force that the surrounding villains’
hearts crumbled. They lost any desire to do battle, and madly
scattered in all directions. These people had basically been a
disorganized mob to begin with, so it was no surprise at all that
they quickly lost the will to fight.

What was more, as Xu Qing’s poison spread, more cultivators

screamed in agony. That made the rest of them think of Xu Qing
as being the most vicious and fiendish opponent imaginable.

As for the middle-aged woman who had tried unsuccessfully to do

something about Xu Qing, she was also fleeing, her expression
extremely somber, her heart aghast. She could tell that this person
wasn’t in the Nascent Soul level, but rather, was in pseudo-
Nascent Soul. But his battle prowess was frightful and almost
unbelievable. In fact, she had never encountered someone like
this in her entire life.

Ning Yan was also present on the battlefield. Though he was

fighting ferociously, when he saw everything Xu Qing was doing,
he shivered.

That’s not Gold Core... it’s too powerful!

After slaughtering the four-armed cultivator, Xu Qing turned his full

attention to the middle-aged woman. Eyes burning with killing
intent, he was about to start chasing her when his expression
flickered.

He suddenly shot backward toward Ning Yan. Before Ning Yan

could react, Xu Qing reached out and slapped his belly.

Ning Yan’s garment burst open, and the green vines he had been
working so hard to conceal were revealed. Xu Qing grabbed them.

Ning Yan’s jaw dropped.

Meanwhile, the area Xu Qing had just vacated collapsed, and a

black hand appeared out of nowhere. It was a sneak attack that
had failed. However, it sent a terrible shockwave rolling out as a
figure with two black wings emerged. The fluctuations of the late
Nascent Soul stage rolled out as the figure shot toward Xu Qing,
leaving a string of afterimages behind it.

“Die!”

As the dark figure neared, Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light,
and he tugged at the vines. Ning Yan was then thrown out in front
of Xu Qing to block the enemy.
A boom echoed out as the shadowy figure slammed into Ning Yan.
It was followed by a cold harrumph as the figure backed away and
looked at Ning Yan in disbelief.

Ning Yan didn’t have a scratch on him, and he was so shocked he

didn’t even think to let loose a howl of grief. He just stared at the
vines coming out of his belly, and then followed them to Xu Qing.
His eyes went wide. Then he let loose an extremely brutal scream
that could shake heaven and earth.

“Y-y-you...? I can’t believe it was YOU!!!”

Deathblade's ThoughtsThe

The
Chapter 494: Xu Qing is Hereby Assigned
to Represent the Palace Lord! (1)

Xu Qing ignored Ning Yan’s scream of disbelief as he mentally

issued a call, causing the golden crow to fly toward him. Half of it
merged into Xu Qing, while the other half remained outside,
causing 300-meter wings to spread out in a shocking display. Xu
Qing’s aura also skyrocketed, making him pulse with an energy
that could devour mountains and seas. From a distance, the
golden crow surrounding Xu Qing made him look like the
reincarnation of an emperor, descended into the mortal world. He
now pulsed with one-soul, nine-palace strength.

And then there were his fleshly body fluctuations, which also gave
off a Nascent Soul sensation. With that, he had the equivalent of
two-soul, nine-palace battle prowess. Battle prowess like that was
completely unheard-of in the Gold Core level.

Rumbling sounds echoed out everywhere, and the fluctuations

sent out by both sides of the conflict created ripple-like waves that
only served to further spread Xu Qing’s poison. The fleeing rogue
cultivators didn’t even make it past the bounds of Mount Daybreak
before they succumbed. Their screams echoed out over the
Abyssal Sea. The ground was soon covered with puddles of black
sludge. Previously, there had been over a thousand villainous
cultivators. As of now, there were only about forty percent of the
original number, and they were all visibly terrified.

The magical devices of Mount Daybreak were gradually repairing

themselves, and unleashed more destruction. All of the prisoners
in the invading force... knew that the battle was lost.

Xu Qing had come alone. But he had immediately killed two early
Nascent Soul enemies, shocking everyone to the core. At the
same time, the fearsome power of his taboo poison was probably
the most terrifying thing on the battlefield. The term ‘poison
cultivator’ was now the thing of nightmares to the rogue cultivators
who still had their lives.

That said, Xu Qing didn’t let his guard down. Eyes cold, he looked
up at the shadowy figure with the wings. And he kept a firm grip on
the vines growing out of Ning Yan’s belly, ready to jerk him out at
any moment. This shadowy figure was no ordinary Nascent Soul
cultivator. He pulsed with the valiant fluctuations of the late
Nascent Soul stage. And the sneak attack he had just launched
gave Xu Qing a first-hand taste of how incisive he was. This
enemy was very reminiscent of the Demi-Immortals’ immortal
puppets. However, close examination revealed some differences
and deficiencies.

Xu Qing’s eyes shone with cold light as he waved the palace lord’s
command medallion, which gave him control over all of Mount
Daybreak’s magical devices. The weapons all shifted to point at
the shadowy, winged figure.

Xu Qing quickly tried to assess how he stacked up to this enemy.

Just now, killing early Nascent Soul cultivators had been as simple
as turning over his hand. Once a Gold Core cultivator surpassed
ten-palace battle prowess, then they were essentially the same as
a cultivator with a single nascent soul, as long as you excluded
matters of divine abilities, divine sense, and minor teleportations.

But Xu Qing had godsource, which could be used to counter divine

abilities. In terms of the threat of divine sense, he could resist it
with his third-stage golden crow and godsource. When it came to
minor teleportations, Xu Qing’s fleshly body power combined with
the hellspirit bloodwing gave him speed that was roughly
equivalent.

It was for that reason that his first fist strike shattered the innate
ability of the four-armed cultivator, that turtle-like shell. His second
fist strike had then destroyed that cultivator’s fleshly body and one
of his nascent souls. And his final slap had wiped out the final
nascent soul.

That said, not every Nascent Soul cultivator was the same. It was
similar to how some Gold Core cultivators would reach the great
circle when they had six palaces, while for others, it was eight
palaces. And for cultivators with life lamps, the ultimate limit could
be thirteen.
For an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, one-soul was the early
stage, three-souls was the mid stage, five-souls was the late
stage, and six-souls was the great circle.

That four-armed nonhuman’s cultivation base had been

suppressed in the Corrections Division. As a result, though he
might have eventually been able to reach the six-soul level, that
didn’t matter, as he didn’t have time to do that after the prison
break. Therefore, though he seemingly had two-soul power,
making it seem like Xu Qing was fighting someone from a higher
cultivation realm, the reality was a bit different. The four-armed
cultivator was so weak that Xu Qing was able to easily crush him.

If Xu Qing had to fight an ordinary mid-Nascent Soul enemy, killing

them would be quite difficult. For instance, when fighting the
injured three-soul Chu Tianqun, Xu Qing had been forced to put
his life on the line, and also ended up injured more badly than he
ever had been before. Without Ling’er and the violet crystal, he
would have died.

Now, after having his body remolded by the god’s finger, he had
made up for that deficiency. Maybe he couldn’t unleash the true
abilities of a god body, but he was still about three times as strong
as he had previously been in terms of fleshly body. And that gave
him one-soul strength, in other words, the fleshly body of a
Nascent Soul cultivator.
His greatest strength, though, were his defenses. Within his fleshly
body were those countless golden threads that provided terrifying
defensive capabilities to him.

With that combination, he didn’t need to use any magical

techniques to tangle with a three-soul mid-Nascent Soul opponent.
And if he did use magical techniques, then he could kill a four-soul
expert without risk of injury.

When it came to a five-soul enemy, if Xu Qing held nothing back in

the fight, he wasn’t sure what the result would be. In all likelihood,
he wouldn’t be able to harm his opponent, while his opponent
wouldn’t be able to touch him.

My fleshly body attacks are equivalent to the one-soul level. My

golden crow adds a nascent soul, while my nine palaces are also
equivalent to the one-soul level. That alone gives me three-soul
strength. Add in my magical techniques, and I can definitely fight
four-soul enemies! My biggest asset is my fleshly body defenses.
With this body, I’m almost untouchable to most Nascent Soul
opponents.

During the fighting just now, Xu Qing had been able to test out his
limitations. Thus, his eyes glittered coldly as he realized that this
shadowy, winged opponent was most likely capable of five-soul
battle prowess.
The middle-aged woman had already flown up next to the winged
nonhuman, her expression one of reverence.

“Boss, this jailer is trouble. When are the species financing this
operation going to make a move? We—”

She suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood. Obviously,

there were areas of rot spreading through her, and she was using
all her strength to only partly suppress the effects. After seeing the
fates of the other cultivators hit by that poison, her terror prompted
her to back out of the fight.

“How amusing,” said the black-winged nonhuman, staring down

coldly at Xu Qing. Seeing that Mount Daybreak’s magical devices
were working again, and that the rogue cultivators were all
scattering, he knew that the battle was lost. What was more, he
got a very strange feeling from Xu Qing. He could sense that Xu
Qing’s fleshly body was out of the ordinary, and also could tell
there was something very odd about the cultivator Xu Qing was
wielding like a weapon. And then there was the humanoid
mountain hovering above that emanated such an astonishing
pressure. Finally, there was the bluegreen dragon in the clouds,
eyeing him. All of these things gave him a very bad feeling. And
that wasn’t even to mention the poison mist spreading out below.

So many gruish techniques.... Plus he has daybreak light, which

makes him even harder to deal with. What’s worse, those cowards
financing this operation won’t dare to make a move openly until
the northern and western fronts collapse. Until then, they’ll only
hide like rats. Therefore....

All of these considerations caused the black-winged nonhuman’s

wariness to build. After glowering briefly at Xu Qing, he grabbed
the middle-aged woman, who was teetering on the verge of
collapse thanks to the poison, then turned and shot off into the
sky. A moment later, he collapsed into a black dot as he used a
minor teleportation to vanish.

His departure signaled the end of the assault on Mount Daybreak.

Xu Qing didn’t give chase. Instead, he dropped down and took

Ning Yan with him to find all of the scattered rogue cultivators. He
attacked viciously and showed no mercy. Before long, blood
flowed in rivers, accompanied by numerous agonized shrieks.

Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior and the shadow helped, as did the
bluegreen dragon.

Only after all the enemies were dead did Xu Qing rein in all his
assets, including the poison mist. Then he removed the daybreak
light shell surrounding the swordsages.

The swordsages all had various injuries, but that did nothing to
cover their expressions of excitement and disbelief. And their eyes
were full of reverence as they clasped hands and bowed in
greeting to Xu Qing.
“Greetings, Secretary-General!”

The old man Sun Hai quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.
“I am your humble servant Sun Hai. Greetings, Secretary-
General!”

Thanks to the uproar amongst the prisoners, all the swordsages

knew who Xu Qing was. What was more, Xu Qing had also
passed along the palace lord’s orders to all swordsages in Sea-
Sealing County, ensuring that his name was already widespread
among the various Swordsage Courts. His title of secretary-
general obviously placed him in a higher position than most
ordinary swordsages, which was why it was entirely proper for Sun
Hai to address himself as ‘humble servant.’

Of course, Sun Hai was more than a little surprised. Having just
recently reached Nascent Soul, he knew exactly how strong the
enemy prisoners had been. Even just the three Nascent Soul
nonhumans who had been part of the initial assault had been too
difficult for him to defend against, and that wasn’t to mention the
final five-soul enemy who showed up at the last minute. To most
ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, a five-soul cultivation base was
a peak level of power. A person like that would be the nucleus of
most ordinary sects and organizations.

Generally speaking, chosen cultivators, as well as ordinary

cultivators with three flames and six palaces, made up the majority
of the cultivators in a sect. After such people reached Nascent
Soul, their limit would be the six-soul level. Given that, it made
sense that five-soul cultivators were nothing to look down on.

Yet Xu Qing had just killed two early-Nascent Soul enemies, and
had even prompted a five-soul expert to simply flee rather than
fight him. That level of battle prowess in a mere Gold Core
cultivator was dazzlingly impressive.

Sun Hai’s assessment of the situation was absolutely correct.

Were it not for Xu Qing choosing to come check on Mount
Daybreak, then the mountain would have been destroyed. Though
it might seem coincidental, the reality was that similar things were
happening across Sea-Sealing County right now.

“News doesn’t reach us in a very timely manner,” Sun Hai said.

“All we know is that, after some defeats on the northern and
western fronts, no less than three Swordsage Courts fell to
treacherous species who got their hands on formation-breaking
devices. Many rogue cultivators were involved in those events.
Thankfully, none of the human sects taking part in the war effort
were implicated.

“There are definitely even more nonhuman species that are part of
the conspiracy, but they won’t show their faces right now. As long
as humankind holds strong on the northern and western fronts,
they won’t dare make an open move against any Swordsage
Court. Their ultimate goal is obvious. They’re hoping to have a
blood tribute ready to pay to the Holytides if their invasion is
successful.

“We can only hope that humankind ends up surviving this

tribulation. Then we can put these traitorous, backstabbing
nonhumans to death!”

Xu Qing stood there looking taciturn. Dawn was breaking, driving

away the darkness of light. As the sun touched Mount Daybreak, it
became incomparably dazzling. The aftermath of the battle didn’t
reduce the splendor of the mountain, and the seven-colored light
was as beautiful as always.

“Everything will be fine,” Xu Qing said softly as the seven-colored

light illuminated him.

Three days later, the spell formation was back in working order.
After it was activated, Xu Qing left Mount Daybreak. He had come
alone, but on his return trip, he had Ning Yan with him. One
reason for leaving so quickly was that he had already found all the
clues he needed. The other reason... was that he had received a
dharmic decree from the palace lord.

“Xu Qing, regardless of the progress on your investigation, I want

you to drop everything and return to the county capital to handle
some matters related to the war.

“The situation on the western and northern fronts is extremely

critical. We need troops, and we need supplies, right away. I’m not
able to go back myself, so I want you to represent me. Work with
the lieutenant governor to handle everything in the county capital!

“The command medallion I gave you will provide you with

complete authorization to act with all my power!”

The palace lord sounded completely exhausted. However, as his

words echoed out, a beam of golden light fell from the net above.
It landed on the command medallion, and cracking sounds rang
out as it was fully activated.

“Yes, sir!” Xu Qing replied somberly. He didn’t ask any questions

about the situation on the battlefield. He could tell from the
dharmic decree that the situation was urgent. The fighting must
have reached an extremely critical juncture. Had it not, the palace
lord wouldn’t have made the arrangement he did. He would have
simply issued orders for troops and supplies however he saw fit.

What was more, the fact that the palace lord told Xu Qing to
abandon the investigation went to show how important the mission
was.

The palace lord doesn’t fully trust anyone. Not Marquis Yao on the
northern front or the two palace lords from the Administration
Palace or the Justice Palace. Not even the lieutenant governor. He
doesn’t trust any of them. That’s why he wants me to handle the
matter of troops and supplies.
It seems like he’s sending me to ‘work with’ the lieutenant
governor, but in reality, I’ll be keeping an eye on things. Most likely,
the palace lord will have other contingencies in place. Other
people helping him.

Feeling very anxious about what was going on, Xu Qing took Ning
Yan and left Mount Daybreak.

Thankfully, this trip hadn’t been a waste. Shortly before the palace
lord’s message arrived on the third day, Xu Qing and Sun Hai
uncovered an important bit of information.

Deathblade's ThoughtsHey everyone. You might remember a few

chapters back (445 specifically) when I standardized a certain
term as "personhood." I also mentioned there were some previous
chapters that used the term, which I would go back and change
later. I've finally gone and done that.Originally, I thought this term
was basically referring to the "substructure, essence, totality" of a
person, weapon, etc. But it's more nuanced than that. If you're
interested in going back to see all the places where I put
"personhood" back where it should be, here is the list. You can just
click to the chapter then search the page for "personhood" to see
how it looks in context.Chapter: , , , , , , , , , .If you want to re-read
the explanation of personhood, check the translator note of
chapter 445.

Hey everyone. You might remember a few chapters back (445

specifically) when I standardized a certain term as "personhood." I
also mentioned there were some previous chapters that used the
term, which I would go back and change later. I've finally gone and
done that.

Originally, I thought this term was basically referring to the

"substructure, essence, totality" of a person, weapon, etc. But it's
more nuanced than that. If you're interested in going back to see
all the places where I put "personhood" back where it should be,
here is the list. You can just click to the chapter then search the
page for "personhood" to see how it looks in context.

Chapter: , , , , , , , , , .

If you want to re-read the explanation of personhood, check the

translator note of chapter 445.
Chapter 494: Xu Qing is Hereby Assigned
to Represent the Palace Lord! (2)

Whenever daybreak light appeared, the spot where it came to

exist would produce a seven-colored powder for about ten years.
From the very beginning, the light cast by that powder would be
weak. It couldn’t be harvested or used, and as time passed, the
light would grow weaker. By the tenth year, there was no light, and
the powder would cease to appear. That would mark the full end of
the phenomena.

These details were actually a big help to Xu Qing.

The important clues he had uncovered didn’t actually come from

the records of the more than seven hundred recorded instances of
daybreak light appearing. Instead, it came from the god’s finger.

Xu Qing had the feeling that if the god’s finger was able to find
some daybreak light that didn’t exist in the records, then it was
possible for the conspirator to do the same.

Therefore, he reached out to the sleeping finger in D-132, and

roused īt. After some kind communication, and some promises
given, he determined where the finger found the daybreak light. It
wasn’t easy, as the finger was still very forgetful.
However, during the three days that passed, Xu Qing performed a
thorough search of the general area indicated by the finger, and
eventually found where the daybreak light came from. It was a
remote, subterranean crevice.

Inside that crevice Xu Qing found a puppet that had been

destroyed recently and contained scraps of the finger’s aura. It
had been crushed into rubble, making it almost impossible to tell
what exactly it had looked like when whole. Also present in the
crevice was a very faint seven-colored powder that emanated a
weak glow. From what Xu Qing could tell, it still had years left
before it would dissipate.

The powder was, of course, the special product created by the

daybreak light. And it indicated that the daybreak light had come to
exist in this spot. After thoroughly investigating the area, Xu Qing
came to the shocking realization that the powder... wasn’t the
result of a single beam of light.

There were more beams of light that had come to exist in this spot.
Based on the powder residue left behind, one of them only had a
year or two left before it would dissipate. A lot of that powder was
on the puppet.

It seemed clear that the puppet had been left here specifically so
someone could check the powder residue levels. It didn’t take
much analysis to come to the conclusion that this spot had
produced daybreak light about eight or nine years ago!
Yet, Xu Qing knew for a fact that the Swordsage Court records
didn’t contain any information about daybreak lighting coming from
this spot. Clearly, someone must have taken it the moment it
appeared. Furthermore, that indicated to Xu Qing that the palace
lord’s theory about the lightmost fatehavoc pill seemed valid.

In other words, it was highly likely that the governor’s death was
caused by that specific pill.

With that clue having been secured, Xu Qing left Mount Daybreak
with Ning Yan. As for the crushed remains of the puppet, he took
those with him as well. Teleportations weren’t possible on Mount
Daybreak, so the two of them traveled on foot toward the county
capital.

Along the way, Ning Yan repeatedly considered asking Xu Qing

some questions. But whenever he saw the steely expression on
Xu Qing’s face, his fear took over, and he didn’t dare to speak up.
He had very, very mixed feelings about everything.

Back during the Ten Entrails Tree incident, he had been

suspicious about what was going on. And he had even speculated
about what might really be happening. But those speculations
seemed too outrageous, so he’d dismissed them. But when Xu
Qing had slapped his belly with what seemed like practiced ease,
it had felt like a slap to Ning Yan’s soul. [1]
I bet the one who bit me was actually Chen Erniu! What is that guy
anyway, a wild dog? And he didn’t just bite me. In the end, he tried
to bite the heavenly dao! He deserved to be ripped to shreds down
to his head!

Ning Yan felt furious, but also helpless, as he knew from

experience that the vines growing out of his belly couldn’t be easily
excised. And when he found out that the governor had been killed
and the Holytides were invading, he was shocked to the core.
Compared to those things, his personal issues didn’t seem very
important.

Xu Qing and Ning Yan traveled for three days. Xu Qing moved at
top speed. That was the time it took to get out of Daybreak
Prefecture, through the intervening prefecture, and back to the
territory controlled by the county capital.

At that point, Xu Qing didn’t bother hiding his tracks as he moved.

He found the nearest teleportation portal and then used it to get
back to the county capital.

Once back, he could see the barely concealed anxiety and

confusion on the faces of the citizens.

He immediately checked the latest news. Though the western and

northern fronts held strong, the situation was still critical. Sea-
Sealing County’s defensive lines could theoretically collapse at
any moment. That said, the residents of the capital were in a
better state than before. Though they were fearful of what was to
come, they also had hope. All the shops were open for business
like usual, and everything operated in an orderly fashion. If you
didn’t look closely, you might not even know that there was a war
going on.

Xu Qing soon came to realize why that was the case, after
stepping off the teleportation portal and walking down the street.
There were government cultivators on the streets keeping up the
morale of the commoners.

“Everyone remain calm and orderly. As the exalted lieutenant

governor has already explained, the Swordsage Palace and all
human sects and organizations have already gone to the front
lines to defend our lands. They’ll keep our Swordsage Palace
safe.”

“Our exalted lieutenant governor has explained that

reinforcements are already on the way. It won’t be long now before
this crisis is resolved, and everything goes back to normal.”

“Uprisings will not be tolerated, nor will any sort of price-gouging.

Any violators will be severely punished!”

“There’s no reason to be afraid. The sky’s not falling! Things are

still orderly. Over the past few days, hasn’t the lieutenant governor
crushed those handful of nonhumans who wanted to cause
problems? What’s more, the lieutenant governor has explained
that Palace Lord Kong is leading the defenses. We mustn’t allow
things to get out of hand here on the interior!”

Xu Qing was moved at how much work the lieutenant governor

was doing to keep things orderly.

As for Ning Yan, he followed along and felt stunned by what he

was hearing.

Xu Qing hadn’t even been back for an incense stick’s worth of time
when he received a voice message from the lieutenant governor.

“Xu Qing? I got the dharmic decree from the palace lord. You’re
back from the battlefield to help with military affairs here, right?
Come see me as soon as you can.”

Xu Qing took a deep breath. He knew that time was of the

essence, so he arranged for Ning Yan to stay with the swordsages
in the Swordsage Palace, checked in at the Secretariat Division,
then went to the Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion.

There were lots of local government cultivators coming in and out.

Martial law had been declared, and the lieutenant governor was
posting a lot of missions.

When Xu Qing arrived, someone sent word to the lieutenant

governor of his arrival, and soon enough, he was whisked inside.

The lieutenant governor seemed a lot more haggard than last time
Xu Qing had seen him. And his eyes were a lot more bloodshot.
He was currently accepting a handful of medicinal pills from one of
his servants. However, he didn’t consume them. Instead, he
placed them down off to the side. Normally speaking, when one’s
cultivation base reached a certain level, it made it difficult to spot
signs of exhaustion on a person. Only in times of incredible stress
would such signs be impossible to hide.

Gaze flitting toward Xu Qing briefly, the old servant sighed and
said, “Exalted Lieutenant Governor, you’ve been taking care of the
entire county recently. You have to keep things peaceful internally,
but also have to worry about external affairs. Dealing with internal
trouble and outside aggression is extremely stressful. What’s
worse, the old injury to your soul is starting to act up again. You
can’t just refuse to take medicinal pills at a time like this.... Ai.”

“Enough with that malarkey,” the lieutenant governor said,

frowning. “I’m not going to take those pills because, at a certain
point, it doesn’t do any good. And I’m perfectly aware of the
situation with my old injury. There’s nothing that can be done
about it.” He looked at Xu Qing. “Xu Qing, I recently received
urgent messages from several Swordsage Courts. There are five
prefectures in which the Swordsage Courts were besieged by
rogue cultivators. The palace lord was right. The other species
really are criminals deserving the death penalty! I’ve sent some of
the local government cultivators to try to resolve the situation.

“Furthermore, the palace lord’s dharmic decree indicates that the

situation is really bad on the front lines. Casualties are high. They
need more troops and more supplies. I’m trying to think of the best
way to handle it, but if you have any advice, please don’t hesitate
to share. I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed. He knew that the lieutenant

governor had a lot of responsibilities. After all, he was essentially
accountable for everything happening behind the front lines.
Making sure things went smoothly on the interior wasn’t a simple
task.

“Many thanks, exalted Lieutenant Governor. Your humble servant

is ready to collect some supplies, and also purchase more from
the nonhumans in Sea-Sealing County. I just need your approval.”

The lieutenant governor nodded. “We’ve reached a critical

moment. Appropriating supplies is going to be time-consuming
and problematic. Buying them outright will be much easier. You
have my approval. Funds are tight right now, but we can squeeze
out some extra money.”

Xu Qing offered his thanks and left. He didn’t waste any time.
Returning to the Secretariat Division, he sent out dharmic decrees
throughout Sea-Sealing County calling for supplies. He also
arranged for people to go visit the Demi-Immortals, who had been
isolated in seclusion the entire time, to enter negotiations to
purchase supplies.
As his dharmic decrees flowed out, they were received by the
hundreds of swordsages left behind.

Back when the palace lord had been around, Xu Qing had been
tasked with handling many daily affairs, and had sent down many
orders. As a result, no one had any objections now, and the
swordsages immediately got to work.

However, Xu Qing still felt anxious about the situation. He knew

that his cultivation base wasn’t sufficient to handle this mission.
That was especially true considering his journey to Daybreak
Prefecture, which had allowed him to see with his own eyes how
many nonhumans harbored secret malice toward the swordsages.
If he went out to purchase supplies, he would surely meet
resistance. And that wasn’t to mention trying to recruit troops for
the front lines.

If I want to complete this mission for the palace lord, then I’m
going to need help.... I’ll need someone with some impressive
battle prowess. Unfortunately, I can’t totally trust the lieutenant
governor. As he sat pondering the manner in the Secretariat
Division, he looked out at the sky.

It was currently night, and there were a lot of clouds. Though there
was no thunder or lightning, fat raindrops were starting to fall onto
the limestone tiles outside. And the rain brought a cool wind that
swept inside and onto Xu Qing.
Master and Sir Bloodsmelter, as well as Arch-Immortal Plumdark...
they’re dealing with Forbidden by the Zombie. They won’t have
time to help. I still don’t know where Eldest Brother is. He hasn’t
responded to any messages yet.

Even as Xu Qing pondered the matter, he happened to be looking

in the direction where the desert met the border of the county
capital. There, he’d seen a huge three-headed bird.

“The great bird Qingqin!” Xu Qing’s eyes glittered.

Xu Qing clearly remembered the first time he’d seen Qingqin. It

was when he’d first arrived at the county capital. Back then, the
huge bird had flown through the sky carrying Ning Yan. Wherever
it passed, a tempest sprang up, almost like a tornado connecting
heaven and earth. It was a very impressive sight.

Back then, Chen Tinghao had explained that the great bird
Qingqin was an ancient mutant beast, with a bloodline going back
to primordial times. Supposedly, his ancestor had been a
companion of one of the Ancient Emperors. What was more, he
was considered a friend of the previous governor. Eight hundred
years ago, that governor had returned to the imperial capital and
invited Qingqin to come along, but Qingqin had instead stayed in
Sea-Sealing County. [2]

The current war was beneath Qingqin, and as such, the palace
lord had never asked for help.
Based on what Chen Tinghao originally told me, the great bird
Qingqin actually likes us humans. Considering how desperate of a
situation we’re in, I might as well give it a shot. What’s more.... Xu
Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light. If Qingqin refuses, then it will
be interesting to find out if the great bird fears the red moon!

Xu Qing couldn’t think of any other options. Considering how badly

the front lines needed troops and supplies, he had to resort to an
unconventional gambit. Having reached the conclusion that this
was definitely the best idea, he immediately went to find Ning Yan.
Without a word, he grabbed him and pulled him along.

“Xu... er, Elder Brother Xu Qing, what are you doing?” Ning Yan
was already trembling.

“I’m taking you to see an old friend.”

“An old friend?” Ning Yan was stunned. Taking a breath, he

cautiously asked, “Is it Elder Brother Erniu?”

1. Ning Yan’s suspicions were first mentioned in chapter 453 and

were mentioned again in chapter 457. ☜

2. Xu Qing first saw the great bird Qingqin, and heard the story
from Chen Tinghao, in chapter 391. ☜
Chapter 495: An Irritable Bird!

In response to Ning Yan’s question, Xu Qing shook his head.

Gripping the flustered Ning Yan by the neck, he stepped onto the
teleportation portal. Glittering light surrounded them, and they
vanished from the Swordsage Palace.

A moment later they materialized near the border of the county

capital’s territory, very near the desert, at one of the Swordsage
Palace’s teleportation portals. A shimmering defensive shield
surrounded both them and the portal. The Swordsage Palace
operated a lot of teleportation portals, and not all of them were in
cities. There were some located out in the wilderness, and they
had built-in defensive shields to make it safe to teleport in.

The moment they materialized, Xu Qing scanned the area

vigilantly. Before leaving, he had been able to use a function of the
portal on the county capital end to confirm that the destination
portal was safe. But checking his surroundings was an instinct that
he wouldn’t abandon. After confirming they were in no danger, he
stepped off the portal onto the weed-covered paving stones
beyond.

He looked up into the sky. It was still the dead of night, and clouds
covered most of the sky. A steady rain fell, bringing with it a bone-
chilling cold. Because there were no large buildings in the area,
there was nothing to stop the wind from blowing steadily through
the rain. It created a soft, whimpering sound.

Ning Yan looked around nervously at the surrounding wasteland.

“Elder Brother Xu Qing, where... where are we going?”

“Ning Yan,” Xu Qing said calmly, “back when we first arrived at the
county capital to report for duty, this is where the two of us initially
met.”

“Huh?” Ning Yan was initially stunned, but then he nodded in

agreement.

Xu Qing continued to scan the dark clouds above. “Back then,

you’d been captured by Senior Qingqin. And that’s where we’re
heading right now. To Senior Qingqin’s place.”

“Uh....” Ning Yan shivered. He feared Xu Qing, but he also feared

that enormous bird. In fact, that event in which the big bird had
seemed intent on eating him had left him with recurring
nightmares.

He was already trying to think of a tactful way to get out of helping

Xu Qing. But then, as the rain fell and the wind blew, Xu Qing
turned and looked at him.

“Ning Yan, this matter relates to the safety of a hundred thousand

swordsages on the front line, as well as the millions upon millions
of human cultivators who’ve joined them. Their lives are on the
line. If you can help me find Senior Qingqin, I’ll report the matter to
the palace lord and make sure you get a big reward for your
effort!”

“But...” said Ning Yan hesitantly.

“And if not,” Xu Qing said coolly, “I’ll send you back to Daybreak
Prefecture for a little reunion with the euphoria irises.”

Ning Yan’s facial expression turned extremely grave. “Don’t

underestimate me, Elder Brother Xu Qing. Since this matter
relates to Sea-Sealing County as a whole, then I’ll do everything in
my power to help. Back then, I was just flying along in an area not
too far from here when I spotted Senior Qingqin. Allow me to lead
the way, Elder Brother!”

Looking very serious, he shot up through the rain into the air.

Xu Qing followed, his face completely expressionless.

It didn’t take long for the two of them to reach the spot where Ning
Yan claimed to have spotted Qingqin. It was a wide-open plain
without any mountains or trees. It definitely didn’t look like a place
where a huge bird would perch.

Xu Qing looked around doubtfully.

Ning Yan shivered inwardly at the thought of Xu Qing seeing

through his ruse. “It really was here, Elder Brother Xu Qing. I was
just flying along when I saw something like a tornado. Then, out of
nowhere, I was captured.”

Xu Qing looked at him. Ning Yan instinctively averted his eyes.

Xu Qing had brought Ning Yan along for the sole purpose of
getting his help in tracking down Qingqin. He didn’t have anything
else in mind. But now he was getting the feeling he’d been a bit
too merciful. Looking away from Ning Yan, he took a deep breath.

“Senior Qingqin!” he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Swordsage

Xu Qing of the Junior generation is here to offer formal greetings!
As a show of good faith, I’ve brought the swordsage Ning Yan with
me, who offended you in the past. I want him to offer you an
apology face-to-face.”

Ning Yan’s face fell. He really had been trying to pull a fast one on
Xu Qing by taking him to a different location than the one where
he’d encountered Qingqin. For one thing, he feared Qingqin. But
also, he had certain secrets he didn’t want to reveal…. Back when
Qingqin captured him, Ning Yan had told everyone he had no idea
why it happened. But the truth was a bit different.... Their current
location was actually quite far away from Qingqin’s nest, and
therefore, Ning Yan felt a bit safer. Now all he had to do was come
up with a way to make his story seem even more convincing.

However, before he could say anything, an ear-piercing and very

unpleasant ‘caw’ echoed through the dark night. It was impossible
to say if it happened because of Ning Yan or Xu Qing, but either
way, the explosive sound kicked up a rushing wind that scattered
the clouds and caused a brief torrential downpour. Then a 3,000-
meter bird head appeared within the break in the clouds.

Two bright red eyes locked onto Xu Qing and Ning Yan, the gaze
so intense it seemed corporeal. Then a second head appeared, as
well as a third, each of them 3,000 meters long.

This was the great bird Qingqin. His perch was actually located
inside the dark clouds.

The dramatic entrance caused countless lightning bolts to crackle

in the shattered clouds as the bird’s massive torso appeared. The
bird really was gargantuan. From Xu Qing’s perspective, he took
up the larger part of the sky.

Perhaps because he had been awoken from sleep, the bird

seemed to be in a foul mood. After letting loose his deafening cry,
he inhaled deeply, causing the clouds and rain to rush toward him,
making three rivers in the sky that entered his three mouths.

The sight of him left Xu Qing feeling deeply shaken. Apparently,

this was the bird’s true body, as he was vastly larger than what Xu
Qing remembered seeing before.

Additionally, Xu Qing’s cultivation base was much higher than the

day he arrived at the county capital, and he had experienced many
things. As a result, he had a much deeper understanding of Void
Returning experts. He could now see that the eyes of the great
bird Qingqin’s three heads were filled with countless dao
lineaments. What was more, there were projections of his body
superimposed over each other. And within the lightning that
surrounded him were countless minor worlds being created and
destroyed in an endless cycle.

This wasn’t quite the level of 1,000,000,000 Magics Combined.

But the massive pressure radiating off his gargantuan body was
enough to shake heaven and earth.

As waves of shock rolled through Xu Qing, Ning Yan was off to the
side feeling extremely jumpy and also incredulous. After all, this
was not the location where he had encountered Qingqin before.
Qingqin’s nest was very, very far away....

What’s he doing here? Something weird’s going on. Qingqin is

inherently lazy and doesn’t go out much! Don’t tell me... don’t tell
me he’s been following me around?

As Ning Yan reeled, Xu Qing took a deep breath and looked up at

the massive three-headed bird. Stepping forward, he clasped
hands and bowed deeply.

“Swordsage Xu Qing here to offer greetings, Senior Qingqin.”

In response, the three heads all let loose loud caws. The sound
was like the crash of heavenly thunder, creating a violent tempest
around the bird. Xu Qing had no choice but to back up a bit.
Off to the side, Ning Yan wailed, “We’re finished! Qingqin hates
nothing more than being woken from sleep. We’re finished!”

“Shut up!” Xu Qing growled as he struggled to keep his footing

despite the wind. Then he once again clasped hands and politely
continued, “Senior Qingqin, the Holytides have invaded Sea-
Sealing County, putting us all in great danger. Senior, I beg of you
to come out of retirement to help. If you don’t want to go to the
battlefield, that’s fine! If you don’t want to do any fighting, that’s
also fine! I’m just hoping you can accompany me on some tasks,
and lend your weight to my authority.”

Xu Qing finished by clasping hands and bowing again.

Meanwhile, Ning Yan was about to start crying. Ignoring Xu Qing’s

directive from moments ago, he said, “It’s not going to do any
good, Elder Brother Xu Qing. I guessed earlier that you were
planning to do this, but the reality is that even though people say
that Qingqin’s ancestor was a follower of Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity, and died in battle for him, that story has been
embellished over the years.

“The truth is that Qingqin’s ancestor was a vicious bird of prey who
was actually a rival of the Ancient Emperor. It was only because of
the circumstances at the time, and a promise made by the Ancient
Emperor to safeguard that ancestor’s descendants, that the story
about dying in battle was concocted and spread. When the broken
face of the god arrived, the Ancient Emperors left the Revered
Ancient mainland, and thus didn’t live up to the original agreement.
After that, the continuity of friendship ended.

“It’s true that Qingqin later became friends with the previous
governor. But that’s only because the governor provided crucial
assistance in an important situation. After the governor left, the
karma between them was resolved, and that’s why Qingqin didn’t
go with him.

“If you read Annals of Sea-Sealing County, you’ll find that though
Qingqin hasn’t been hostile toward humans for the last eight
hundred years, neither has he been friendly. What’s more, Qingqin
has a very irritable personality. That’s public knowledge. What’s
more, the progenitor of his ancient mutant beast bloodline was
famous for being a ravenous bird of prey that devoured victims
from all intelligent species!

“We disturbed his sleep, and as a result, Qingqin is obviously

furious. By the way, the reason I wasn’t killed when he grabbed
me before isn’t because my fleshly body is strong. It’s because he
was scared of my bloodline!”

Ning Yan was so desperate and flustered that he was blurting out
everything he knew, including some things he shouldn’t have
stated out loud.

As for Xu Qing, he had a lot of questions about the things Ning

Yan had just told him, but now wasn’t the time to dig into the
subject. And that was because massive pressure was weighing
down on him from above.

Qingqin’s three heads were all sticking out of the clouds and
staring at the two of them with deep ferocity.

Xu Qing was close enough that he could see that the three vicious
heads had no feathers on them. They were made entirely of
wrinkled, magenta skin. They were really quite ugly. The eyes
were all bright red and overflowed with irritation, and the sharp
beaks all pulsed with terrifying pressure.

Compared to the 30,000-meter bird, Xu Qing and Ning Yan were

like specks of dust.

Ning Yan desperately released the power of his bloodline, hoping

that it would get him out of danger. Obviously, he couldn’t afford to
pay attention to what happened to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing struggled to control his breathing as he stood stock-still.

However, inside of him, the violet moon had already risen out of its
heavenly palace, and he was preparing to speak. But then,
Qingqin’s three heads sniffed him, and the irritation in his eyes
disappeared.

The right-most head suddenly dropped down until it was right in

front of Xu Qing. Then he pushed his head forward and gently
nudged Xu Qing onto it.
Xu Qing was very taken aback.

Ning Yan’s eyes went wide with astonishment. Looking completely

incredulous, he blurted, “Th-that... that....”

Ning Yan was so overcome with shock that all he could do was
remain in place, staring. His mind was completely blown by what
he was seeing. He couldn’t even think. The scene that was playing
out really was astonishing to the point of being frightening. The
truth was that Ning Yan had a very mysterious background. That
was why he immediately recognized all the things the Captain had
produced back at the Ten Entrails Tree. Actually, he knew a lot of
things that Xu Qing didn’t know. For instance, he knew about
Qingqin’s ferocity, and the bird’s complicated relationship with
humans, which was why he had been able to explain all those
things to Xu Qing.

Based on Ning Yan’s understanding, Qingqin wouldn’t care if Sea-

Sealing County was controlled by humans or not. It wouldn’t make
any difference to him. Even if the Holytides did end up taking over,
they wouldn’t casually mess with Qingqin. The state of affairs
would be the same as it was now. Therefore, Ning Yan was
absolutely certain that Qingqin wouldn’t agree to help Xu Qing.

But now....

The mighty and proud Qingqin had actually lowered his right head
and allowed Xu Qing to stand on it!
Chapter 496: This Species... Shall Be
Exterminated

Ning Yan’s head felt like it was spinning as massive waves of

shock swept through his entire body. He knew full well that all
three of Qingqin’s heads had deep significance to the proud and
arrogant bird.

The middle head was the source of his life essence. As for the
right and left heads, they each represented something different. In
fact, based on what Ning Yan knew, it should have been outright
impossible for him to let Xu Qing stand on his right head. It had
nothing to do with cultivation base, but rather, on the approval of
Qingqin. He would only allow his lord and master to stand on his
middle head. And neither Qingqin nor his ancestor had ever been
in the habit of accepting a lord and master.

As for his left head, it would only accept his personal descendants
there. If a member of any other species tried to stand there, the
bird would take it as a huge insult, and would fight to the death to
kill that person. When it came to his right head, Qingqin would only
allow someone to stand there who he considered to be a dear
friend and an equal. Years ago, the previous governor had been
allowed to stand there.

Qingqin thinks of Xu Qing as a friend?

As Xu Qing stood on Qingqin’s right head, Ning Yan looked at him
as if he were a deity. It wasn’t his first time looking at Xu Qing in
that way. Back when he finally realized that the so-called
Nightshade godchild was actually Xu Qing, he had felt similar
levels of shock. It was the same right now. He was having a hard
time even coming up with a theory. The best that he could imagine
was that perhaps Qingqin worshiped the red moon, and thus
viewed Xu Qing as a godchild.

But even if that’s true, why let him stand on the right head?

Ning Yan was truly at a loss.

Xu Qing was also at a loss. He had been preparing to use the red
moon as a threat, only to have things turn out far better than he
had ever thought possible. He didn’t even need to make the threat.
The great bird Qingqin just immediately showed good will toward
him. Although Xu Qing didn’t know all the details about what the
bird’s three heads signified, it was obvious that the way he offered
his head to him held deep meaning.

What’s going on...?

Before he could dig through his memories in the hopes of coming

up with an explanation, Qingqin let loose a caw that shook heaven
and earth. Then he dropped down fully from the clouds.

As the black clouds crumbled around it, and lightning surrounded

him like a sea, the great bird was fully revealed.
3,000-meter heads. A 30,000-meter body. Completely magenta,
with tiny wings. His feathers were messy and disheveled, but he
emanated shocking fluctuations of godliness. After emerging from
the clouds, he glided through the air and let loose a deafening cry
that echoed out in all directions.

Xu Qing stood atop his right head, looking down at the lands
below, a sensation swelling within him unlike anything he had ever
experienced. Clasping hands, he bowed deeply toward the other
two heads.

“Many thanks, Senior!”

Qingqin’s middle head looked at him and nodded. Then it released

another deafening caw. This time, the caw didn’t seem aggressive
at all, but rather, full of joy.

When Ning Yan saw all of that, a wild and almost completely
unbelievable notion sprang up within him.

Don’t tell me that Qingqin showed up here, far away from his
nest... because of Xu Qing? There’s no way that it’s been hiding in
the clouds this entire time, and follows Xu Qing around whenever
he’s in the county capital territory.... Hahaha, there’s absolutely no
way. Is there?

Ning Yan’s own speculation struck him with fear. And yet, that
theory seemed like the perfect explanation. Otherwise, what
explanation could there be for how Qingqin had suddenly
appeared the moment Xu Qing called out?

They know each other? No. They can’t know each other. But if
they don’t, then why is all of this happening?

As Ning Yan’s thoughts went wild, Xu Qing suppressed his own

suspicions about what was happening. Regardless of anything,
now wasn’t the time to contemplate the matter. Although he had
the feeling the palace lord had multiple plans underway to resolve
the situation on the front lines, he still felt that it was important to
get his mission done as quickly as possible.

“Senior Qingqin, please return to the county capital with me,” he

said with clasped hands.

Qingqin nodded and turned to fly off. However, that was when Xu
Qing remembered Ning Yan, and quickly mentioned him to
Qingqin.

Qingqin looked down, his eyes glittering with revulsion. However,

he still reached down and grabbed the shrieking Ning Yan with
one of his claws. Then his wings flapped and he shot off like a
lightning bolt.

The level of speed was so different from what Xu Qing was

capable of that he felt he finally understood the idiom so close yet
so far. They were very far away from the county capital, and yet
Qingqin moved so quickly that everything blurred around them.
After only enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn,
the county capital was just up ahead.

It was speed that Xu Qing had never experienced before. Of

course, the arrival of Qingqin caused a stir in the capital.

The spell formation flared to life, and the lieutenant governor flew
up into the air. When he saw Qingqin, his expression flickered, and
when he noticed Xu Qing on its right head, his jaw dropped. But
only a moment later, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Xu Qing, the city’s defenses are....” He trailed off without finishing
his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

He couldn’t allow Qingqin to actually enter the city. That would be

a breach of responsibility. He also didn’t ask Xu Qing about his
relationship with Qingqin. Everyone had their secrets, and prying
wouldn’t be helpful.

Xu Qing knew where the lieutenant governor was coming from, so

he offered a very respectful explanation to Qingqin. The bird let
loose a cry, then flew up into the clouds, where he would remain.
Xu Qing dropped to the ground, clasped hands to the lieutenant
governor, and entered the Swordsage Palace.

When he arrived at the Secretariat Division, his eyes glittered.

Having secured the help of Qingqin, he didn’t need to worry about
obstacles posed by battle prowess. The first thing he focused on
was to ask for a report about how the various nonhumans in Sea-
Sealing County were responding to the call for supplies.

Details began flowing in, and Qing Qiu, who had been assigned to
stay in the Swordsage Palace instead of going to the front lines,
compiled them into a report for Xu Qing.

“There are a total of 57,841 different nonhuman species in Sea-

Sealing County. Of those, seventy percent have responded to the
call, thirty have not. Of those who responded, about half
expressed willingness to provide supplies. The other half
demanded compensation, generally between three to ten times
the normal market price. The most egregious of them....”

Qing Qiu trailed off and looked hesitantly at Xu Qing.

Face completely expressionless, Xu Qing calmly said, “Continue.”

“The most egregious of them are species allied with the Demi-
Immortals. Such species have demanded outrageous prices.
Taking medicinal pills as an example, they’re asking a thousand
spirit stones for medicinal pills that would normally only cost
twenty spirit stones! For a magical device that normally costs a
few tens of thousands of spirit stones, they’re demanding ten
million. And when it comes to magical devices with battlefield
applications, they’re being even stingier.

“The swordsages sent to confer with the Demi-Immortals were

refused entry. The Demi-Immortals stated that in compliance with
the palace lord’s request, they’ve sequestered themselves and
don’t want to be disturbed.”

After finishing with the report, Qing Qiu stepped back. She had
never felt more disgusted with nonhumans than she did right now.

In response to Qing Qiu’s report, Xu Qing’s eyes glittered coldly.

As of now, he felt the same way as the palace lord, that the
nonhumans in Sea-Sealing County were getting a lot more respect
than they deserved. On the other hand, he could understand their
stance. Humans were in decline as a species, and they couldn’t
throw their weight around like they had in the past. Furthermore,
for many years, the Holytides had been opposed to a fully united
Sea-Sealing County. As a result, maintaining a delicate balance
was the only way to avoid war. Unfortunately, there were obviously
some things that couldn’t be avoided.

After thinking about the matter in silence for a moment, Xu Qing

said, “Determine which species is demanding the most outrageous
prices. I want all files relating to that species delivered to me. Also,
find out how many times they’ve violated the law without
repercussion, including all relevant details.”

With that, Xu Qing closed his eyes. It was still dark outside, and
dawn had not yet come. It was also dark inside the Secretariat
Division, making it seem like Xu Qing himself was part of the
gloom.
When Qing Qiu looked at him, she could sense killing intent
building within him. Nodding in affirmation, she hurried away to
start compiling the information he wanted.

Half an incense stick of time later, as the light of dawn appeared

on the horizon, she returned to the Secretariat Division with a jade
slip that she handed to him.

With that, she provided a summary of the information. “The

Fullspirit species is located to the northwest of the county capital in
Enlightenment Prefecture, in the mountain highlands which bear
the same name. They’re not a very large species, and they don’t
organize into sects. Instead, they group themselves based on the
ethnic composition of their species. Because they have four main
ethnicities, they organize themselves into what they call the Four
Branches.

“As a species, they’re very skilled in alchemy and equipment

forging. They’re closely allied to the Tianyin Clan, which is one of
the three great clans of the Demi-Immortals. The Tianyin Clan has
eight subsidiary species that form the bulk of their subordinates,
and the Fullspirits are one of them. Thanks to the treaty between
humans and Demi-Immortals, the Fullspirits aren’t required to pay
an annual tribute. They have complete autonomy in the 50,000-
kilometer Enlightenment Highlands.

“During the past 800 years, the Four Branches have violated
human laws 18,931 times. Of those, 1,300 were violations of Title
1 law, and as such, the law was enforced. But in all other
instances, no action was taken.

“Furthermore, because of being so closely allied with the Demi-

Immortals, this species refused to comply with the palace lord’s
directive to send all Spirit Trove and Void Returning cultivators to
war.”

Xu Qing’s face remained expressionless as he stood to leave.

Thinking back to everything that happened at the Ten Entrails

Tree, she suddenly said, “Xu Qing, should we report this to the
lieutenant governor and request forces from the county yamen to
help?”

Xu Qing shook his head. As he stepped out of the Secretariat

Division, the sun in the sky cast its brilliant light out, driving away
all darkness.

“I’ll handle it myself,” he said coldly, then flew up into the air.

Rumbling sounds echoed out, and massive pressure weighed

down onto the county capital as the great bird Qingqin appeared.
The bird was so massive he blotted out the sun. As his shadow
was cast over the city, Xu Qing stood on his right head. Squatting
down, he gently rubbed the bird’s magenta skin.

“Senior,” he said quietly, “if you have some free time, I’d like to go
to the Enlightenment Highlands and exterminate a species there.
What do you say?”

“CAW!” replied Qingqin excitedly.

The sound was so intense it could pierce through metal and rock,
and caused everything to tremble!

The scattered feathers on his small wings rippled as they flapped,

causing a tempest to spring up around it. Pulsing with savagery,
he flew off toward the northwest, moving with such incredible
speed that he disappeared only a moment later.

Deathblade's ThoughtsThe events in this chapter made me think

back to something that was mentioned toward the end of chapter
380.... Not saying there’s an absolute connection. Just something
that occurred to me….The

The events in this chapter made me think back to something that

was mentioned toward the end of chapter 380.... Not saying
there’s an absolute connection. Just something that occurred to
me….

The
Chapter 497: Dark Clouds Suppress
Immortals; the Immortals are Furious (1)

The northwest of Sea-Sealing County had four prefectures.

To the far west was Tranquility Prefecture, which was also the
location of the western front. To the north was the icy Tidefall
Prefecture, which was the other main front line of the war.

Squeezed between those two prefectures was Rainfield

Prefecture.

Water that drained into Rainfield Prefecture from the melting

tundra to the north ensured that the place had a lot of water.
However, it also had subterranean volcanic flows that caused mist
to rise up from the ground year-round. That mist would then turn
into rain, which was why the prefecture was named the way it was.

In the spot where Rainfield Prefecture neared the county capital

was the fourth of the northwestern prefectures, which was
Enlightenment Prefecture. The name of the prefecture came from
the very famous mountainous region called the Enlightenment
Highlands.

Mountainous regions and mountain ranges are different. The latter

generally stretch out in a specific direction. They’re composed of
easily distinguished mountain peaks and valleys. Their clear
geography and vast range distinguish them from mountainous
regions. A mountainous region doesn’t have such obvious terrain
features, and might even contain volcanic belts. There might be
countless mountain peaks interspersed with vast stretches of flat
land. All of those unique features merge together to create
something like a ‘family’ of mountains.

The 50,000-kilometer Enlightenment Highlands were just such a

mountainous region, and they were the home to the Fullspirits.

The Fullspirits were a tall people. Normally speaking, they stood at

a height of about fifteen meters, and specialized in body
cultivation. In line with the common traditions in Revered Ancient,
because they were so closely allied with the Demi-Immortals, they
had been gifted with some of the blood of that species. That had
provoked some changes in their own bloodline, and caused them
to grow wings. However, due to the size of the Fullspirits, those
wings didn’t make them capable of true flight. They were more for
show.

The reason the Demi-Immortals were so fond of the Fullspirits was

that they were exceptionally skilled in alchemy and equipment
forging.

The Enlightenment Highlands were filled with many equipment

and alchemy workshops. Some were independently operated by
individual Fullspirits, while others were much larger operations. All
in all, there were hundreds of thousands of such workshops there.
The clanking of tools and the fragrance of medicinal pills filled the
highlands year-round. What was more, the volcanic flows under
the ground ensured that the place was always warm. It could well
be said that the Fullspirits were constantly producing medicinal
pills and magical devices to be put onto the market. There were
some off-limits areas set aside for the maturation of medicinal pills.
The number of such locations was staggering. The presence of so
much ‘earthflame,’ plus the species’ innate abilities, allowed them
to produce the highest-quality pills and equipment imaginable. And
they were usually very expensive.

That said, even if they charged more than they usually did, it didn’t
make sense for a medicinal pill that normally cost twenty spirit
stones to suddenly cost a thousand.

They had never charged such outrageous prices before the war,
as no one would have paid them. And normally speaking, a
dharmic decree from the Swordsage Palace was enough to get
shipments of supplies flowing from them.

Although they were close with the Demi-Immortals, the Fullspirits

were generally reasonable, and wouldn’t risk offending humans
over something as trivial as supplies. Therefore, they knew exactly
what they were doing when they responded to the Swordsage
Palace’s most recent request.

At the moment, the branch chiefs of their Four Branches were

meeting secretly in the Fullspirit ancestral mountain temple. They
were all dressed in luxurious outfits, and were festooned with all
types of jewelry and fancy magical devices.

“We have to charge these prices to make our stance clear to the
Demi-Immortals!”

“War is here, and it seems highly unlikely the humans are going to
maintain control of this particular administrative district.”

Two statues were enshrined in the temple, one in the front and
one in the back. The statue in the front resembled a Fullspirit,
while the one in the back was much more amazing. It resembled
an immortal flying into the sky. It was, of course, the original
ancestor of the Demi-Immortals.

Each statue had a collection of thousands of items in front of it,

including precious spirit fruits and high-quality medicinal pills. The
strong spirit energy from those items filled the temple. That
showed how important this temple was to them.

Any one of the spirit fruits and medicinal pills was something that
could be urgently used on the battlefield. After all, casualties had
been severe so far in the war to defend Sea-Sealing County. It
might be an exaggeration to say that each item could save a life,
but to say that ten could save a life would be completely
reasonable. That said, the four branch chiefs couldn’t care less
about the humans dying on the battlefield. All they cared about
was how their own species would fare going forward.
“For the sake of Marquis Yao, we should at least send some
supplies. Over the past few hundred years, Marquis Yao has
helped us out a lot. We should make sure all the other species
know that we Fullspirits know how to properly repay favors.”

“That’s fine. So we ask for extremely high prices for most of the
products, to make our stance clear to the Demi-Immortals. At the
same time, we send a small amount to boost our reputation as a
species. And finally, we’ll offer a tiny bit for sale at a discount to
prove we’re not being hostile.”

“Truth be told, this is what our species in general wants. Before

coming here today, I did a little survey, and everyone I talked to
agreed that we should charge high prices. After all... humans have
plenty of money.”

“My branch feels the same. In fact, some people I talked to even
suggested that we use this as an opportunity to get rid of all our
defective products that we would normally destroy. Although, that
might be pushing things a bit too far.”

“Since we’re all in agreement, then we’ll follow through with this
plan. One branch will support the humans, one branch will
cooperate to repay previous favors, one branch will do nothing in
public but will secretly contact the Holytides to curry favor, and the
last branch will be responsible for maintaining the status quo with
the Demi-Immortals!”
“If we want this act to seem realistic, we should pretend to be
debating the matter for a few more days....”

Chuckling, the four branch chiefs rose to their feet to end the
secret meeting. However, it was at that exact moment that a
terrifying pressure suddenly weighed down on all of them from
above, causing their hearts to lurch.

To the shock of the branch chiefs, the ground quaked, and a deep
rumbling sound erupted within the Enlightenment Highlands. From
a distance, it was possible to see that the sky above the Fullspirit’s
ancestral mountain temple was glittering with red light.

A massive, 30,000-meter three-headed bird emerged from the

clouds, with both of his massive claws pointed directly toward the
temple. The bird ignored the mountain’s defenses. He ignored the
temple’s defenses. He ignored everything. Massive rumbling
sounds echoed out as the temple and the two statues inside of it
exploded.

The huge bird’s claws then latched onto the mountain, and as he
flapped his wings, he wrenched the entire ancestral mountain out
of the ground and into the air! Boulders fell like rain, trees and
plants showered down, and massive clouds of dust billowed
everywhere.

All Fullspirits present to witness what was happening were

dumbstruck. That was especially true when they noticed that
someone was standing atop one of the bird’s heads.

That person wore a white swordsage uniform, and had long hair
that seemed both black and violet at the same time. He was
consummately good-looking, but his expression was ice cold. For
a good ten breaths of time, all people could do was look on in
shock.

As Qingqin lifted the Fullspirits’ ancestral mountain into the air, his
claws tightened, and cracks started spreading out across the
mountain. Then it exploded!

Blood sprayed out of the mouths of the four branch chiefs, and
they backed away looking both shocked and furious. When they
saw their ancestral mountain destroyed, they looked at the
terrifying, strange bird, and Xu Qing perched atop it, their hearts
seething with rage.

“Qingqin!?”

“A swordsage??”

“Senior Qingqin, what’s the meaning of this? Why did you destroy
our ancestral mountain temple??”

The four branch chiefs were all in the Spirit Trove level, but none
of them had completely formed their first secret trove.

In the Spirit Trove level, powering up the secret troves was usually
a slow and difficult process. Because of that, the majority of Spirit
Trove cultivators were actually at this same point. It was only after
the first secret trove took the shape of a world, and also had a
heavenly dao, that it could truly be considered a secret trove. That
said, even when still in the process of powering up the first secret
trove, such cultivators would still be able to crush any Nascent
Soul enemy.

As the four branch chiefs howled in rage, several dozen nearby

mountain peaks trembled, and the lake they bordered was
suddenly filled with massive waves.

The water all flowed in the same direction as a pair of eyes as big
as the lake itself suddenly opened inside of it. They were looking
at Qingqin.

“Fellow Daoist Qingqin, why have you done this?”

As the eyes opened and the voice rang out, a 24,000-meter-tall

giant slowly stood up. The dozens of mountain peaks came with it,
as they were actually spikes sticking out of its body. It even had
spikes growing out of its head.

This figure was the Fullspirits’ only Void Returning patriarch.

He had dao lineaments in his eyes, and had numerous projections

of himself superimposed upon each other. He also had a number
of minor worlds that were on the verge of being complete. He was
in the great circle of the second stage of Void Returning, and was
half a step into the third stage. Though he seemed calm, the truth
was that inwardly he was feeling very flustered.

“CAW!” said Qingqin disdainfully.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing, who stood atop the right head, looked down
coldly. “Over the past 800 years, the Four Branches of the
Fullspirits have violated human law a total of 18,931 times. The
most recent was the refusal to comply with the palace lord’s
demand that Spirit Trove and Void Returning cultivators join the
war effort. I’m here today to punish all of the criminals who
perpetrated those crimes over the past 800 years!”

His voice echoed through the Enlightenment Highlands, and the

hundreds of thousands of Fullspirits there looked up angrily at the
huge bird in the sky.

Meanwhile, the massive giant standing there with energy and

blood seething seemed incredibly intimidating.

“Our species is allied with the Demi-Immortals. And we haven’t

violated any part of our agreement with you humans. For a
swordsage to come here and wreck our ancestral mountain is a
clear breach of our alliance!” For the first time, that giant’s gaze
came to rest on Xu Qing. “Are you really trying to cause chaos in
Sea-Sealing County right now, in this moment of crisis on the front
lines of the war?”
Face expressionless, Xu Qing turned to Qingqin, clasped hands,
and bowed. “Senior Qingqin, please take action and exterminate
this species!”

Qingqin’s eyes glittered with excitement. It had been a long time

since he wiped out a species, a point which had caused him to
sigh many times in the past. He was supposed to be a fierce
beast, so the fact that he hadn’t wiped out many species seemed
like a betrayal of his own bloodline. Beyond that, it had been a
long time since he had eaten any meat. He spent all his time
absorbing water and mist, making him feel like he was starting to
fade from existence.

That said, he had always restrained himself. After all, the humans
had long since kept things peaceful in Sea-Sealing County, and he
didn’t feel inclined to cause trouble and disturb the status quo.
Besides, his most revered Eldest Brother from the continent of
South Phoenix had told him to be a little less fierce, and not follow
the path of his ancestor. He wasn’t supposed to go around
slaughtering people, especially humans. He was supposed to
make more friends. That was the way to stick around for a long
time.

However, the little bro his Eldest Brother had entrusted to his care
had just made a very reasonable request. Considering that he was
also a swordsage, there didn’t seem to be any reason to refuse.
As for why his Eldest Brother had become bros with a human
didn’t really matter. He just knew that his Eldest Brother had
always treated him so well that it didn’t seem like it would be
possible to repay the favor in this life. Therefore, he didn’t want to
do anything to lose face for his Eldest Brother.

And thus, it was with an excited caw that Qingqin bristled with rage
and prepared to shoot toward the Fullspirits.

“Hold on!!” the Fullspirit patriarch blurted.

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to Inanis and Arnen for the

reviews!

Many thanks to Inanis and Arnen for the reviews!

Chapter 497: Dark Clouds Suppress
Immortals; the Immortals are Furious (2)

The Fullspirit patriarch’s words came too late.

Qingqin shot out of the sky at top speed. Rumbling sounds echoed
out. The ground quaked. 30,000-meter-tall mountains either
rocked violently or outright collapsed. A tempest wrought by
Qingqin swept out in all directions, filled with the aura of the great
circle of third-stage Void Returning.

For 5,000 kilometers in all directions, the Fullspirits who were

swept up in that tempest had no way to fight back. They trembled
and then exploded, causing blood to spray out everywhere. From
a high vantage point, it was possible to see something like a
blood-colored tide sweeping about. Then Qingqin inhaled, and
vast quantities of blood became three rivers that flowed into the
bird’s mouths.

The bird treated it like congee. After sucking it in, he chewed a few
times and then swallowed. He looked extremely ghastly.

Blood sprayed from the mouths of the four branch chiefs as the
tempest inflicted serious injuries on them. Two of them had it
worse off, and were also a bit slower. Suddenly, their vision
dimmed as a huge mouth appeared in front of them. A moment
later, it devoured them. Screams echoed out, to be replaced with
chewing sounds. To Qingqin, they were like popcorn that was even
more flavorful than the congee.

The Fullspirits were overwhelmed with terror. As for the two

branch chiefs who were luckier than the others, their faces were
ashen masks of horror as they fled for their lives.

The Fullspirit patriarch was visibly enraged. Roaring, he lunged

toward Qingqin to block his path.

But Qingqin was even more excited now that he had tasted blood.
The eyes of all three of his heads were crimson as the scattered
feathers on his frame stood upright. As a wild wind swept forth, his
three heads all opened their mouths and let loose excited cries.

“CAW! CAW! CAW!!”

Completely ignoring the incoming Fullspirit patriarch, Qingqin

dodged to the side, then sent its two massive claws flying out,
destroying everything they touched, even mountains. As Qingqin
moved, Xu Qing flew off his head and landed on the bird’s back.

The two heads were moving too quickly, almost like a rooster
pecking food up from the ground as Qingqin devoured one howling
Fullspirit after another. To Qingqin, this really was a feast.

Xu Qing himself felt a bit excited at everything that was happening.

“Senior, if there are any heavenly palaces, do you mind saving
some for me? Er... if not, that’s fine too.”
Qingqin immediately bristled with fury, his feathers standing on
end, as if Xu Qing’s words were making him defensive over his
food. But then he thought back to what his Eldest Brother from the
continent of South Phoenix had mentioned about not being selfish
with food. With a caw, he sent a few gasping one-palace Gold
Core Fullspirits flying in Xu Qing’s direction.

The other Gold Core cultivators with lots of palaces, as well as the
Nascent Soul experts, Qingqin personally devoured out of fear
they might escape if he didn’t.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing used the Gruegloom Daoseizing Art to plunge

his hand into a Fullspirit and extract the heavenly palaces from
within.

Obviously, Qingqin wasn’t a big fan of sharing....

You usually had to negotiate when dealing with people like that,
and forcing them to cooperate wasn’t an option. That said, Xu
Qing hadn’t been planning to force anything. So he just sat down
cross-legged and let Qingqin devour the Fullspirits.

Before long, the Fullspirit patriarch had caught up and was

launching a fist strike at Qingqin.

The patriarch obviously realized how much weaker he was than

his opponent. As he attacked, all of the Enlightenment Highlands
trembled as numerous beams of light shot into the air and
converged to make a 30,000-meter-long hammer. This was the
Fullspirits’ taboo treasure, and as soon as it appeared, it smashed
down toward Qingqin.

Qingqin’s eyes radiated savagery as he used the top of his right

head to meet the hammer attack. A massive boom rang out as the
hammer was flung backward. As for Qingqin, his right head
swayed a bit as if it were dizzy, but didn’t seem to have taken any
damage. If nothing else, the hammer attack seemed to have
angered Qingqin even more. His eyes burned with bloodthirsty
madness as he let loose a deafening cry, then stretched his right
neck out to return the attack on the hammer.

Meanwhile, his left head blurred out toward the attacking patriarch.

Ear-splitting rumbling sounds spread out as the Fullspirit patriarch

was struck. Clearly, he couldn’t sustain this blow from Qingqin;
blood sprayed out of his mouth as he staggered backward.

The right head was now further enraged as well, and shot after the
patriarch, either to head-butt him, bite him, or launch divine ability
attacks.

Their attacks caused gale force winds and lightning to spread out,
and made the surrounding heaven and earth distort wildly. This
was getting very close to a battle of gods. That was what
happened when one replaced an external heavenly dao with one’s
personal heavenly dao.
The middle head was arrogantly refraining from fighting. Instead,
he just repeatedly pecked down at the Fullspirits, devouring them
one after another.

Xu Qing simply watched everything play out. He was no saint, and

didn’t feel any compassion for the Fullspirits. That said, the brutal
slaughter being carried out gave him a very clear indication of
what Qingqin was capable of. He could sense Qingqin getting
more frenzied the more he devoured, to the point where he
seemed to be on the verge of losing his mind.

As the ground shook, and the fluctuations of magical techniques

rolled out, a massive pill furnace suddenly appeared, formed from
the entire Enlightenment Highlands.

This was another of the Fullspirits’ taboo treasures, which was

made from the body of one of their dead Void Returning experts.
From a distance, the majestic pill furnace seemed connected to
the volcanic flows beneath it, which caused it to heat up
dramatically. Because of that, everything within the 50,000-
kilometer interior of the pill furnace began to melt.

When Qingqin’s middle head noticed that, its expression became

one of disdain. A tremor passed through the head, and a magenta
beam of light suddenly shot out.

Being on Qingqin’s back, Xu Qing was able to avoid that beam of

light as it shot overhead and spread out rapidly. While Qingqin
continued to emit an ear-piercing cry, that beam of magenta light
slammed into the surrounding terrain.

A thrumming sound rang out as the violet light melted mountains

and rocks. The Fullspirits who were touched by it instantly grew
old, as if their life force was being wiped out. As for the giant pill
furnace, it started rocking back and forth.

When Qingqin saw that the pill furnace could actually stand up to
his life essence godlight, he seemed angrier, and released another
volley. The pill furnace couldn’t take it this time. It turned magenta
itself, then exploded with a bang. In turn, that caused the hammer
to collapse.

Filled with despair, the Fullspirit patriarch cried, “Only godly birds
have life essence godlight! Your ancestral awakening has
progressed to the point of forming godlight!”

Qingqin’s eyes filled with ferocity, as if the godlight had once again
clouded his thinking ability. In fact, even Xu Qing was starting to
feel like he might be in danger. Without another word, he
summoned the golden crow from within him. His daybreak light
heavenly palace glittered, and the light of dawn covered both Xu
Qing and the golden crow before continuing to spread out.
Although that light wasn’t on the same level as Qingqin’s godlight,
it was similar to it.
As the seven-colored light spread, Qingqin’s middle head looked
in Xu Qing’s direction. His eyes seemed to contain joy and even
familiarity. As a result, some of its thinking ability returned.

“CAW!” cried Qingqin, and some of the feathers on its back lifted
and created a protective barrier around Xu Qing. Then all three of
its heads focused their glares on the Fullspirit patriarch. It seemed
as if it was done with the appetizers and was ready for the main
course.

However, at that exact moment, Qingqin’s three heads shifted to

look up in the sky. Meanwhile, the Fullspirit patriarch took
advantage of the moment to fly backward, an excited expression
on his face as he clasped hands toward the sky.

As he did, rumbling sounds echoed out as a huge rift opened up,

and three figures emerged. All of the figures had massive
projections behind them. Two were men and one was a woman.
They all wore white robes, and were themselves as white as snow,
including their eyebrows, hair, and the white wings stretched out
behind them. They all looked spectacularly beautiful.

They were, of course, Demi-Immortals. In terms of their auras,

they seemed to rival Qingqin’s.

Upon descending from the sky, the one in the middle, the female,
looked coldly at Qingqin. “Qingqin, why are you devouring these
allies of ours?”
Qingqin’s ferocious gaze took them in, and then he parted the
feathers on his back to reveal Xu Qing.

Xu Qing stood there with his face completely expressionless as

Qingqin lowered his right head and allowed him to step onto it. At
the moment, he was surrounded by Qingqin’s godlight, which
protected him from the mighty pressure weighing down from the
sky. He instantly became the focus of attention. However, the
three Demi-Immortals hardly looked at him, as if he were a bug
that wasn’t worthy of their gazes.

Looking at Qingqin’s middle head, the female Demi-Immortal said,

“Qingqin, we’re willing to let this slide. Just leave immediately.”

Qingqin’s left and middle heads ignored the woman, and seemed
more interested in preening each other’s feathers. It was the right
head that rose high with Xu Qing upon it. Overall, Qingqin’s
attitude seemed to be ‘you talk it out, this has nothing to do with
me.’

That forced the three Demi-Immortals to study Xu Qing. Nothing

about him seemed impressive to them.

The woman in the middle took out a jade slip and sent a message
using divine will.

“Lieutenant Governor of Sea-Sealing County, your Swordsage

Palace has invaded the territory of one of our allied species. This
is a violation of our 800-year peace treaty. Therefore, we Demi-
Immortals have hereby ceased to comply with the palace lord’s
request to stay sequestered. We’ve come out to take care of the
situation.

“This is wrongdoing on the part of you humans, and you cannot

blame our species. You must immediately offer an explanation,
hand over the culprit, and also have the palace lord of your
Swordsage Palace give us a detailed explanation of what’s going
on!”

As soon as the Demi-Immortal’s message went out, Xu Qing felt

his own transmission jade slip vibrating. He ignored it. He had
already thought out his plan in detail along the way.

“I can give you the explanation,” he said, “by releasing the god
imprisoned in the Corrections Division. Would that explanation be
sufficient? Right now, our county capital is protected by the
converged taboo treasure power of everything in the county.
Dealing with that level of defense wouldn’t be easy. Besides, just
about everyone in the capital is a mortal, so that god isn’t going to
be interested in devouring them.

“But your Demi-Immortal homeland has as many powerful experts

as the sky has clouds. I bet a hungry god would just love to have a
feast there. Does that sound like a good explanation?”

Upon hearing Xu Qing’s words, the three Demi-Immortal’s faces

darkened. Snorting coldly, the one on the right said, “What
incredible gall!”

His words echoed like a thunderclap. Meanwhile, the female

Demi-Immortal’s gaze locked onto Xu Qing.

“How amusing. You have such a weak cultivation base, yet you
dare to speak like that to us? Do you even understand what you’re
saying?”

“Of course I do,” Xu Qing said, his eyes suddenly glittering with a
crazy light. “I also know that the two main fronts are running out of
supplies, and people are dying constantly. The front lines could
collapse at any time. Sea-Sealing County is in grave danger. If
supplies aren’t delivered soon, the Holytide army could break
through. Therefore, do you really think there’s anything I wouldn’t
dare to do?

“If the front lines fall, and the Holytides invade, then humans will
either be slaughtered or enslaved like animals. And if that
happens, will the Swordsage Palace really have the resources to
keep that god sealed? What’s the difference between being wiped
out by the Holytides and wiped out by the hand of a god?

“And if the latter happens, and you nonhumans get buried with us,
then we can at least save the effort of wiping you out. Therefore,
what makes you think I wouldn’t dare to do that?”

He extended his right hand, and within it was the golden light of a
command medallion. It was the palace lord’s command medallion.
All of the palace lord’s authority in the Swordsage Palace was
converged in that medallion. Holding the medallion aloft, Xu Qing
looked up at the Demi-Immortals.

“It’s not just a matter of me daring to do that. I have the full

authority to do it. And therefore, I ask you... do you dare?”

As the words left his mouth, Qingqin’s two bickering heads

suddenly looked up proudly into the sky.

“CAW!”
Chapter 498: Xu Qing’s Friendly
Negotiation

Xu Qing’s voice echoed out in all directions. He sounded very

calm, and only the tiniest scrap of craziness was visible in his
eyes. After all that he had experienced through the years,
including more than one instance of engaging in a friendly
negotiation, he was now very familiar with how to manifest the
spirit of friendship when doing business. For example, by
remaining kind and professional when dealing with Emperor
Ancient Spirit and the god’s finger, he had successfully reached
acceptable deals. Given those examples of success, he didn’t feel
the least amount of stress at having to deal with these Demi-
Immortals.

Xu Qing knew well that, when involved in a business discussion,

sincerity had to be used like a weapon to get the best results. Only
by being truly genuine could one touch the heart of the party on
the other side of the negotiation table. The more simple and direct
you were, the better. That was why he had stuck to concrete facts.

If Sea-Sealing County fell into enemy hands, why would the

Swordsage Palace go to the trouble of keeping that god sealed
up? The most logical thing to do would be to release the god,
regardless of who lived or died afterward.
The best way to get a good outcome in this friendly negotiation
was to stick to logic and focus on pros and cons.

When Xu Qing finished speaking, the three Demi-Immortal

cultivators in the sky all had scowls on their faces. They all had
high positions in Demi-Immortal society, being in the patriarch
level. Yet all of them had to admit that if Xu Qing really freed that
sealed god, then... given how close the Demi-Immortals were to
the county capital, they would be the first ones in line to be
devoured.

It was true that the county capital was mostly full of mortals. What
was more, they were under the protection of the net created by all
the taboo treasures. There would be two options presented to that
freed god: a little appetizer that would require great care to eat,
and a huge feast that could be gobbled down with ease. It was
self-evident which of those two options would be selected.

If it happened, Sea-Sealing County would be done for. But it was

also true that unless the humans got the resources they needed,
the front lines would collapse, and the end result would be the
same.

As a result, Xu Qing’s final question ‘do you dare?’ echoed out into
heaven and earth, and especially within the hearts of the three
Demi-Immortal patriarchs.
A long moment passed. Finally, the female Demi-Immortal said,
“You’re the first human we’ve ever encountered who would dare to
threaten people like us with a cultivation base that low. The reality
is that though you came here and caused trouble for the
Fullspirits, your actual goal was to draw us out into the open. Well-
played. Very clever. Maintaining the status quo in Sea-Sealing
County is actually the best outcome for us. So, tell us your
demands.”

“I’m not demanding anything, as this is a negotiation,” Xu Qing

corrected, his facial expression one of full sincerity. It was no
surprise to him that the Demi-Immortals were willing to
compromise. Any logical person would do that. However, he was
also aware that the situation wasn’t over yet. Everything would
come down to whether it was worth it or not for the various parties
involved. Xu Qing had come to realize how that worked back in
Seven Blood Eyes. If he made demands that weren’t worth it, then
everything would devolve into chaos. Looking up at the three of
them, he continued, “All resources required for the battlefield will
be made available at a fair price. Purchasing on credit will be
allowed!”

The female Demi-Immortal looked down at him expressionlessly.

“So, this is a negotiation, huh? Fine. Your requests... are
acceptable.”

“The oath of alliance between our two species will remain in

place,” Xu Qing continued. “Furthermore, you will continue to
abide by Palace Lord Kong’s suggestion to remain sequestered.”

The demands weren’t unreasonable at all, which was evidenced

by how the three Demi-Immortals considered the proposal and
then nodded.

“However,” the leader said, “you will cease your slaughter of the
Fullspirits!”

The truth was that it was a good deal for them. They didn’t want to
participate in the war, which was why they had agreed to Palace
Lord Kong’s original suggestion. The only difference now was that
they were leery of Xu Qing’s threat of releasing the god. That said,
all they needed was enough time to prepare, and then even that
threat could be dealt with.

And with that, the deal was struck. Because of it being wartime,
things were relatively simple, and Xu Qing didn’t feel the need to
talk about any further details. Nor was he worried about the Demi-
Immortals going back on their word.

Going forward, it wouldn’t take long for the other nonhumans in the
county to find out about how the Demi-Immortals had agreed to a
compromise. And everyone would know that the Fullspirit species
was nearly wiped off the face of the map. No one would want to
risk the same thing happening to them.

With the negotiation over, the three Demi-Immortals opened the rift
again. Before entering, the female asked, “What’s your name?”
Xu Qing thought for a moment. There wasn’t really a need to hide
the truth; if the Demi-Immortals wanted that information, it wouldn’t
be hard for them to find out.

“Zhang Siyun!” he said. Despite the reality of the situation, Xu

Qing was just too cautious of a person. It didn’t matter if the Demi-
Immortals could easily find out his true identity. He didn’t want to
be the one to tell them the truth. That was especially true
considering that although the negotiation had gone smoothly, it
would be a big pity to slip up at the very end. He had no idea what
magical techniques a Void Returning expert might be able to
unleash. For instance, what if they had some special way of
striking a fatal blow if they knew his real name?

At almost the exact same moment that Xu Qing spoke, a whistling

sound echoed out from the direction of the county capital as a
figure blurred toward them at top speed.

It was none other than the lieutenant governor. He was scowling

anxiously as he rushed over to them. Upon arriving, he saw the
three Demi-Immortals, and then he saw Xu Qing. Noticing Xu
Qing’s calm demeanor, he relaxed inwardly.

“Zhang Siyun!” he barked. “You’ve got a lot of guts to do

something like this. I’m definitely going to report you to the palace
lord!” Turning to the three Demi-Immortals, he clasped hands and
plastered an apologetic look onto his face. “This was a big
misunderstanding. The situation on the battlefield is critical, and
Zhang Siyun got a bit too anxious. That’s what led to this disaster.
After the war is over, I’ll make this up to you!”

The three Demi-Immortals all gave cold harrumphs. “Lieutenant

Governor, this human of yours has some potential. He actually
dared to threaten us!”

Looking very stern, the lieutenant governor glared at Xu Qing and

snapped, “Zhang Siyun, hurry up and apologize to the Demi-
Immortal patriarchs!”

Xu Qing blinked a few times, then bowed his head and clasped
hands to the Demi-Immortals.

“Seniors,” he said, sounding very sincere, “I was really anxious

about the battlefield situation, and thus inadvertently offended you.
Please, I hope the three of you patriarchs can forgive me.”

The three Demi-Immortals didn’t respond. Filled with a variety of

thoughts and emotions, they turned back to the rift.

Except, just then, the female Demi-Immortal’s expression

flickered, and she suddenly coughed up a mouthful of violet blood.
Turning, she looked at the lieutenant governor, then Xu Qing, her
expression grim, and her eyes flickering with a profound look.

Xu Qing’s expression didn’t change. However, it was obvious that

she had used some sort of magical technique, and... it had failed.
The lieutenant governor’s eyes went wide and he looked
confused. “What just happened?”

The female Demi-Immortal gritted her teeth but didn’t say

anything. There wasn’t going to be an easy way to offer an
explanation. As a matriarch of the Demi-Immortals, she had ways
to plot against people if she knew their name. If the technique had
worked, no one would have been the wiser. Except it didn’t work....

It was a passive technique that, once employed, required no

action on her part. Normally speaking, it wouldn’t matter if it
worked or not. But contrary to all expectations, when the technique
failed, she instantly suffered a serious backlash. What was more
noteworthy was that moments ago, she got the distinct feeling that
some unknown entity was watching her.

Scowling, she hurried into the rift and disappeared.

After they were gone, the Fullspirit patriarch backed up a few

steps. He took in the devastation around, then looked at Xu Qing
and the lieutenant governor. He sighed.

The lieutenant governor, meanwhile, looked at Xu Qing. “You took

a really big risk today.”

“CAW!” Qingqin’s three heads all glared at the lieutenant governor,

as if Qingqin wasn’t very pleased at hearing his Eldest Brother’s
bro being criticized. That was especially true considering that the
little bro provided a very filling meal, and also the fact that, just like
Qingqin and his Eldest Brother, could harness light. [1]

Seeing that response, the lieutenant governor smiled wryly and

clasped hands to Qingqin. Qingqin then looked away from him.

“Many thanks for coming, Lieutenant Governor,” said Xu Qing.

“Sorry for the trouble, sir.”

Xu Qing really did feel sorry for doing something so crazy.

Clasping hands, he bowed to the lieutenant governor. Besides, the
lieutenant governor had played along with his act, which brought a
warm feeling to Xu Qing’s heart.

“It was no trouble at all,” the lieutenant governor said. “It was all for
Sea-Sealing County. However, next time... maybe you could let
me know ahead of time when you do something like this.” From
the haggard look on the lieutenant governor’s face, it was obvious
he had been working very hard over the past few days. “Palace
Lord Kong asked me to work with you to handle this situation. That
just goes to show that he trusts both of us. Now, let’s get back to
the capital.”

Xu Qing nodded. Qingqin flapped his wings and flew up into the
air, casting one longing glance back at the dilapidated Fullspirits.
They had lost about forty percent of their population, which was a
grievous blow. Worse, two of their branch chiefs had been eaten
by Qingqin. Xu Qing also looked down at the Fullspirits, but didn’t
say anything. All the Fullspirits could do was watch bitterly as they
left.

On the way back to the capital, Xu Qing sent some voice

messages to his subordinates in the Secretariat Division and had
them once again get in contact with the various nonhumans in the
county to start collecting resources. That included the Fullspirits.

By the time he got back to the Swordsage Palace, three days had
gone by.

During that time, all nonhumans in the county, be they big species
or small species, were in a state of frenzied activity. Everyone
knew about what happened to the Fullspirits, and how the Demi-
Immortals had been forced into a compromise. It was a big shock
to everyone. What was more, it wasn’t long before people found
out the name of the person who was central to it all: Xu Qing.
Because of that, Xu Qing’s name became known to leadership
figures of species all over.

“We don’t know exactly where he started out, but we do know he

was very young when he joined Seven Blood Eyes in the continent
of South Phoenix. He served in their Violent Crimes Division,
where he slaughtered countless criminals. He’s cruel and ruthless,
and is very skilled in the use of poison!”

“Back when Seven Blood Eyes was at war with the Seazombies,
he and his Elder Brother, who were both in Foundation
Establishment at the time, carried out a daring plot to steal the
nose of one of the Seazombies’ divine likenesses. And then, when
he was only known as a random disciple from that backwater sect,
he actually slaughtered the Eight Sect Coalition’s dao child Master
Shengyun, and absolutely crushed all the other chosen disciples.
Eventually, he became the Eight Sect Coalition’s newest dao
child!”

“He participated in the swordsage recruiting event in Emperor-

Receiving Prefecture, where he dominated the dao child from the
Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, as well as all the other elite
chosen from that prefecture. He took first place in that event,
hands down. The Grand Emperor of humankind blessed him with
a 30,000-meter pillar of light, making him the number one figure in
all of Sea-Sealing County!”

“After he got to the county capital, Palace Lord Kong made him his
first and only secretary-general. And then, when he was only in
Gold Core, he became a Unit C jailer in the Corrections Division!”

“Before the war, he worked with the palace lord of the Swordsage
Palace to handle a lot of official business. He founded the
Secretariat Division and became well-known far and wide. A lot of
people are saying he’s the most likely candidate to succeed
Palace Lord Kong!”

“At Mount Daybreak, he came out of nowhere to save the

Swordsage Court from imminent peril. He slaughtered two early
Nascent Soul enemies, and forced mid- and late-stage cultivators
into retreat. During that battle, he killed hundreds of rogue
cultivators with his poison. It was brutal! Anyone who got infected
by his poison ended up melting into a black sludge! They were
destroyed in body and soul!”

“He can actually devour the heavenly palaces of others! It’s hard
to imagine what he’s going to be like when he rises to the Nascent
Soul level. He’s going to be a complete monster!”

“And now he actually worked with Qingqin to devour the Fullspirit

species. He threatened three Demi-Immortal patriarchs.
Considering that and everything else he’s done, this guy comes
across as being totally crazy!”

All sorts of stories were spreading through Sea-Sealing County,

and Xu Qing’s name was causing a big stir.

When Ning Yan heard the news, he just sighed.

They don’t know the half of it. Among the other crazy things he’s
done are: impersonating a Nightshade godchild; destroying the
Ten Entrails Tree; becoming the father of a heaven-god; and...
coming very close to becoming a high-ranking figure among the
Holytides.

When Qing Qiu heard the news, she was a bit stunned. What was
the most troubling to her, however, was the revelation that Xu Qing
came from the continent of South Phoenix. Thinking back to the
way he’d looked at her at the Ten Entrails Tree, a theory began to
form in her heart that she didn’t dare to believe was true. In fact,
the moment it rose up in her, she quashed it.

There’s no way. This guy is horrible. It’s absolutely not possible!

As she realized what it would mean if her speculation was actually

true, she inhaled sharply.

Xu Qing looked over at her. “What’s wrong? Keep reading the

report. I want to know all the details about which species are
delivering supplies.”

“Oh, right,” she said, sounding very much like she had when she
was a handmaiden back at the Ten Entrails Tree. She immediately
began to continue with the report. Only then did her reaction kick
in. She snorted coldly, and her facial expression beneath her mask
once again became one of icy arrogance.

1. The part about ‘harnessing light’ is a vague metaphor invented

by the author. It combines a verb that means ‘to brush or swipe’
with the character for ‘light.’ I saw numerous theories/explanations
in the reader comments for what exactly it means. Most agreed
that it was something related to light. There is never any
explanation for what it means, so it seems open to interpretation.
☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to Human Sovereign for

review #299 and tls10 for review #300! Thanks so much!
Many thanks to Human Sovereign for review #299 and tls10 for
review #300! Thanks so much!
Chapter 499: Honest and Truthful

As stories spread about Xu Qing crushing the Fullspirits, it didn’t

just result in him becoming famous. It had a marked effect on the
nonhumans’ provision of supplies. Everything went much more
smoothly in that regard, and not one single species dared to
demand exorbitant prices.

When all was said and done, humankind had not fallen. When all
was said and done, Xu Qing did command the power to
exterminate entire species. Given that, it made perfect sense that
things went smoothly.

“The Watermings delivered 180,000 seaspirit healing pills and

three battlefield magical devices.

“The Listeners sold us 130,000 drops of their blood. Such blood

has powerful medicinal properties that can be used to quickly treat
serious injuries. They also gave us one battlefield magical device.

“The local ghost ward provided medicinal pills free of charge, and
also agreed to send us evil ghost warriors to bolster our forces, as
long as we’re willing to let them absorb Holytide souls on the
battlefield.

“The Fullspirits... took the initiative to send 1,000,000 high-quality

medicinal pills, free of charge.”
Still feeling shocked, Qing Qiu continued to read the report to Xu
Qing. It was obvious to her that the species of Sea-Sealing County
had been stricken with fear thanks to Xu Qing’s actions. As a
swordsage, Qing Qiu was familiar with the philosophies that
governed the Swordsage Palace. And ever since Xu Qing
arranged for her to work in the Secretariat Division, she had
learned a lot and received some very valuable experience.

As a result, she knew that Xu Qing’s actions fell perfectly in line

with what Palace Lord Kong expected.

Because of the timing, it wasn’t as difficult to pull off as before the

war. If he had done this before, it would have provoked a strong
negative reaction. And considering that the Holytides were off to
the side, eyeing the humans like tigers eying prey, it would never
have worked. It was the same when they were mobilizing for war.
Things had been complicated back then, and considering all the
factors, the situation with the nonhumans had been a quagmire
that, if not handled with finesse, would have led to disaster.

But things were different now. The situation on the front lines was
urgent. What was more, the top experts from virtually all the
species were on the battlefield. Because of that, there was no
reason to hold back, and there was every reason to strike like
lightning and move like the wind.

Of course, it was all built on the premise that there was force to
back up the threats, and a corresponding cultivation base.
The strategy of standing on the shoulders of a giant might seem
simple, but not anyone could do it. It requires tenacity and
determination. Ruthlessness and audacity. And craziness. But at
the same time, you can’t lose your cool. Even more important, the
other party must be given a way out. It involves ‘attacking to
defend’ while simultaneously ‘retreating to advance.’

Qing Qiu glanced at Xu Qing. Although she still didn’t like him, she
couldn’t stop herself from admiring him as well.

Pulling this off successfully requires qualities that most people

don’t have. If it was me... I think I’m ruthless enough. But I don’t
have the finesse, the cool-headedness, or the negotiation instinct.
I just don’t measure up to him in those ways.

Xu Qing had no way of knowing what Qing Qiu was thinking. After
she finished with the report, he thought about the situation for a
short time.

Finally, he said, “The Fullspirits still haven’t given us enough

medicinal pills. When I was there, I personally saw their stockpiles,
and I know they have a lot more in reserve. Tell them to give more.
However, don’t try to squeeze them dry. Now’s not the time for
that. Furthermore, make sure to offer payment for whatever we
take.

“As for the ghost ward... we can agree to that in principle. But tell
them that they have to confirm the details with Palace Lord Kong.
Have the evil ghost warriors go to the battlefield and make the final
deal with him there.

“As for all the other goods from the other species, make sure
they’re delivered to the county capital within three days. Then we’ll
send them all to the front lines. In terms of the money we need to
pay for the purchased items, we’ll request it from the lieutenant
governor after all of the goods have been shipped out.”

“Yes, sir,” Qing Qiu said with a nod.

As she left, Ning Yan hurried into the Secretariat Division.

“Urgent message, Secretary-General!”

Xu Qing looked up.

When that gaze landed on Ning Yan, he shivered and stood up a

bit straighter. “An ambassador from the Wood Spirits has come
seeking an audience with you, Secretary-General.”

At almost the same moment, Xu Qing’s transmission jade slip

vibrated. He took it out and scanned it with divine will, whereupon
the voice of the innkeeper from Plankspring Way echoed into his
mind.

“Xu Qing, I’ve brought a second group of Wood Spirits to join the
war effort!”

Moved, Xu Qing rose and went out to personally meet them.

The Wood Spirits were allies, and back when the palace lord was
levying troops, they had sent a contingent of their people to join
Marquis Yao’s forces on the northern front. They weren’t a very
large species to begin with, and the fact that they were sending a
second group was unusual. In fact, it was something that no other
species in Sea-Sealing County had done up to this point.

Before long, Xu Qing caught sight of the innkeeper flying through

the air, followed by a group of several thousand Wood Spirits.
When they were in their tree form, they were very impressive, and
they pulsed with extraordinary auras.

Next to the innkeeper was an old man. He was also a treant, but
was in human form. His face was worn with age and wisdom. He
had amazing fluctuations as well, with a thousand dao lineaments
in his eyes, indicating he was in the first stage of Void Returning.

“Xu Qing, this is the grand elder of the Wood Spirits,” the
innkeeper said.

Xu Qing quickly clasped hands and bowed. “Well met, Grand

Elder. Many thanks for your support!”

“There’s no need for such formalities, Secretary-General. You

yourself are like an august spirit of our species, and your status is
the same as one of our clan chiefs. Besides, humans have kept
our species safe for many years. It’s only natural that we would
repay that kindness.
“I was previously in seclusion working toward a breakthrough, and
received special permission from Palace Lord Kong for my arrival
on the battlefield. Now that I’ve broken through, I wouldn’t dare to
stay behind.”

Xu Qing wasn’t sure what an ‘august spirit’ was to the Wood

Spirits, but he assumed it had something to do with Ling’er. Yet
again, he bowed, then called for a subordinate to make all the
necessary arrangements. In three days, the Wood Spirits would
join the procession going to the western front to deliver all the
newly gathered supplies to the palace lord.

The Wood Spirits were kind by nature, and the grand elder didn’t
use his cultivation base as an excuse to look down on Xu Qing.
Some of that was because of the situation with Ling’er, and part of
it was because of Xu Qing’s status in the Swordsage Palace. Most
importantly, the grand elder knew that this young human was
someone that had to be treated as a friend, and never as an
enemy. Along the way, he’d heard the story of the Fullspirits, as
well as how Xu Qing had negotiated with the Demi-Immortals.
Because of all that, he knew that Xu Qing was the one responsible
for resolving the supply crisis for the front lines.

It was going to be a big help to the war effort. If Xu Qing also

resolved the troop crisis, then those two things combined would
ensure that he rose to incredible heights in the Sea-Sealing
County Swordsage Palace.
Of course, the prerequisite was that humankind came out
victorious in the war.

Two groups of Wood Spirit troops were all the species could offer.
And it was a gamble. They were betting that humans would win,
and were gambling on a future Sea-Sealing County controlled by
humans. If that gamble paid off, it would result in a thousand years
of security for the Wood Spirits. And having a good relationship
with Xu Qing would only give the potential to reach even higher
heights.

Therefore, the Wood Spirit grand elder didn’t object at all to Xu

Qing’s arrangements. Knowing that the holy dharma protector and
the august spirit had some things to discuss, he bid farewell.

After he was gone, the innkeeper looked Xu Qing up and down

and seemed pleased. But then he realized he didn’t want to reveal
what he really thought, so he smoothed out his face and cleared
his throat.

“The Wood Spirits are doing this partly because they’re gambling
on humans coming out victorious. But some of it has to do with
what Ling’er has accomplished.”

“Is she still in seclusion?” Xu Qing asked.

“Yes. She still needs more time. This good fortune for Ling’er will
take a while to take full advantage of.” After that, the innkeeper
wasn’t sure what to say next.
Xu Qing, not being adept at small talk, took out a jade slip and
sent some orders regarding the Wood Spirits and the big supply
shipment.

A long moment passed.

The innkeeper cleared his throat. “Ahem. Isn’t there something

you wanted to ask me?”

Surprised, Xu Qing looked up.

“For example, don’t you want to know about Ling’er’s past? Or

how this good fortune can transform her? Or if she happened to
regain consciousness at all recently? Aren’t you curious about any
of that??” The innkeeper was actually feeling a little irritated.

Xu Qing frowned. “Why would I ask you about that? Wouldn’t it be

better to hear those things from her?”

“Uhh....” The innkeeper actually couldn’t think of a way to rebut

that. It made sense. That said, he still felt a bit irritated.

Xu Qing, meanwhile, could sense the innkeeper’s irritation. It was

actually a familiar sensation, as it reminded him of dealing with the
Captain.

“I can’t afford to fully trust the Wood Spirits,” he said. “The supply
shipment is too important. Therefore, Senior, I would like for you to
go with them to keep an eye on things. The reality is there’s only
one person in the capital city that I can truly trust, and that’s you,
Senior.”

The innkeeper suddenly felt very pleased. Laughing heartily, he

said, “Don’t worry at all. Once the shipment is ready, I’ll use my life
essence magic to seal it tight. And I’ll keep a very close eye on it
during the trip. That way, nothing wrong could possibly happen!”

Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed deeply.

The innkeeper now felt wonderful. This Xu brat really does know
how to show respect. As it turns out, he’s actually not that bad.

Three days passed.

The nonhuman supplies all came in, and as Xu Qing looked on,
the Wood Spirits and the innkeeper left with the shipment to the
western front. Although most of the trip would be made via
teleportation portal, there was still a lot of ground to cover. And
there were some parts of the trip that couldn’t be made via
teleportation. Therefore, the trip was scheduled to take five or six
days.

After the convoy left, Xu Qing stood on the limestone tiles of the
Swordsage Palace, looking out at heaven and earth.

Flanking him were Ning Yan and Qing Qiu, as well as a contingent
of other swordsages who worked in the Secretariat Division. All of
them were looking at Xu Qing with veneration in their eyes.
As for Qing Qiu, she was trying very hard not to feel respect for Xu
Qing. Meanwhile, her evil ghost scythe sighed into her mind.

“Oh, Ah Qiu, don’t fight back.... I can sense the conflict in your
heart. Why are you still fighting it? Just bow your head to the
amazing and incredibly good-looking Secretary-General Xu. Isn’t
that just the normal thing to do?”

“Shut. Up. Ever since you got captured at the Ten Entrails Tree
and found out that Xu Qing’s spirit automaton can hear you
talking, all you’ve done is blabber like this. Aren’t you disgusted
with yourself? You’re the one always yammering about ending
things in mutual destruction! So... what, are you already dead?”
She snorted coldly in her heart. “A disgusting individual such as
yourself should know exactly what I’m thinking. I, Qing Qiu, am
nothing like you. I would never bow my head so casually! And Xu
Qing is the same!”

Xu Qing, of course, had no way of knowing what Qing Qiu was

thinking. It was currently dawn, and a brisk breeze lifted his hair as
he stood at the edge of the Swordsage Palace and gazed out at all
creation.

Over the past few days, he had been contemplating an important

question. And that was how to provide fresh troops to the front
lines. A few thousand Wood Spirits simply wasn’t enough.
This was a protracted war in which the enemy was a Holytide
army that vastly outnumbered the humans. Even with the county’s
taboo treasures helping in the defense, there were still people
dying constantly. The supply shipment was going to make things a
bit easier on the front lines, but the real key to making progress
was going to be more troops.

A long moment passed.

“Qing Qiu.”

“Huh? Oh. Here!” Qing Qiu had been so focused on arguing with
the evil ghost scythe, and had been so wrapped up in feeling
superior, that Xu Qing caught her off guard. She took a step
forward and stood there ramrod straight.

Looking off in the direction of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, he

said, “I want all the details about what’s happening in Forbidden by
the Garment in Injustice Prefecture and Forbidden by the Zombie
in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. You have one incense stick’s
worth of time to put the report together.”

Puffing up her chest, she loudly said, “Your orders shall be

followed! I guarantee the report will be done in one incense stick’s
worth of time!!”

Her voice thrummed with passion, in just the way it did when she’d
spoken with Palace Lord Kong in the past.
“Didn’t someone just mention refusing to back down?” the scythe
said.

“Shut up! I’m putting on a show, that’s all. This is for the sake of
the front lines!”

“Why are you standing around?” Xu Qing asked, looking over his
shoulder at her.

“Yes, sir!” she said loudly, then turned and raced off.

Deathblade's ThoughtsGoing forward, we’re going to have a

number of 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 chapters that I’ll be splitting
accordingly. As always, each split part will be roughly the same
length as an ordinary chapter. I’m not going to give a warning
ahead of each split chapter like I have been, as they just keep
coming one after another (although I will make an exception for
the 3-in-1 chapters so you don’t wonder which ones those are). It’s
going to be something like a week of split chapters, then the
chapters go back to normal, and then after a short time there will
be another burst of long chapters again. I also want to reiterate
that these chapters were not part of a 2-a-day release schedule.
All of them were 1-a-day chapters.

Going forward, we’re going to have a number of 2-in-1 and 3-in-1

chapters that I’ll be splitting accordingly. As always, each split part
will be roughly the same length as an ordinary chapter. I’m not
going to give a warning ahead of each split chapter like I have
been, as they just keep coming one after another (although I will
make an exception for the 3-in-1 chapters so you don’t wonder
which ones those are). It’s going to be something like a week of
split chapters, then the chapters go back to normal, and then after
a short time there will be another burst of long chapters again.

I also want to reiterate that these chapters were not part of a 2-a-
day release schedule. All of them were 1-a-day chapters.
Chapter 500: I’m... Back! (1)

For the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Qing Qiu scrambled
to compile all the information from Injustice Prefecture and
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, then carefully put it all into two
jade slips. Racing back to the Secretariat Division, she found Xu
Qing waiting for her, his eyes closed in rest. She hadn’t done all
the work herself. She’d enlisted the help of some of the other
swordsages, who double checked everything and added their
personal sealing marks to their work. This was all to ensure there
were no slip-ups, since any mistakes could be easily traced back
to their source.

Opening his eyes, Xu Qing took the jade slips and examined them.

Sea-Sealing County needed more troops, and they couldn’t be

levied from the nonhumans. Therefore, the only thing Xu Qing
could think to do was look toward Injustice Prefecture and
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. Because of the incidents in
Forbidden by the Garment and Forbidden by the Zombie, the
palace lord had exempted the sects there from sending forces to
the front lines. After all, they needed to focus all of their attention
on keeping those two forbidden grounds under control.

Sea-Sealing County had a total of thirteen prefectures. If he could

divert the forces of two entire prefectures to the forces on the front
lines, it would be nearly a twenty percent boost. That would be a
huge help to the troops on the front lines.

However, that wasn’t going to be easy, even if he asked Qingqin to

help. And that was why he wanted to look into the details of what
was going on in those two prefectures.

The situation was summarized in the opening remarks on the first

jade slip.

“The situation in Forbidden by the Garment is under control.

However, it required the combined power of the entire prefecture,
led by the local Swordsage Court. They managed to place an
initial seal on the forbidden ground, but are still dealing with
counterattacks. They can’t afford any reduction in battle prowess,
and still need an entire month before the situation is fully
contained.”

Xu Qing sighed. A month was too much. The troops on the front
lines simply couldn’t wait that long. However, if the forbidden
ground wasn’t contained, then the sects in the prefecture would be
destroyed, and countless humans would end up being devoured or
mutated. Eventually, it would lead to all of Sea-Sealing County
being dragged into chaos.

The nonhumans in those two prefectures were also participating in

the effort to keep the forbidden grounds under control. The
situation there was different from the other prefectures. After all,
when a crisis was at your front door, it didn’t matter what species
you were, you sent people to deal with it. There was no way Xu
Qing could order the forces in those two prefectures to simply
ignore the forbidden grounds and send their forces to the front
lines.

Besides, Emperor-Receiving Prefecture was where Xu Qing’s

home sect was. It had taken over ninety nonhuman species from
the Forbidden Sea plus the majority of the forces in Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture to get Forbidden by the Zombie under
control.

Things were currently in a deadlock.

Xu Qing silently perused the jade slips. At a certain point in going

through the information from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, he
came across a bit of information that caused his eyes to narrow
slightly. It was in one of the routine reports sent in by the
Swordsage Court there.

“The majority of the nonhuman species and organizations in

Emperor-Receiving Prefecture participated in the war with
Forbidden by the Zombie. But some did not participate. That
contingent was led by the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing
Mountain and the Ghost Emperor mountain.

“That said, both of those parties agreed that, during the duration of
the conflict, neither of them would deploy any of their forces
outside their own territory.

“The Dao-Suppressing Mountain’s three spirits, and the Ghost

Emperor mountain’s seven fiends are manifestations of the
spiritual and physical souls of the Ghost Emperor. The seal which
remains on the Ghost Emperor mountain is something that can
only be broken by a Smoldering God. As a result, they’re all
undying. Forcing them to join the conflict would create friction, and
unless they were willing participants, it wouldn’t help the situation
with Forbidden by the Zombie, and would cause unnecessary
distraction.

“In order to prevent side issues from cropping up, and in order to
not waste time, the local Swordsage Court made the decision to
exempt them from the war effort.”

Xu Qing read the message and then mulled it over for a while.
Finally, he stood and started pacing back and forth. His eyes
sometimes flickered with determination, then with hesitation. He
was clearly pondering some course of action.

Neither Qing Qiu nor Ning Yan had seen Xu Qing act like this
before, not even back during the Nightshade godchild situation.
The two of them exchanged a glance, and both were clearly
hesitant to even breathe too loudly.

Frowning, he walked a few dozen more paces, then stopped in

place. Sensing the Ghost Emperor palace within him, he looked
out at the dome of heaven, and his eyes glittered with
determination.

“Qing Qiu, Ning Yan, I’m leaving you in charge of the Secretariat
Division. Keep on top of the reports from the front lines. Keep an
eye on the progress of the supply shipment. Qing Qiu, you’re in
charge. If there’s anything important, use the Swordsage Palace to
send a message to my command sword.”

Qing Qiu stood up a bit straighter and was about to say something
loudly, but then thought about her pride, and instead just nodded
coolly.

Ning Yan didn’t have such reservations. “Yes, sir!” he said loudly.
Then he curiously asked, “Elder Brother Xu, where are you
going?”

Xu Qing looked at Ning Yan. He didn’t want to reveal the truth

about his plan to anyone, so he said, “I’m taking a trip to
Forbidden by the Garment.”

With that, he left the Secretariat Division and, without any

hesitation, flew up into the sky.

A loud caw echoed out as Qingqin poked his three heads down
out of the clouds and looked excitedly at Xu Qing. He seemed to
be salivating at the prospect of wiping out another species. He
extended his right head down, and Xu Qing stood atop it.
Then Xu Qing reached out with divine will. A moment later,
Qingqin’s eyes glittered with brilliant light. He flapped his wings,
and intense rumbling sounds filled the sky above the county
capital. In the blink of an eye, Qingqin disappeared with Xu Qing.

As long as Qingqin was traveling short distances, he could move

so quickly that taking a teleportation portal wouldn’t have been
much faster. When greater distances were involved, though, he
couldn’t match up to a portal. However, Xu Qing didn’t want to risk
revealing where he was actually going. Though the likelihood of
that information reaching the wrong ears wasn’t high, he still
preferred to be careful.

When he was some distance away from the capital, he found a

teleportation portal belonging to the Swordsage Palace. After
having Qingqin shrink down a great deal, they went through the
portal. After a number of such teleportations, the two of them
reached the northern tundra of the Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.
The trip took about three days.

It was currently noon, yet the sun didn’t seem very bright, and it
didn’t provide much warmth. The wind brought with it a frigid
coldness that pierced into the bones, and it stirred the flakes of
snow into motion, so that the landscape looked almost like a white
sea.

Off in the distance, the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar rose

to shocking heights, imparting a sense of wonder to those who
looked at it. Xu Qing remembered the time when so many tents
surrounded the massive pillar that they formed an entire city.

Now, though, there were few tents. And those tents that did exist
were battered by the endless wind. A few people could be seen
here and there, and they were all bundled up heavily against the
cold. Those people weren’t swordsages. They were locals, people
that the Swordsage Court had left behind, primarily older ones
who didn’t need to participate in the war effort.

Xu Qing hovered in the air taking in the Supreme Beginning

Netherflight Pillar and the black palace at its top. He could sense
that there weren’t very many swordsages inside.

“The Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar...” he murmured, and

then he had Qingqin glide in a few circles around the area.

As clouds gathered because of Qingqin’s presence, Xu Qing

looked at the shocking pillar. Before going through with this plan of
his, he needed to confirm something using the Supreme Beginning
Netherflight Pillar.

Extending his hand, he made a grasping gesture. The Ghost

Emperor palace within him activated, and the cross-legged Ghost
Emperor opened his eyes.

Instantly, the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar trembled,

which caught the attention of the rogue cultivators gathered at the
base, as well as the Swordsage Court on the top. Many people
looked up and saw the vague shape of a huge bird in the clouds.

“Who goes there?” rang out a voice from the Swordsage Court.

Now that he was in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, there was no

need to stay in hiding. Therefore, Xu Qing drew his command
sword and calmly said, “Xu Qing.”

As his words rang out, Qingqin flapped his wings, parting all of the
clouds and revealing himself to the swordsages.

In the other prefectures of the county, the swordsages might have

first recognized him by name. Then, the combination of his
physical appearance and his command sword would confirm his
identity. But here in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, the
swordsages already knew what he looked like. After all, back
when he was given the 30,000-meter pillar of light, all swordsages
from the prefecture were there to witness it. Therefore, after the
Swordsage Court’s spell formation authenticated Xu Qing’s
command sword, the swordsages rushed out to meet him.

“Xu Qing!”

“It’s Secretary-General Xu!”

Most of these swordsages looked familiar to Xu Qing. They came

out with friendly expressions on their faces and offered formal
greetings. The swordsage in charge took a step forward and
clasped hands.

“Secretary-General Xu, do you need to activate the Supreme

Beginning Netherflight Pillar? Can we help you in any way?”

Xu Qing shook his head. He knew that the pillar was being used to
suppress the ghast hollow, and because of that, it couldn’t be
activated. He had just come to do a test. He clenched his hand
into a fist, whereupon the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar
started vibrating with even more intensity. Of course, he knew that
there was a limit to what he could do in this regard. His cultivation
base was too low to extract the pillar.

That said, he wasn’t here to take the pillar. Rather....

“Spirit Automaton!” he said, his voice booming like heavenly

thunder. He was calling out to the spirit automaton of the Supreme
Beginning Netherflight Pillar. That was why he was here.

A short time passed, and the pillar continued to vibrate. And then a
very distant moaning sound echoed out from within the pillar. As
the sound rose high into the sky, an enormous pair of eyes opened
up on the pillar. They seemed to radiate something profoundly
ancient as they looked at Xu Qing with suspicion.

This scene shook the swordsages to the core. They all knew that
the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar had a spirit automaton,
but normally speaking, it stayed in a state of slumber. And in all
the Swordsage Court, only the grand elder could communicate
with it.

Yet right now, Xu Qing said one thing, and it unexpectedly

regained consciousness.

As Xu Qing looked at the eyes which represented the pillar’s spirit

automaton, he activated his Ghost Emperor palace. The eyes of
the Ghost Emperor seated within it started glowing brightly. But
that wasn’t enough for Xu Qing. Waving his hand, he tossed out
some demonization talismans, whereupon the vague image of a
Ghost Emperor mountain appeared.

“Ghost Emperor mountain!”

“Th-that... that....”

People in other prefectures wouldn’t necessarily be familiar with

the Ghost Emperor mountain, and thus wouldn’t understand the
significance of what they were seeing. But cultivators in Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture knew exactly what the Ghost Emperor
mountain signified. And people there could recognize it on sight.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar vibrated

dramatically as those eyes looked out with confusion and a bit of
excitement.

When Xu Qing saw that, he breathed a sigh of relief. His return to

Emperor-Receiving Prefecture was all going to revolve around his
Ghost Emperor palace, and he had needed to do this test to make
sure he was on the right track with his plan.

“Spirit Automaton, do you recognize me?” Xu Qing suddenly said.

The spirit automaton was silent for a few breaths of time. Then it
sent out divine will, not to answer Xu Qing’s question, but to say
four words that carried deep meaning.

“The emperor has awakened!”

That wasn’t exactly what Xu Qing had been expecting. Based on

his theory, the spirit automaton should have said something about
accepting a legacy. That said, it didn’t matter too much. The spirit
automaton’s actions fit in line with his plan.

“Do you mind sending a message to the three spiritual souls and
seven physical souls? Tell them... I’m back.”

Deathblade's ThoughtsI would like to thank the team who has

been helping out behind the scenes: Jeddrick, Stompound, and
The Fiery Moth. Thanks to UnifiedDivide for proofreading.And of
course, thank you to all you readers! I’m glad you’re enjoying the
story, and I love reading all the comments.Finally, if you haven’t
already, take just a minute to sign up for my email newsletter! I
don’t send out newsletters very often, but it is one of the main
ways I make announcements about new projects, from
translations to original works.
I would like to thank the team who has been helping out behind
the scenes: Jeddrick, Stompound, and The Fiery Moth. Thanks to
UnifiedDivide for proofreading.

And of course, thank you to all you readers! I’m glad you’re
enjoying the story, and I love reading all the comments.

Finally, if you haven’t already, take just a minute to sign up for my

email newsletter! I don’t send out newsletters very often, but it is
one of the main ways I make announcements about new projects,
from translations to original works.
Chapter 500: I’m... Back! (2)

A good businessman will usually have a way to certify that their

merchandise is in good condition, to ensure they have the trust
and approval of the customer. If the businessman skips that step
and just directly starts trying to sell the product to the customer,
the results wouldn’t be as good. But with certified proof from an
impartial party, things would be very different.

That was why Xu Qing needed to come to the Supreme Beginning

Netherflight Pillar. This was only the first step in his plan, but it was
a very important one. If this part of the plan didn’t work out, then
he had contingencies, although the plan would then have become
a lot more complicated.

His ultimate goal was to be a good businessman, and make a deal

with the Ghost Emperor’s three spiritual souls and seven physical
souls. The spirit automaton of the Supreme Beginning Netherflight
Pillar provided his certification.

After an incense stick’s worth of time, the Supreme Beginning

Netherflight Pillar’s spirit automaton used a special method to
communicate with the three spiritual souls and seven physical
souls. After that, Xu Qing left.

He stood atop Qingqin’s right head as the great bird flew in the
direction of the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain.
The further south he got, the less snow there was. The lands
gradually changed from white to green, until eventually he saw the
Everlasting Immortal Profundity River. All of a sudden, he found
himself wrapped up in memories. How could he have imagined
when he left that he would end up being gone for years? And how
could he have guessed that he would return like this?

Qingqin let loose a caw that brought Xu Qing out of his memories.

“Senior, we can’t just randomly go around wiping out species. But

I’ll try to find a good opportunity for you soon.”

Qingqin seemed a bit disappointed as he flapped his wings and

followed Xu Qing’s directions toward the Three-Spirits Dao-
Suppressing Mountain. Not too much time passed before they had
arrived.

In these lands, the mountains were like skeletons, the trees were
like bones. Human skin formed the ground covering, with clumps
of hairlike vegetation. And it was scraped dry by a harsh wind that
turned everything as dark as night. From high in the air, it was
possible to see mounds of corpses and pools of blood
everywhere. A hellish stench filled the place.

In the past, Xu Qing had wondered why the Swordsage Court

allowed an organization like this to exist. But now he understood.
The Ghost Emperor wasn’t really dead. And he was so powerful
that his three spiritual souls and seven physical souls possessed
undying power. In other words, as long as the Ghost Emperor still
existed, they couldn’t perish. Perhaps it wasn’t that they couldn’t
die, but rather, that it was impossible to kill them. What was more,
if the situation got extremely urgent, and they were willing to give
up their independence, then the Ghost Emperor... might awaken.

If that happened, then the existence of every living being in Sea-

Sealing County could be determined by a single thought on the
part of the Ghost Emperor.

That was something nobody wanted to bet on.

Based on what the Swordsage Palace knew of this ancient

Smoldering God, if he woke up, he would be famished, and it was
entirely possible that he could devour entire prefectures and even
counties. That was why the governor had always treated the
Ghost Emperor with as much care as any forbidden ground.

In the final analysis, it just went to show how much humans had
declined. In the days of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, the three
spiritual souls and seven physical souls would have remained fully
suppressed, and there wouldn’t have been any chance that the
Ghost Emperor could wake up.

The three spiritual souls and seven physical souls all knew the
reality of the situation, which was why they didn’t go too far in
building power structures. And the small nations within their
borders were made up of all sorts of species.
Xu Qing didn’t have a good impression of the three spirits.
However, considering the urgent situation on the front lines, he
had to suppress that dislike.

As he neared the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain, winds

swirled, the ground quaked, and rifts opened up in the sky. In the
past, the mountain had featured three enormous peaks. Now there
were only two. The mountain that had once been Nethersprite’s
home was a crumbled mound. As for the other two mountain
peaks, though, they were still enormous thrones like they had
been before.

On the right side was a huge throne made of bones, and

surrounded by countless deceased souls. Sitting on it was a
gigantic emaciated figure, with a fleshy hump on his back covered
with greenish-red veins that pulsed and wriggled. That was one of
the three spirits, the earthly soul. It was August Spirit
Sunslaughter! He looked up, his gaze cold as he observed
Qingqin flying toward him.

The other mountain peak was surrounded by black mist, making it

difficult to see what was within. However, raspy breathing could be
heard from within. That was the strongest of the Ghost Emperor
mountain’s souls, the heavenly spiritual soul. It was August Spirit
Sporelight!

Surrounding the mountain were countless cultivators who trembled

as they sensed the pressure from above.
“Halt!” said August Spirit Sunslaughter.

“CAW!”

Given how ferocious Qingqin was, there was no way he would just
blithely obey August Spirit Sunslaughter. Instead, he started slowly
flying circles over the mountain. In fact, he even stretched his left
head down and gobbled up some of the cultivators from down
below. Chewing sounds echoed out, mixed with screams.
Apparently Qingqin liked the flavor, so he dropped down and
landed on the ground. His massive frame was even larger than the
mountain itself, so he just stood there eating some of the terrified
cultivators from below while glaring challengingly at the earthly
spiritual soul.

That said, he was aware of Xu Qing’s larger goal here, so after

looking around, he extended his right head out until it was just in
front of the mountain.

August Spirit Sunslaughter ignored the chaos amongst his

subordinates and fixed his gaze on Xu Qing.

“I remember you, insect!” he said coldly. “How dare you come

back here!”

From within the defensive shield cast by Qingqin, Xu Qing looked

back calmly at August Spirit Sunslaughter and said, “If I’m an
insect, then what are you?”
Xu Qing didn’t waste any more words. He activated his Ghost
Emperor palace, and also threw out a handful of demonization
talismans. Instantly, a projection of the Ghost Emperor mountain
appeared. Majestic pressure radiated out as the Ghost Emperor’s
eyes opened, causing the entire Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing
Mountain to tremble.

And yet, August Spirit Sunslaughter’s facial expression remained

the same as before.

“A projection created from enlightenment, inserted into a heavenly

palace, and summoned via Supreme Void demonization talismans.
There’s a lot involved in doing that. But you’re not the only one
who can do it. All of the three spiritual souls and seven physical
souls are still around. What did you think you were going to do?
Say you’re the reincarnation of the Ghost Emperor? That you have
the Ghost Emperor’s legacy?” August Spirit Sunslaughter stared at
Xu Qing. “What a joke! That spirit automaton isn’t on the same
level as us. It’s a servant, nothing more. Its senses are a bit one-
sided, and besides, it surrendered to humans. That message you
had it send us did nothing.

“This war is between you humans and the Holytides. We’re not
going to lift a finger. The fact that you forced Nethersprite into
helping out is already as far as we’ll let you go.”

With that, Sunslaughter closed his eyes.

Xu Qing remained calm. He’d known all along that it wouldn’t be
easy to strike a deal. Given the level of Sunslaughter’s cultivation
base, he would obviously know why Xu Qing had come.

“What happens,” Xu Qing said, “if I take my Ghost Emperor palace

and upgrade it into a nascent soul? And after it’s a nascent soul,
what if I make the Ghost Emperor projection into a dao soul?
Then, what if I take it to the next step, and when I reach the Spirit
Trove level, I turn it into one of my secret troves, and combine it
with a heavenly dao? If I summon it then, will you still look down
on it?”

Sunslaughter’s eyes remained closed as he coolly replied, “You

want the Ghost Emperor as a secret trove? The secret troves of
the Spirit Trove level need to start out as minor worlds that plunder
heavenly daos and assimilate them. Heavenly daos are inherently
arrogant, so even if you assimilate one, you can’t force it to do
anything. You could never even think of fusing one with the Ghost
Emperor!”

“What if it was my personal, life essence heavenly dao, and it

would do anything I wanted?” Xu Qing waved his hand, and his
bluegreen dragon appeared, pulsing with the might of a heavenly
dao, as well as a connection to his life force. When it roared, it
sounded like heavenly thunder crashing in all directions.

August Spirit Sunslaughter’s eyes snapped open. It was the first

time he had reacted visibly.
On the other mountain occupied by the heavenly spiritual soul, the
black mist suddenly stopped seething, and the sound of breathing
ceased.

Xu Qing continued. “What if my cultivation base eventually

reaches the Void Returning level, and I use Void Returning
strength to manifest an entire world? What if I put the Ghost
Emperor mountain in there and turn it into a ghost world? And then
I connect it to the secret trove and my Ghost Emperor projection
which was already fused with a heavenly dao? And they all
combine…? If that happened, and I said I had the legacy of the
Ghost Emperor, would you still say it was impossible?”

After a short moment of silence, August Spirit Sunslaughter

growled, “It’ll take far too long to do that. Besides, there’s no way
of knowing if you’ll actually pull it off!”

Xu Qing shook his head. “I’m not sure why you yourself haven’t
done this. Perhaps it’s because your identity makes it impossible
for you. Or perhaps it would disturb the balance between all of
you. Either way, it doesn’t matter. As for it taking too long, that
doesn’t matter either. What does matter is that I’m giving you a
possibility! It’s the possibility of becoming complete as I get
stronger!

“All I have to do is complete that legacy, and then it won’t matter if

I have complete control over the Ghost Emperor mountain. I’ll still
be able to break the shackles binding you to the mountain. You’ll
be able to keep your undying power, but at the same time, be an
independent entity. In the truest sense, you’ll be free.

“This deal is a simple one for you. You don’t actually have to do
anything. Even that spirit automaton understands the situation.”

Xu Qing was being serious. Based on his previous understanding,

plus details he’d uncovered in the Swordsage Palace, he had
come to realize what the Ghost Emperor’s three spiritual souls and
seven physical souls actually wanted. They wanted independence.
Freedom. And they also wanted to keep their undying power.

Sunslaughter remained silent for a very long moment. He had no

choice but to admit that this swordsage’s hypothesis was logical
and also feasible. And just as the swordsage said, the three
spiritual souls and seven physical souls wouldn’t have to do
anything to make it happen. It would be great if the plan worked,
and if it didn’t, it wouldn’t harm them at all.

He looked over at the black mist, within which was the heavenly
soul.

All of a sudden, an ear-piercing voice erupted from the black mist.

“If we don’t have to do anything, then we shouldn’t have to go to
war with the Holytides.”

Xu Qing breathed an inward sigh of relief. The fact that they were
still talking went to show that his offer had some merit. He knew
full well that he was trying to sell a story. And these people weren’t
fools. But as long as his story was good enough, feasible, and
logical, then it meant he had already hooked them. Now he just
needed to make sure it sounded worth it to them. And that meant
he just needed to fix the right price.

“I don’t want you to go to the battlefield and fight the Holytides,” he

said, his voice softening. “I just want you to help me with
Forbidden by the Zombie. One time. After that, you can sit back
and do nothing. You can just wait for your freedom to come to
you.”

This time, he wasn’t using threats. He was just being practical.

Everything he had said was the truth. All it relied on was him
continuously becoming stronger over time.

In the end, he was still selling a story. But it was a very well-
rounded story. And the price he was asking for wasn’t very
dramatic. Stupid people might be swayed by their emotions to
make a decision, but not these two. These two souls... wouldn’t do
much of anything unless the price was right.

Silence reigned on the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain.

Chapter 501: Half-Step into Smoldering
God! (1)

Xu Qing didn’t push them for an answer. He waited for a moment,

then seeing that neither the heavenly spiritual soul nor the earthly
spiritual soul was responding, he decided not to continue with any
sort of sales pitch.

“August Spirits, please take time to think it over. This evening at

sunset I’ll be waiting outside the Eight Sect Coalition atop Mount
Seagazing.”

With that, he spoke to Qingqin via divine will. Qingqin burped,

cawed, then stretched his wings and flew up into the sky. Clouds
gathered, surrounding Qingqin. They rapidly turned pitch black
and filled with countless lightning bolts. The rumbling of thunder
echoed out. Then Qingqin burst into motion, exploding from the
clouds and shooting in the direction of the Ghost Emperor
mountain.

Two hours later, the giant mountain became visible ahead.

The Ghost Emperor had sat down cross-legged and become an

incredibly formidable mountain. Although the surface of the
mountain had degenerated and ultimately become a ‘garment’ of
plants and vegetation, that couldn’t completely cover the suit of
armor or the two vicious blades that emanated strong, baleful
auras. The Ghost Emperor sat there, facing the direction of the
Forbidden Sea, head slightly bowed as if waiting for something....

Just looking at the spectacular mountain filled Xu Qing’s heart with

emotion. Back when he came here with Master Seventh to seek
enlightenment, he didn’t see the seven physical souls of the Ghost
Emperor mountain. He had stayed in a little residence near the
base of the mountain. [1]

Now that he was back and looking at the real Ghost Emperor
mountain, he felt his Ghost Emperor palace stirring.

Eyes shining, he took a deep breath and threw out some

demonization talismans. As Qingqin got closer to the mountain, a
projection of the Ghost Emperor appeared behind Xu Qing. Wild
colors flashed in heaven and earth. Winds screamed. From a
distance, it was possible to see two Ghost Emperor mountains.
One was large, the other small. One was real, the other was
illusory. The two of them almost seemed to be looking at each
other.

A roar echoed from the real Ghost Emperor mountain, something

that sounded almost like a threat. At the same time, seven
streams of black smoke shot out from the two major worlds resting
on the Ghost Emperor mountain’s shoulders. Each was roughly
300 meters thick, and was extremely ghastly. They all pulsed with
terrifying fluctuations as they rose into the dome of heaven and
transformed into seven enormous faces that looked down at Xu
Qing.

They were bizarre in appearance. Some were human, some were

beastly. There were men and women, old and young represented.
And the middle face actually looked extremely similar to the actual
Ghost Emperor.

Their arrival on the scene caused the air to ripple and distort. What
was actually a bright day turned into something more like a gloomy
evening as immense pressure pulsed down from the faces. A
ferocious and brutal sensation erupted out as they glared down at
Xu Qing with seeming displeasure.

At the same time, ghostly shadows emerged from the two major
worlds, spreading out in all directions. Among those entities were
evil ghosts and grues. They were unhealthy yin entities that had
come to exist after those two major worlds were extinguished.
They spread out to obfuscate the sky and enshroud the lands,
making it seem almost like the gates of hell had been opened.

Of course, such things hardly registered with Qingqin. He even

looked a bit excited, as though he were now wondering what these
evil ghosts tasted like.

Xu Qing stood atop Qingqin’s right head, looking at the seven

faces of smoke. Expression calm, he said, “I already talked things
over with the spirit automaton and the heavenly and earthly
spiritual souls. I don’t want to rehash the same information.
Presumably, the seven of you already know what’s going on.
Tonight at sunset I’ll be waiting on Mount Seagazing outside the
Eight Sect Coalition.”

He clasped hands, bowed, and turned to leave.

Truth be told, he didn’t even need to come here. The three

spiritual souls and seven physical souls were technically two
distinct groups, but they had the same origin. Xu Qing refused to
believe that these seven faces didn’t already know what had
played out at the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain.

That said, even people who knew all the information might come
up with additional demands.

Therefore, it wasn’t a huge surprise that, as Xu Qing turned, the

face that resembled the Ghost Emperor, who ranked first among
the physical souls, spoke in a voice that boomed like thunder.

“I want to see your heavenly dao!”

Xu Qing stopped in place.

Turning to face the first-ranked physical soul, he waved his hand

toward the sky, and a rumbling howl filled the dark canopy of
heaven. The clouds became like an ocean, and the bluegreen
dragon leaped out of it. Its long whiskers rippled as it swirled
through the air, pulsing with astonishing energy and the clear aura
of a heavenly dao.

The seven physical souls looked on silently.

Xu Qing waited for a moment, called back the bluegreen dragon,

then turned to Qingqin’s middle head and clasped hands. Qingqin
knew exactly what Xu Qing was getting at. Cawing, he flew a circle
around the Ghost Emperor mountain, then flapped his wings and
shot off into the distance.

The day passed, and eventually evening approached. It wasn’t a

red evening. Instead, the dome of heaven was a waxy yellow
color, like an old person clinging to life who just couldn’t bear to let
go. As that fading light enveloped Mount Seagazing outside of the
Eight Sect Coalition, the evening hour arrived.

Xu Qing stood at the summit of the mountain. To his right was the
Eight Sect Coalition, which had long since activated its defensive
shields. Martial law had been imposed there, just in case the seals
on Forbidden by the Zombie failed. The sect wasn’t completely
locked down, but was close. All of the sects had activated their
taboo treasures, which would occasionally send pulsing beams of
radiant light into the depths of the sea.

In front of Xu Qing was the pitch-black Forbidden Sea.

Waves crashed there, smashing into the rocky shore and creating
a brown froth that piled up on the shoreline. The froth would build
up, dissipate, and then build up again. The mutagen in the
Forbidden Sea’s waters was also in that froth, and when the froth
dissipated, the mutagen would spread out into the area.

Forbidden by the Zombie is in that direction. Xu Qing continued

looking out at the sea.

He waited. Time passed. Eventually, evening deepened, and

darkness started to gobble up the light. Just when it seemed like
the sky was going to turn black, a huge figure appeared a great
distance away in the canopy of heaven.

He was emaciated, with a vicious-looking head and a cancerous

growth on his back that made him look like a hunchback. He was
none other than August Spirit Sunslaughter!

He wasn’t alone. Astonishingly, there was a dwarf standing on his

head.

The dwarf wore a black robe and had tiny, beady eyes along with
a bulging forehead. He had two very long eyebrows that drooped
down to his cheeks, a recessed chin, and a mustache shaped
roughly like the character 八, with the ends curled up so they
resembled tusks. In short, the dwarf was very ugly. However, the
fact that he was standing on August Spirit Sunslaughter’s head
made it clear how high of a position he commanded. He was
surrounded by a black cloud that looked like it was formed from
countless shrieking centipedes. The dwarf was looking at Xu Qing.
He was, of course, August Spirit Sporelight.

“We’ll help you this one time,” August Spirit Sporelight said in a
raspy voice. It was the voice of the heavenly spiritual soul that Xu
Qing had heard earlier.

Next, rumbling sounds filled the dark sky as seven enormous

faces appeared. They were also looking at Xu Qing.

“We’ll help you this one time!” they said, all at the same time. Their
voices echoed like thunder.

“Okay.” Xu Qing nodded. Since the deal had already been struck,
there was no need for formalities.

Every single one of the seven physical souls was in the first stage
of Void Returning, with the exception of the first-ranking soul,
which was in the second stage. August Spirit Sunslaughter, the
earthly spiritual soul, was surrounded by second-stage projections,
and August Spirit Sporelight, the heavenly spiritual soul, was so
powerful Xu Qing had a hard time assessing him. However, given
that he was the leader of all the three spiritual souls and seven
physical souls, it went without saying that he was extraordinary.
With battle prowess like that, all it would take was one instance of
help at the right time.

That was even truer considering that they hadn’t come alone. Xu
Qing could sense the aura of countless evil cultivators from the
Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing Mountain, as well as a host of evil
ghosts.

Both of these groups, which were two of the major powers of

Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, had come in full force. Xu Qing
also had Qingqin. With the full power of Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture in play, Xu Qing was confident that Forbidden by the
Zombie could be fully sealed.

With such thoughts on his mind, he took a step forward. Qingqin

materialized in front of him and accepted him. Then the great bird
looked around, let loose a deafening cry, and flew out over the
Forbidden Sea.

Behind Qingqin, August Spirit Sunslaughter licked his lips and

followed. August Spirit Sporelight clasped his hands behind his
back and stood atop August Spirit Sunslaughter, his face
completely expressionless. Above them, the clouds seethed as the
seven massive faces also followed along. Within those clouds
were innumerable evil ghosts, pulsing with a formidable aura that
made them seem like a horde of devils that darkened the sky.

The sky was dark, and the Forbidden Sea was just as dark. Waves
surged, and mutagen pulsed. Currents flowed under the surface,
and it was just possible to see sea beasts swimming through
them. They were a lot different than Xu Qing remembered. Most of
them existed in various stages of rot. And by inhaling deeply, it
was possible to detect the aroma of decay in the salty sea air.
Clearly, this incident with Forbidden by the Zombie had severely
contaminated the Forbidden Sea. After all, the true heart of the
sea was Forbidden by the Zombie, which made it easy for the
containments to freely spread through most of the sea.

Up ahead, Xu Qing spotted a massive wave heading in a certain

direction. Meanwhile, a stiff wind built up. The two forces slammed
into each other with a deafening crash, sending more waves,
some dozens of meters tall, others hundreds, sweeping out in all
directions. The Forbidden Sea looked like an irascible giant,
frantically trying to ease the pain that wracked its body.

The fluctuations of magical techniques merged with the sound of

sutras being chanted, all coming from the direction of Forbidden
by the Zombie.

As Xu Qing continued on his way, he noticed the color of the sea

changing. He saw streaks of gold spreading out, as if the area
around Forbidden by the Zombie were slowly becoming golden.
The closer he got to Forbidden by the Zombie, the more gold he
saw. It got denser and more numerous, and glittered dazzlingly.

The sound of sutras and the fluctuations of magical techniques

became more boundless, until they were like the cry of countless
people.

“A person can fail the dao; the dao cannot fail a person. A person
can lose their life; a life cannot lose the dao.
“Things touched by a god are given life by that spirit. Gains are not
gifted by heaven, failures are not seized by a person.”

The sutra seemed capable of stirring one’s soul; as soon as Xu

Qing heard it, his expression flickered, and his mind vibrated as
though his soul might leave his body.

But then Qingqin’s head shifted slightly beneath his feet, and
magenta light spread out. Daybreak light erupted from Xu Qing.
Thus, his soul was kept under control, and ceased attempting to
escape.

The physical and spiritual souls behind him looked out at the
Forbidden Sea with gleaming eyes.

A shocking formation was active on the Forbidden Sea right now.

From his position in the sky, Xu Qing looked around and saw
masses of cultivators from all over Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.
And he also saw what Forbidden by the Zombie looked like now.

It resembled a massive golden face.

1. Xu Qing arrived at the mountain with Master Seventh in chapter

305. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to fyousite for the review!

Thank you to fyousite for the review!

Chapter 501: Half-Step into Smoldering
God (2)

The face covered as much of the sea as the entire dimension of

Forbidden by the Zombie. It bulged slightly out of the water,
massive and ghastly, struggling as if to emerge from the depths.
Terrifying fluctuations rolled out as the closed eyes of the face
constantly tried to open. This was the source of the corpse-like
stench that spread out and tried to invade all living beings.

From what Xu Qing could sense, there were some huge

differences between this face and the gods he had encountered.
The golden face definitely wasn’t a god, but it did seem like it had
been formed by the aura of a god.

The reason it hadn’t broken free was that there was a net
restraining it formed from 999 blood threads. That meant there
were very nearly 1,000 blood threads. Every single one was
affixed to the surface of the sea, and was held in place by various
cultivators from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.

There were a total of 1,998 points of contact surrounding the face.

Each was a spell formation heart, which meant that there were a
total of 1,998 spell formations in play. These formations all worked
together to create a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering grand
formation. The formation completely surrounded Forbidden by the
Zombie, restraining the huge face. From high in the sky, it was
apparent that within each formation sat over a thousand
cultivators.

Xu Qing saw many familiar faces among them. All-in-all, there

were around 2,000,000 cultivators.

Represented among them were species from all over Emperor-

Receiving Prefecture and the Forbidden Sea, and they formed a
terrifying force. There were even some Qi Condensation
cultivators in the group, which made it obvious that Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture and the Forbidden Sea were going all out in
this effort. All were chanting the same sutra.

“We embody the energy of heaven and earth; the dao shall curse
the ghosts to be sealed.

“Curse gold to melt itself; curse wood to chop itself; curse water to
drink itself; curse fire to extinguish itself; curse mountains to
collapse themselves.

“Seal ghosts to kill themselves; seal prayers to end themselves;

seal boils to excise themselves; seal gods to bind themselves.

“The paramount yin-yang dao sealing cannot be violated.”

The voices of over 2,000,000 people combined, creating a

shocking sound that resonated high into the sky. It was like
countless bolts of heavenly thunder crashing at the same time. It
was an iron-clad command that instantly made the godly might
dim.

The sight caused the spiritual and physical souls to react with
visible surprise, and Xu Qing was also taken aback.

Meanwhile, there were two extremely powerful auras present, one

in the sky, one beneath the surface of the water.

Reinforcing the formation from the sky were streams of power

from twenty-six taboo treasures. Apparently, most of the taboo
treasures in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture were focused there,
creating a projected image.

It was readily apparent what levels of taboo treasures were at play.

At the very top was the strongest. It was an ancient bronze bell
that emanated an aura so ancient it was impossible to tell how old
it was. Every time the bell tolled, it would shake the souls of those
who heard it, and would cause the gigantic face below to frown. It
contained the power of emotions, and could influence the hearts
and minds of all living things. That was the taboo treasure from the
Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society.

Beneath the bell were three slightly weaker taboo treasures. One
of them was a statue with its arms wrapped around its chest, bent
over and pierced with countless thorns. Its facial expression was a
mixture of pain and piety. There was also a green spear that
emanated piercing sensations and a strong baleful aura. The final
treasure on that level was Seven Blood Eyes’ giant mirror, which
featured seven opened eyes that all glowed with gruish light.

Below those were slightly weaker taboo treasures, and there were
a lot of them. They included the other treasures from the Eight
Sect Coalition, as well as additional treasures from the Supreme
Arbiter Immortal Society and the Church of Departure.

However, they did not form the overall structure of the formation in
the sky.

That formation was also made from taboo treasures, but they were
from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture’s Swordsage Court. They
were secret reserve powers from the Swordsage Court, and they
were actually two formations conforming to yin and yang. The
yang formation was in the sky, and the yin formation was at the
bottom of the sea.

The two formations bolstered each other and constantly emitted

suppressing power.

Looking down through the water, it was possible to see that the yin
formation suppressing the face contained over eighty Void
Returning cultivators from across Emperor-Receiving Prefecture,
seated cross-legged. They included members of the Eight Sect
Coalition, the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, the Church of
Departure, as well as patriarchs from other species. All of them
were following the lead of the Swordsage Court. They included the
Void Returning swordsages that Xu Qing remembered from the
Swordsage Court.

Especially noteworthy was the grand elder, whose terrifying might

was enough to power about ten percent of the formation. August
Spirit Nethersprite sat next to him. Though her expression was
placid, she had no choice but to lend aid.

Sir Bloodsmelter, Master Seventh, and Arch-Immortal Plumdark

were all there as well. Master Seventh had experienced a
breakthrough recently. In fact, given his position in the formation, it
seemed that he had already surpassed Sir Bloodsmelter in terms
of importance.

All of that went to show that, thanks to the month of hard work to
suppress Forbidden by the Zombie, they had managed to keep it
in check. Although Forbidden by the Zombie was terrifyingly
powerful, the combined power of the prefectural forces was
enough to seal it, given enough time.

When Xu Qing arrived, he immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Numerous streams of divine will swirled to lock onto him.

The spiritual and physical souls were clearly taking the situation
very seriously, and even Qingqin had reigned in some of his
ferocity. The sight of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture’s formations
was nothing less than astonishing.
The various patriarchs sitting in the yin formation opened their
eyes and looked up. Master Seventh, Sir Bloodsmelter, and
Plumdark all looked at Xu Qing. The latter two seemed surprised.
Master Seventh looked thoughtful.

When the Swordsage Court’s grand elder saw Xu Qing, Qingqin,

the heavenly and earthly souls, and the seven physical souls, his
eyes glittered. He wasn’t surprised at all, as he had been
expecting Xu Qing. After Xu Qing entered Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture, while he was on the way to the Three-Spirits Dao-
Suppressing Mountain, he had sent a message to the grand elder
notifying him of the plan, and letting him know about the situation
with his Ghost Emperor palace. The grand elder had approved of
the plan.

After all, it was an inherently dangerous plan, and bringing the

Ghost Emperor’s spiritual and physical souls into the situation
came with the risk of betrayal. Logically speaking, the chances of
that seemed small, but they still had to be on guard in case it
happened.

Xu Qing and the grand elder had talked it out. The grand elder
agreed, and told Xu Qing to go through with the plan.

“Swordsage Xu Qing reporting for duty. Well met, Grand Elder!”

From his spot atop Qingqin’s right head, Xu Qing clasped hands
and bowed. “Your humble servant has invited the two spiritual
souls of heaven and earth, plus the seven physical souls here
today. That’s a total of nine members of the Senior generation
here to help. I also have Senior Qingqin willing to lend a hand.
Please, Grand Elder, let us know what to do.”

Qingqin let loose a caw to emphasize his agreement.

Xu Qing then turned to Master Seventh and the patriarch and

offered a respectful bow.

“Greetings, Master. Greetings, Patriarch.”

Next he looked at Plumdark, who smiled at him with glittering

eyes.

Master Seventh stroked his beard, and Sir Bloodsmelter’s

eyebrows danced up and down in pride. However, given the
enormity of the work at hand, none of them could afford to be
distracted.

As for the grand elder, he didn’t waste any time. “Xu Qing, please
reveal your Ghost Emperor mountain!”

Xu Qing nodded. Thankfully, his last trip to the Supreme Void

World had left him with enough demonization talismans to
summon the Ghost Emperor a few times.

He activated the talismans, and the Ghost Emperor mountain

rumbled into being. The mountain was shocking in appearance as
it hovered in the dome of heaven. It looked extremely lifelike, and
sent out maddening pressure. Even more noteworthy was the
Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar that rested on its knees,
glittering brightly.

More shocking than all of that, though, was that the face
resembled Xu Qing.

The moment the Ghost Emperor appeared, the more than

2,000,000 cultivators from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and the
Forbidden Sea reacted with visible astonishment. Obviously, most
of them knew about the Ghost Emperor mountain in general, but
to see it manifested by Xu Qing was a bit of a shock.

Among those who were shocked was Master Seventh. He almost

couldn’t believe what he was seeing. And then he thought back to
what he had taught Xu Qing about materialization techniques
before he left for the county capital. All of his advice had been
merely theoretical, and he hadn’t truly thought that Xu Qing might
succeed. Yet now... he could see with his own eyes that the Ghost
Emperor mountain really was right there. Clearly, it had been done
via a different method than he suggested, but when all was said
and done, there it was, right in front of him.

It really worked? he thought, feeling quite at a loss.

Around then, the Swordsage Court’s grand elder said, “August

Spirit Sporelight, August Spirit Sunslaughter, and you seven
physical soul Fellow Daoists, I’m aware of the deal you struck with
Xu Qing. I hereby solemnly swear that after this day, you can sit
back and wait for the next step of the plan to unfold.

“Since you’ll only be helping this one time, please fuse with this
illusory ghost mountain. Then, after your three spiritual souls and
seven physical souls have combined temporarily, please take
action!

“All allied species from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, in a

moment, add your power to the Ghost Emperor projection to
ensure it stays whole. Senior Qingqin, please release your life
essence godlight to do the same thing. We need the Ghost
Emperor projection to stay whole for only a short time.

“Xu Qing, stay alert. This instance of destined opportunity and

good fortune for Emperor-Receiving Prefecture is all due to you!”

Xu Qing noticed Master Seventh nod in his direction, and thus,

without hesitation, cast his senses out.

August Spirit Sunslaughter said nothing, while August Spirit

Sporelight gave the grand elder a long, hard look. The request that
had just been made surpassed what he had expected, yet was
perfectly reasonable. There was no conspiracy at play. Sporelight
and the other souls didn’t want the Ghost Emperor to awaken. Nor
did the various groups in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. There
was a tense situation on the front lines of battle, and the sealing of
Forbidden by the Zombie had reached a critical juncture. Besides,
if this was some trick, he felt confident that he could deal with it.
Therefore, he nodded, and then looked at Xu Qing.

“You’re obviously very important to the Swordsage Palace. Well,

that’s fine. Since we don’t have to do anything after this, I wish you
success in your future endeavors!”

With that, he turned into a white beam of light that shot toward Xu
Qing’s Ghost Emperor. As he fused with it, the mountain trembled,
and its aura erupted. It now pulsed with a third-stage Void-
Returning energy, causing it to be surrounded by countless minor
worlds.

August Spirit Sunslaughter’s eyes glowed; he had never done

anything like this before, but that didn’t stop him from turning into a
second beam of white light that shot toward the mountain. After he
was fully fused, the Ghost Emperor mountain’s aura erupted
again. The minor worlds around it started shattering and reforming
in an endless cycle.

Next, the seven physical souls also became beams of light that
fused with the Ghost Emperor mountain. The Ghost Emperor
projection was obviously unable to sustain such a fusion, and
began teetering on the verge of collapse. However, Qingqin sent
forth a beam of magenta light to bolster it. At the same time, the
2,000,000 cultivators below added in the blessing of the
formation’s power.
The image of the Ghost Emperor grew even clearer, and began to
pulse with heaven-shaking, earth-shattering pressure. It was as if
the Ghost Emperor had actually come!

The countless minor worlds started merging with each other

amidst their cycles of destruction and creation. Eventually, they
became part of the two major worlds on the Ghost Emperor’s right
and left shoulders. And those worlds, previously dark and dim,
began to shine with godlight.

An aura very close to that of a Smoldering God spread out over

the Forbidden Sea. The clouds in the sky trembled and collapsed
in the face of an aura that commanded ultimate respect! Much of
the Forbidden Sea sank down, as if the sea itself were bowing its
head!

Whether it was cultivators of varying species from Emperor-

Receiving Prefecture or the strange denizens of the Forbidden
Sea, all were shaken to the core. It was an instinct built into their
life force, a veneration that came from the depths of their soul.
They trembled uncontrollably, and a profound feeling of terror filled
them.

It was something they couldn’t resist or avoid. They could only

yield to that terror that weighed down on them from above. It was
as if this being commanded the might of an emperor that all living
beings would immediately kowtow to. It was as if this being
commanded imperial majesty that all species would bow and pray
to. It was immeasurably domineering!

The chanting of the sutra was stifled, and the formations in the
area trembled. The golden face stopped struggling. Having sensed
an immense threat, its eyes suddenly opened.

This was a being that was half a step into the Smoldering God
level. If Nethersprite was added as the final spiritual soul, it would
be a Smoldering God! However, the grand elder had not released
that final soul.

What was more, if Qingqin’s godlight vanished, then the Ghost

Emperor would crumble. So there were great limitations at work.
The help of the 2,000,000 cultivators served the same function.
What was more, this projected emperor belonged to Xu Qing, and
thus he had some measure of control over it.

“Ghost Emperor, please crush Forbidden by the Zombie with the

might of a single attack!” the grand elder shouted.

Deathblade's ThoughtsThis chapter will conclude with the next

release, Chapter 501 (part 3).

This chapter will conclude with the next release, Chapter 501 (part
3).
Chapter 501: Half-Step into Smoldering
God (3)

The Ghost Emperor, which was just about to collapse, extended

his right hand toward Forbidden by the Zombie, then pushed it
down. That motion released heaven-rending, earth-crushing
power. Countless dao lineaments manifested, and innumerable
magical laws appeared. There were even heavenly dao auras in
the air, offering blessings of might! Countless supernatural
phenomena filled heaven and earth. Humanoid images stood tall.
Beastly images howled. Heavenly maids scattered blossoms.
Ancient Emperors watched attentively.

As the hand descended, it seemed to replace the dome of heaven,

crushing down. Intense, deafening rumbling sounds echoed out!
The power of heavenly might soared to the limit.

In all directions, the water of the Forbidden Sea exploded. Water

sprayed everywhere as an endless tempest built on the Forbidden
Sea, sweeping across all of the islands there, causing the sea
level to rise by hundreds of meters.

The golden face was instantly inundated, yet it fought back

defiantly. Its eyes were open, as was its mouth, as it howled in
frustration. However, the sealing net surged with force. After the
brief pause in the chanting of the daoist sutra, it returned with a
thunderous roar, clamping down with suppressive strength.

In the end, the face could do nothing but howl begrudgingly as it

sank down.

Previously, the sealing would have worked, but required much

more time. But that was only with the combined might of an entire
prefecture, nearly a hundred species from the Forbidden Sea, a
host of top experts and taboo treasures.

Adding in the palm strike of a half-step Smoldering God, it sped up

the process dramatically. The reality was that not even the might
of a half-step Smoldering God was enough to seal Forbidden by
the Zombie with a single blow. It was only because of the
combined strength put into play by Emperor-Receiving Prefecture
that one single blow was enough to complete the sealing.

Neither side could have accomplished it so quickly on their own.

When the golden face sank into the sea, covered by the blood-
colored net, the image of the Ghost Emperor couldn’t remain
whole. Just before it collapsed, the somewhat vacant eyes of the
Ghost Emperor didn’t look at anyone present. Instead, it looked at
the sinking face. Then it opened its mouth as if to say something,
except no words came out. A boom rang out, and the Ghost
Emperor crumbled into dust.
Rain fell from the sky, like weeping. Heavenly daos dispersed, like
sighing. The supernatural phenomena departed, like demolished
daos.

However, nine beams of light remained, shooting out to form the

heavenly and earthly spiritual souls, plus the seven physical souls.
All looked dazed, but at the same time, thrummed with emotional
fluctuations. This event had been momentous for them.

What was more, they knew it probably wouldn’t happen a second

time, unless Xu Qing was willing to make it happen. It required
protection from Qingqin’s godlight, and more importantly, the entire
might of a prefecture joined with that of nearly a hundred
nonhumans, all under the command of the Swordsage Court,
backed by dozens of taboo treasures and nearly a hundred Void
Returning experts. That wasn’t likely to happen ever again.

The catastrophe in Forbidden by the Zombie had been temporarily

ended!

No one could wipe forbidden grounds out of existence. From

ancient times until now, whenever a forbidden ground went out of
control, their method of resolution was sealing.

As for this particular catastrophe, it was the result of outside

meddling. The Holytides wanted it to happen to give them an
advantage in the war. They needed to limit the battle prowess
Sea-Sealing County was capable of fielding, and had therefore
dispatched agents into Forbidden by the Zombie to secretly open
the ancient bronze door there. They only opened it a crack, but
that was enough to cause Emperor Zombie to be devoured.
Without that emperor, the various entities that resided in Forbidden
by the Zombie had nothing to keep them in check, and they began
proliferating.

But that was only one aspect of the catastrophe. The aura of a god
seeped out of the opened door, which was the second aspect.

Therefore, the sealing which had been carried out didn’t just
prevent the various evil entities inside Forbidden by the Zombie
from escaping to cause harm, it also ensured that the door was
tightly shut again. That was the most challenging aspect of the
sealing formation that had been powered by over 2,000,000
cultivators. When the door of a god was opened even by a crack, it
wasn’t easy to shut.

Emperor-Receiving Prefecture had gone through countless trials

and tribulations since the fighting started. And they had pushed
the door until it was on the very verge of being closed. Then a half-
step Smoldering God arrived and sped things up, completing the
sealing. The only thing left to do was a bit of cleanup work.

As for Xu Qing, he had benefited greatly. His expression was

currently blank. Thanks to his connection to the Ghost Emperor
projection, his mind had gone through a heaven-shaking, earth-
shattering baptism.
That baptism had a profound effect on his senses. To any other
observer, the arrival of a half-step Smoldering God would be an
incomparably shocking assault on one’s vision. It could even be
likened to a painting. In the end, no matter how clearly those
observers saw what was happening, they were only ‘seeing.’

That wasn’t the case with Xu Qing. He was the one who had
created that ‘scene’ and that ‘assault on vision.’ He participated in
it, and had been an integral part. He was not an outside observer.
He was a participant. Therefore, what he had sensed surpassed
what anyone else could possibly know.

The power of a half-step Smoldering God had in some ways led

Xu Qing in a certain direction, and given him a window through
which to observe what it meant to be a Smoldering God.

Most importantly, it affected his understanding and his soul. He

had gone through an astonishing expansion of understanding;
going forward, whenever he faced powerful experts, he would
have a much stronger mental state! It was roughly the same when
it came to his soul. A half-step Smoldering God had been created
out of nothing, and that provided a deep tempering. It wasn’t a
tangible benefit, but it was something that would prove very useful
later on.

Xu Qing took a deep breath and looked down toward the grand
elders and the others, who were rising up from the yin formation
now that the face was sealed.
Xu Qing knew that though the grand elder had been mostly
concerned about the sealing, he had also provided an amazing
destined opportunity. Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed solemnly
to the grand elder.

The grand elder gave a faint nod in return, and a look of approval
appeared on his exhausted face. Xu Qing had gotten his start in
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, and this grand elder had viewed
him as important even back then.

Sir Bloodsmelter felt similarly, and it went without saying that

Master Seventh was the same. Master Seventh stroked his beard
looking very pleased with himself.

Arch-Immortal Plumdark’s eyes overflowed with an unreadable

expression, but her gaze was clearly focused on Xu Qing.

Then a loud caw rang out, causing all eyes to shift to Qingqin.

Qingqin hovered haughtily in the air, and his call was apparently a
reminder to everyone that he had also played an important role.

“Many thanks, Senior Qingqin!” the grand elder said respectfully,

clasping his hands and bowing.

The other Void Returning experts all bowed in thanks, as did the
2,000,000 cultivators.

Qingqin seemed very pleased with the prestige he had garnered.

He instinctively looked in the direction of South Phoenix, and
suddenly realized it was strange that his Eldest Brother hadn’t
come. But then again, his Eldest Brother had his own set of
principles, and obviously didn’t like brushing shoulders with all
sorts of species. At least, that’s what Qingqin believed was the
case.

The heavenly and earthly spiritual souls and the seven physical
souls had all recovered. August Spirit Sporelight, who was the
leader, looked grimly at the grand elder, and then Xu Qing.

“We’ve done our part. Now it’s your turn.”

Xu Qing nodded gravely.

August Spirit Sporelight turned and vanished. August Spirit

Sunslaughter did the same. The seven physical souls turned into
smoke that flew up into the air and vanished. During the entire
time, none of them had even looked at Nethersprite.

If the Swordsage Court wanted to return her, they would. If they

didn’t, then everyone seemed fine to leave her behind as a
hostage. Nethersprite was obviously disappointed with that, but
couldn’t do anything about it. She knew full well that her
compatriots cared more about their personal freedom than any
bonds of companionship.

After the Ghost Emperors souls were gone, and the cleanup work
began, the grand elder called for a meeting with Xu Qing and the
Void Returning patriarchs. One of the people in that group was the
president of the Eight Sect Coalition. He looked at Xu Qing
differently than he had before. He showed more respect.

“Xu Qing, do you mind telling us what you plan to do next?” the
grand elder asked, massaging the bridge of his nose.

The gazes of the dozens of Void Returning cultivators all shifted to

Xu Qing. Any other cultivator who had so many gazes like that
locked onto them would started trembling uncontrollably. But after
everything Xu Qing had experienced, including the gazes of
multiple gods, he had no trouble having some Void Returning
cultivators looking at him.

“The situations on the northern and western fronts are critical. The
power of the taboo treasures is weakening. The front lines are in
danger. Palace Lord Kong issued a dharmic decree giving me the
power to represent him in all matters. My main job is to gather
resources and troops from throughout Sea-Sealing County. I’ve
already handled the supplies, and in fact, they should already
have reached the battlefield. In terms of troops, my thoughts
immediately turned to Injustice Prefecture and Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture.”

Xu Qing looked at the grand elder.

The grand elder nodded, looked around at the group, then calmly
said, “What do all of you think?”

Sir Bloodsmelter was the first to respond. “We fight!”

Master Seventh’s facial expression remained the same as ever as
he nodded.

Arch-Immortal Plumdark looked at Xu Qing. “The Dark Serenity

Sect will fight.”

The other patriarchs of the Eight Sect Coalition thought the matter
over briefly, then agreed. Finally, the president looked at Xu Qing
and gave an encouraging smile.

“It’s only natural that our Eight Sect Coalition will support its dao
child. And more than that, we support humankind!”

The grand elder turned to look at the other Void-Returning

cultivators. “In that case, what about the Supreme Arbiter Immortal
Society and the Church of Departure? And what about all you
other human sects from throughout Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture?”

The Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society had about ten Void

Returning cultivators. They exchanged glances. Obviously, they
had no reason to refuse the call, so they nodded in agreement.

The group from the Church of Departure took a moment longer,

but also agreed.

The grand elder gave one final look at the group then turned to Xu
Qing with a somber expression. “In that case, Secretary-General
Xu, please represent Palace Lord Kong and give us your orders!”
Xu Qing’s expression was grave as he took out the palace lord
command medallion and raised it high. As the medallion glittered
with bright light, Xu Qing spoke in an imposing voice.

“I hereby call for all organizations in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture

to follow the command of the Swordsage Court and make haste to
Injustice Prefecture. There, you will help resolve the catastrophe
with Forbidden by the Garment. Afterwards, the combined forces
of both prefectures will head to the western front!”

“The palace lord’s orders shall be followed!” the grand elder said,
bowing solemnly.

The swordsages who flanked him all had very serious expressions
on their faces. As they bowed their heads to acknowledge the
orders, somber and desolate auras pulsed from them. The other
Void Returning experts all inclined their heads to the command
medallion.

Two hours later, the grand elder of the Swordsage Court stood at
the head of a new army.

The nonhumans who had come from various parts of the

Forbidden Sea to help with Forbidden by the Zombie weren’t
interested in participating in another war, so they took their leave.
The Swordsage Court didn’t cause any problems for them, and in
fact, courteously saw them off.
Not everyone from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture joined the new
army. People from various sects and species stayed behind to
take care of matters with Forbidden by the Zombie.

Among those who the grand elder ordered to stay behind were
Master Seventh and Arch-Immortal Plumdark. They were to be in
charge of the final cleanup at Forbidden by the Zombie.

When Xu Qing heard that order, he glanced at the grand elder. In

his heart, he suspected that the grand elder had done that
because of him. After all, things on the battlefield could get very
dangerous.

Xu Qing accepted the situation without comment.

Everyone else was to be part of the new army. The Seven Blood
Eyes contingent would be led by Sir Bloodsmelter.

At the behest of the grand elder, all Emperor-Receiving Prefecture

sects sent the power of their taboo treasures to the county capital.
As a result, the golden net shimmered briefly above Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture. With more taboo treasure power under the
control of the county capital, the northern and western fronts both
grew a bit stronger.

And with that, Emperor-Receiving Prefecture’s army headed

toward Injustice Prefecture.
From a distance, it was possible to see tens of thousands of
massive flying ships moving through the air. They were followed
by even larger numbers of smaller magical ships. The movement
of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture’s army was quite impressive.
Wherever it went, immense pressure weighed down in all
directions.

Deathblade's ThoughtsProfound thanks to dogofwar and YoonC

for the reviews!

Profound thanks to dogofwar and YoonC for the reviews!

Chapter 502: I’m Right Here, Little Junior
Brother!! (1)

The grand army passed through the lands, imbued with a spirit
that could conquer mountains and rivers. Any evil elements in
Sea-Sealing County scattered in front of it. Intense rumbling
sounds filled heaven and earth, and a somber and desolate aura
spread out in all directions. Tens of thousands of massive flying
ships blasted through the clouds.

Xu Qing flew off of Qingqin’s right head and landed on the largest
flying ship of them all, the Swordsage Court’s, which headed up
the procession. Sir Bloodsmelter was there as well. Xu Qing had
come to ask him about Forbidden by the Zombie. After all, the
golden hand he’d seen stretching out of that bronze door had
made a lasting impression on him. [1]

“Forbidden by the Zombie is like the other forbidden grounds,” Sir

Bloodsmelter explained. “All were created when the eyes of the
broken face of the god opened a second time. According to the
information we have in the ancient records, it was countless years
ago that the god looked into the depths of the Forbidden Sea at an
ancient bronze door, transforming everything around it. The
second gaze was also cast upon that door.
“Truth be told, it’s not just forbidden grounds that are like this. It’s
the same with forbidden regions. They all have an object as their
foundation. That’s why people will usually try to figure out what the
broken face of the god was looking at. And that’s also why people
have come to the conclusion that the broken face of the god is
carrying out some sort of selection process. As for any details
beyond that, nobody knows.”

If any other person had asked for this information, Sir

Bloodsmelter wouldn’t have gone into such detail. But things were
different when it came to Xu Qing. He took his time to explain
everything. That was simply how he treated his grand-apprentice.

Meanwhile, the explanation so far caused Xu Qing to think about

the forbidden region he had visited during his early days in Seven
Blood Eyes, which was next to the scavenger basecamp in South
Phoenix. Upon peering into its depths, he’d seen a dilapidated
zither. [2]

Sir Bloodsmelter looked at Xu Qing and continued, “The emperor

of Forbidden by the Zombie was created by the energy sent out
into the forbidden ground by that ancient bronze door, which
became part of the surrounding mutagen over many years.

“That’s why, when that bronze door opened, even just a little bit,
the emperor was incapable of resistance. He was devoured. In
some ways, you could consider that forbidden ground to be like a
giant pantry.
“The emperor acted like the pantry custodian, except the reality is
that he was standing in for someone else, and was himself nothing
but food for the taking. The real pantry custodians are asleep.

“And they’re waiting for the eyes of the broken god face to open a
third time. When that third time happens, they’ll awaken, and that
area will turn into a god domain.”

“What about Forbidden by the Phoenix?” Xu Qing asked.

“Forbidden by the Phoenix... is different.” Sir Bloodsmelter shook

his head. “The foundation of that forbidden ground isn’t an object.
It’s Flame Phoenix himself. And Flame Phoenix isn’t asleep. He’s
always been awake. Flame Phoenix could wait for the god’s eyes
to open a third time, or he could decline to wait and ascend to a
higher level of his own volition. That’s why Flame Phoenix is
different.”

“CAW!” called out Qingqin proudly from outside the flying ship.

Surprised, Xu Qing looked out at the huge bird.

Qingqin was actually a bit lazy. He had grabbed onto the bottom of
the ship with his claws and was hanging there upside down, his
three heads swaying as he inhaled and exhaled the clouds. Noting
Xu Qing’s gaze, he lifted his right head. He looked a bit frustrated.
Xu Qing knew exactly what that expression meant. Qingqin
wanted to exterminate a species....
“Just be a little patient, Senior,” Xu Qing said quickly. “You’ll get
your chance!”

His right head dropped back down and continued inhaling and
exhaling the clouds. He seemed quite bored.

Sir Bloodsmelter noted the exchange. Looking thoughtful, he

sighed. “Your Master has some real skills. He’s really blessed to
have taken in you and your Elder Sister as apprentices. It’s also a
blessing for you two. You’ve got to stay alive and keep getting
stronger. Don’t worry about anything else. As long as I’m alive and
kicking, I’ll make sure to watch out for you!”

The praise in his words couldn’t have been more clear.

Xu Qing was very taken aback. “Wait.... Me and my Elder Sister?

What about Eldest Brother and Third Elder Brother?”

Sir Bloodsmelter snorted coldly. “Them? Heh. Right. Forgot about

those two. We cultivators can’t let carnal desires affect us. Your
Third Elder Brother had things under control for a while. But he
just had to go seduce that holy daughter from the Supreme Arbiter
Immortal Society. In the end, he tried to flee the marriage, but
failed. The Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society gathered enough
evidence to track him down and drag him back from where he was
hiding overseas. [3]

“Now he’s stuck in the Supreme Arbiter Immortal Society, forced to

live like a normal person. How tragic! Well, that’s what you get
when your cultivation base is too low.” Sir Bloodsmelter actually
looked angry. “If his cultivation base was high enough, he would
be more like your Master. One glare from your Master is enough to
cow any daoist partner and even her family!”

An odd look appeared in Xu Qing’s eyes as he looked at the

patriarch, and he started wondering if there was a hidden meaning
to the patriarch's words.

“Anyway, your Third Elder Brother is in a really tragic situation, but

your Master doesn’t feel like wasting the time to go save him. Me
either.

“As for your Eldest Brother... I have no idea when it happened

exactly, but sometime recently he suddenly became obsessed with
lust. In fact, roughly half a year ago, he sent a message to your
Master asking him to propose a marriage with some woman
named... Tao something. He ignores his responsibilities, refuses to
be a good swordsage, refuses to focus on his cultivation, and
cares only about lust!”

Xu Qing blinked a few times and refrained from saying anything.

“But you, Fourth Sib, are a perfect example. It’s not that we
cultivators should completely sever sensual desires. Rather, they
aren’t the focus. The cultivation base is the most important thing.

“Once you reach Void Returning, you won’t have to go looking for
a daoist partner. The tall ones, short ones, fat ones, skinny ones,
in fact, every type of female cultivator will line up hoping you pick
them. Trust me, I know a thing or two. Just take my advice and
work hard!”

Sir Bloodsmelter’s words seemed very sincere and heartfelt.

However, Xu Qing, after hesitating a moment, cautiously asked,

“But Second Elder Sister and Huang Yan... aren’t they—”

“That’s different!” Sir Bloodsmelter cleared his throat and looked

out at Qingqin. Apparently, he was done with the conversation.

Xu Qing was a little surprised. But then he noticed what Sir

Bloodsmelter was looking at, and it reminded him of the time he’d
looked at Huang Yan using the Seven Blood Eyes taboo treasure,
and how Huang Yan had seemingly noticed him. Even back then,
he’d gotten the impression there was something unusual about
Huang Yan. [4]

I remember Huang Yan saying something about having a friend in

the county capital who was going to watch out for me.... Upon
recalling that, an outrageous notion occurred to Xu Qing that got
his heart pounding. He suddenly looked at Qingqin. Xu Qing had
always been confused about why Qingqin so readily agreed to
help him. After mulling the matter over a bit, he shoved it aside
and decided to just ask Qingqin about it later when the time was
right. [5]

In that manner, time passed.

As arranged by the Swordsage Court, the grand army of Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture used a long-range teleportation to shorten
the trip to Injustice Prefecture. Three days later, the army reached
a point that was only about six hours from the other prefecture.

During the three days, Xu Qing spent most of his time with Sir
Bloodsmelter, catching up on all the sect matters he had missed
during his time away.

Other bits of time were spent with the grand elder from the
Swordsage Palace, informing him of what he had learned in the
Secretariat Division about the Forbidden by the Garment situation.
Using that information, they formed a general strategy.

“Forbidden by the Garment in Injustice Prefecture is right next to

the Garmentfolk territory,” Xu Qing said. “It’s not a jungle, but
rather, an enormous pitch-black funerary garment. The funerary
garment is extremely inauspicious, and is full of mutagen. Living
beings who enter it find themselves in another world, a bizarre
place of infinite dusk.

“On a fundamental level, this disaster comes down to that black

funerary garment awakening. Those bearing the brunt of the
disaster are not the human sects and the Swordsage Court of
Injustice Prefecture, but rather, the Garmentfolk. The Garmentfolk
aren’t an original native species of Injustice Prefecture. They’re a
new species that came into existence in Forbidden by the
Garment, after the broken face of the god arrived.
“They despise death and love beauty, so the environment of
Forbidden by the Garment wasn’t appropriate for them. They split
ways and became a unique species, which is why they and
Forbidden by the Garment are as intolerant of each other as water
and fire. It goes without saying that the Garmentfolk stand guard
over Forbidden by the Garment.

“The major powers of Injustice Prefecture have teamed up, and

thanks to their hard work, Forbidden by the Garment is almost
completely sealed. Based on the estimates sent by the Swordsage
Court, most of the work is done.”

That was the gist of the information Qing Qiu had compiled for Xu
Qing back in the Secretariat Division. Though the grand elder
knew some of the details, his information wasn’t as
comprehensive.

“In that case,” the grand elder said, “with our help, things should
go as they did with Forbidden by the Zombie. We should be able
to complete the sealing fairly quickly.”

Xu Qing nodded and glanced at August Spirit Nethersprite, who

had shrunk down to the size of a normal person and stood behind
the grand elder. As a prisoner, she had no personal freedom, and
had been required to come with the army. Seeing Xu Qing looking
at her, she hmphed and looked away.
Xu Qing looked away and focused on the discussion with the
grand elder. Eventually, when the army got even closer to Injustice
Prefecture, he returned to Qingqin’s right head.

Right when they were about to cross the border, Xu Qing

remembered the question he’d been planning to ask. Lowering his
voice, he said, “Senior Qingqin. Sir... do you know Huang Yan?”

“CAW?” Qingqin’s three heads, which had all been preening each
other, suddenly turned to look at Xu Qing. They all blinked a few
times.

Seeing Qingqin’s gaze upon him, Xu Qing said, “Senior Qingqin,

maybe we should communicate via divine will...?”

“CAW!” Qingqin’s eyes flashed with displeasure. Apparently, he

was determined to speak only by means of his caws. All three
heads shook back and forth, and he was about to let loose another
caw when, all of a sudden, all three heads swiveled to look toward
the horizon.

It wasn’t just Qingqin. The entire army immediately pulsed with the
fluctuations of magical techniques, all focused on the horizon.

They had arrived in Injustice Prefecture.

There was a reason why everyone in the army was so focused on

what was ahead. There was an extremely strong aura of death
coming from Injustice Prefecture, so strong that it changed the
color of the sky. In fact, it changed the color of everything.

Xu Qing remembered what Injustice Prefecture looked like,

especially the part controlled by the Garmentfolk. The Garmentfolk
occupied at least twenty percent of Injustice Prefecture, and
because of them, the lands were usually very colorful and
beautiful. But right now... everything looked like it was covered
with an ash-colored white. It was an enormous white shroud! [6]

1. Xu Qing saw the bronze door and the hand in chapter 385. ☜

2. Xu Qing saw the zither in chapter 383. ☜

3. It was a passing comment, but the subject of Third Elder

Brother running away to avoid being forced into marriage was
mentioned in chapter 383. ☜

4. Huang Yan noticed Xu Qing looking at him with the taboo

treasure in chapter 383 and . ☜

5. Huang Yan mentioned his friend in the county capital in chapter

380. ☜

6. You might remember a while back in the story when Xu Qing

acquired a strip of a shroud that he used to make the handle for
his dagger. That’s actually a slightly different word in Chinese than
this one, though they both mean the same thing. The other
shroud, which first appeared in chapter 344, uses the more
common and proper word for shroud which, in Chinese, literally
means “corpse-wrapping cloth.” The word for shroud in this
chapter is very similar, and basically means the same thing, but
uses a character that means “cover” instead of “wrap,” so directly
translated it’s “corpse-covering cloth.” None of this is particularly
important, but I just wanted to make sure nobody makes a
connection between this shroud and the other one, at least in
terms of them having the same name, because in Chinese they do
not have exactly the same name. And to forestall any comments
about translation choice, I know there are a handful of synonyms
for ‘shroud,’ but in my opinion they’re too obscure, and in this
instance, it makes more sense to use an easily understandable
word. ☜
Chapter 502: I’m Right Here, Little Junior
Brother!! (2)

Looking closely, it looked like the huge shroud was made of

countless individual Garmentfolk who had been fused together.
There were shirts, pants, hats, gloves, and all sorts of other
apparel. But none of them were colorful. They were all ashen
white. The terrifying fluctuations rolling out from the shroud made it
so that the sky seemed as dark as evening. It was the same color
as the skin of a rotting corpse, and created a very oppressive
atmosphere. The ashen white lands seemed withered, and they
were rife with an aura of death. In fact, if you scanned the area
with divine will, you would find that the Garmentfolk who made up
the shroud were all dead. Their corpses had been formed together
into this huge shroud. It looked extremely ghastly.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything.

As Emperor-Receiving Prefecture’s army proceeded, they

eventually caught sight of the army formed from the various sects
and species of Injustice Prefecture.

Combined, they numbered well over a million individuals, and they

were all under the command of the Swordsage Court. They were
scattered at the edges of the huge shroud, and had tapped into
the full power of their cultivation bases to send the enormous
shroud forward at a slow pace. There were all sorts of taboo
treasures at play, their powers filling the dome of heaven and
connecting to the shroud to power it. The shroud was being used
to cover an enormous black funerary garment. Compared to that
garment, the cultivators seemed like tiny bugs that counted for
nothing.

That said, what was most plainly visible was the shroud. It had
been stretched up all the way to the funerary garment’s chest. At
the same time, dozens of Void Returning cultivators under the
command of the Swordsage Court’s grand elder were using
various divine abilities and magical techniques to attack the
funerary garment.

Counterattacks came in the form of black streams of energy with

vicious figures inside them. They represented all species
imaginable, but they all wore the same attire: black funerary
garments that pulsed with shocking mutagen.

Down below, the huge black funerary garment was like a massive
chasm, pulsing with a terrifying and evil aura. Shocking howls
echoed out, filling heaven and earth. At the same time, there was
breathing. Each breath caused an explosion of black mist that was
so dangerous even the Void Returning cultivators had to avoid it.
And it caused the encroaching shroud to wave and ripple.

This was how the forces of Injustice Prefecture were sealing

Forbidden by the Garment.
The arrival of the forces from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture
caused an immediate stir. Many cultivators looked excited.

Along the way, Xu Qing had used his authority to notify the
Injustice Prefecture’s Swordsage Court that they were on the way,
so their arrival wasn’t a surprise. Instead, the Injustice Prefecture
forces had been looking forward to seeing them.

The grand elder from Injustice Prefecture’s Swordsage Court was

a middle-aged cultivator. Upon seeing the incoming
reinforcements, he excitedly said, “Many thanks for your
assistance, Secretary-General Xu! And many thanks to the help
from all you Fellow Daoists from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture!
Please, help bolster our strength to complete the sealing!”

Xu Qing nodded. Knowing that now wasn’t the time for casual
conversation, he gently patted Qingqin. The great bird let loose a
cry, shot forward, then sent forth a beam of its godlight toward the
black funerary garment. The godlight smashed into the vicious
streams of black energy, causing them to collapse. The funerary
garment shivered and howled in rage.

At the same time, cultivators from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture

flew out and, under the leadership of the various sects, settled into
place into the Swordsage Court’s two formations of yin and yang.
Being used to the process from their previous experience, they
immediately joined in the chanting of the sutra.
“We embody the energy of heaven and earth; the dao shall curse
the ghosts to be sealed.”

“The paramount yin-yang dao sealing cannot be violated.”

Brightly colored light flashed in heaven and earth. Wild winds

screamed everywhere. The power of Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture caused the two formations of yin and yang to glitter
brightly as the sound of the sutra echoed out.

The ground quaked, and the black funerary garment vibrated

visibly. Thanks to the reinforcements from Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture, the exhausted cultivators from Injustice Prefecture felt
enlivened. Now, the huge white shroud advanced a bit faster than
before.

Xu Qing stood atop Qingqin’s right head, fighting the attacks being
sent up by the funerary garment. As he did, his transmission jade
slip suddenly vibrated, and a voice message came in.

“I’m right here, little Junior Brother! I can see you. You’re finally
here. Quick, I need help!”

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. After parting ways with the Captain

back at the Ten Entrails Tree, he hadn’t heard from him at all. If it
wasn’t for the fact that Xu Qing knew he could survive even after
losing everything but his head, he would have thought the Captain
was done for. Even still, he had always been a bit worried. And
now, here by Forbidden by the Garment, he finally heard the
Captain’s voice again.

Xu Qing looked down toward the ground. Down in the black

funerary garment, which was more than half covered by the white
shroud, there was a figure in the thick fog, waving at Xu Qing. He
looked vaguely like the Captain.

However, he was quite a distance away, and also in fog, so Xu

Qing couldn’t make out much of him other than a general outline.
What was more, he was pulsing with a black energy that made
him seem very much like the vicious beings produced by
Forbidden by the Garment.

In fact, Xu Qing immediately started feeling a bit suspicious about

his identity. I heard that Forbidden by the Garment has the power
to produce illusions....

“I’m not an illusion! Little Ah Qing, hurry. I need help!”

Eyebrows shooting up, Xu Qing quickly considered the situation

from atop Qingqin’s right head. Behind that figure in the fog and
black energy, he saw a host of huge hands, pursuing the figure
with madness and fury. Obviously, that figure had done something
to arouse their rage.

That was all Xu Qing needed to confirm this figure’s identity.

“Senior Qingqin, that’s my Elder Brother. If it’s not too much
trouble, sir....”

Qingqin was in the middle of sending magenta light blasting forth

in attack after attack. Every single burst would explode multiple
enemies from Forbidden by the Garment. As they detonated,
Qingqin would suck them in as if he were guzzling fine wine.

Upon hearing Xu Qing’s request, he turned his heads.

“CAW!”

Turning, he dropped into the fog of Forbidden by the Garment.

Any enemies he passed shrieked as they were either destroyed by
godlight, wiped out of existence by Qingqin’s massive body, or
devoured.

When Qingqin dropped into Forbidden by the Garment with Xu

Qing, it was immediately noticed by the forces from the two
Swordsage Courts. Both of the grand elders seemed shocked, and
charged in that direction at the same time. To them, Xu Qing was
simply too important of a person to risk losing.

Sir Bloodsmelter also took immediate action. In fact, though his

cultivation base wasn’t on the same level as the two grand elders,
he was actually the first to rush to help. After all, Xu Qing was
essentially a member of his family. This was a battlefield, and thus,
thought the sealing was important, and though the survival of allies
was something he cared about, nothing was more important than
the safety of his own family. That was also why he had made sure
to stay relatively close to Xu Qing the whole time.

Meanwhile, Qingqin had taken Xu Qing into the depths of

Forbidden by the Garment. Everything around them was dark, and
the mutagen levels were very high. Deafening roars buffeted them
from all directions.

Xu Qing was able to see the Captain much more clearly now.

The Captain was going all out to try to escape Forbidden by the
Garment, except that the huge hands behind him were just about
to catch up to him. It was a critical moment, and the Captain
wasn’t holding anything back. He had a crazy look in his eyes as
he shot forward. Suddenly, a host of eyes opened all over him,
then popped out of his skin and shot back toward the hands,
where they started exploding one after another.

Many of the hands detonated. Taking advantage of that moment,

the Captain shot toward Xu Qing.

“Little Junior Brother!” The Captain extended his right hand as if to

grab Qingqin. However, there was still about 300 meters between
them.

To Qingqin, 300 meters was nothing. However, just as Qingqin’s

right head was about to stretch forward to close that distance, all
three heads’ facial expressions flickered, and the feathers on them
stood erect. An intense sensation of deadly crisis suddenly rose
up in Qingqin.

At the same time, a terrifying pressure swept forth from the depths
of the forbidden land, causing everything to tremble violently. And
it was heading right toward Xu Qing and Qingqin. There was also
a thunderous roar that rippled out from behind the Captain.

“Vile thief!”

More massive hands appeared, covered with black veins, vicious

in the extreme as they shot toward the Captain. Further back in
the depths of the forbidden ground, a pair of bright-red eyes
opened, full of madness and rage. And they were getting bigger.
Clearly, the face those eyes were set into was getting closer
rapidly.

The Captain looked even more anxious, but the crazy look in his
eyes was even stronger. He reached out with his right hand, and a
long saber appeared, which he used to chop his own head off.

His headless body then pulled back its right foot and kicked his
head as hard as possible, sending it streaking toward Xu Qing. It
spanned the 300-meter distance in an instant, allowing Xu Qing to
grab it. The Captain sighed in relief while Qingqin backed up at top
speed.

Meanwhile, 300 meters back, a face appeared behind the

Captain’s headless body and gobbled it up.
The face looked like it had been soaking in water for too long. It
was swollen with rot and looked incredibly vicious. It also stank as
it viciously chewed the Captain’s body. The red eyes glowed with
madness as they locked onto the Captain’s head in Xu Qing’s
hand. The face roared again, and masses of black mist shot
toward Xu Qing.

Qingqin unleashed a cry that could pierce metal or rock, then

flapped his wings. His cultivation base flared, and he accelerated,
shooting out of Forbidden by the Garment.

The face raced in pursuit, but then Sir Bloodsmelter and the two
grand elders launched simultaneous attacks, backed by the
crushing power of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. A rumbling
boom rang out. The face howled again, but now it was even
farther away from the Captain. It struggled wildly, and clearly
wanted to keep giving chase.

But then the Injustice Prefecture’s shroud swept over it, ceasing
any pursuit.

A cry of intense humiliation and rage just barely made it through

the shroud, and it was even possible to see the fabric bulging up.

“You vile thief! I’m gonna kill you!”

The combined power of two entire prefectures was astonishing.

With the sutra being chanted, and the cultivators of Injustice
Prefecture working on their sealing magic, the shroud continued to
extend, and the face had no way to break out into the open.

“Vile thief! Shameless! I’m going to devour you! I’ll chew you to
pieces! I’ll consume you!”

Off in the distance, Nethersprite heard the words, and her

expression flickered as she thought back to her own previous
tragic circumstances. She felt a bit bad, and even started cursing
in her heart. You little thief. I’m not going to let you get away with it.
One of these days I’m going to kill you. And then I’ll eat you. I’ll
devour you!

Xu Qing stood atop Qingqin’s head watching everything

happening, and of course, listening. The words caused a strange
expression to appear on his face, and left him feeling lingering
fear. He looked at the face struggling to break out of the shroud,
then turned to the Captain’s head.

At the same time, Qingqin’s middle and left head also looked at
the Captain. It was the same with the grand elders from the
Swordsage Court, and the other prefectural cultivators nearby.

Seeing that, the Captain inhaled sharply before shouting, “I did it! I
did something amazing for the Swordsage Palace! I did something
amazing for Injustice Prefecture! Do you people know why that
moronic fellow in Forbidden by the Garment didn’t fully awaken?
It’s because of me! It was for the sake of my fellow swordsages,
and in order to save Injustice Prefecture, and also because of my
love of humankind that I risked my life to personally go into the
depths of Forbidden by the Garment!

“And then, just when that moronic fellow was about to wake up, I
successfully bit out his soul-heart! And thus, he’s incomplete! That,
in turn, threw a wrench into his plan to wake up. It was a
completely unexpected turn of events!”

The Captain was obviously worried that people were going to get
the wrong idea about what he’d been up to, and the circumstances
of his return, so he preemptively offered an explanation. If people
thought he was the reason for the big disaster with Forbidden by
the Garment, it would be a very tricky situation to deal with.

How could he have guessed that going into that place with his
friend, simply to have some fun, would turn into such a heaven-
shaking, earth-shattering event? In fact, he barely ended up
escaping with his life. And now that he was out, he could see the
combined forces of two prefectures, numbering into the millions.
Many people were glaring at him angrily. Though he wasn’t exactly
sure what was going on, he could tell the situation was urgent.

In fact, it looked like some people were hefting their weapons with
the intention of killing him.

Having reached this point in his train of thought, the Captain

shivered. He actually felt quite wronged. He definitely wasn’t the
one who started all of this!

In any case, his words caused some very strange expressions to

appear on the surrounding cultivators’ faces. The forces of
Injustice Prefecture clearly didn’t believe him. After all, the huge
face that was chasing him was obviously still furious.... Then the
forces of Injustice Prefecture looked at Xu Qing and the grand
elder from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. The grand elder was
frowning.

Chen Erniu had made a deep impression on him. As he weighed

whether or not the explanation seemed realistic, he looked at Sir
Bloodsmelter. After all, Chen Erniu was a disciple from Seven
Blood Eyes.

Sir Bloodsmelter’s facial expression was solemn as he said, “Chen

Erniu is one of the most gifted disciples in Seven Blood Eyes. He
grew up in my sect, and has always been steadfast and loyal. He
knows his place, is straightforward, never causes disasters, and
never lies. I always completely trust everything he says.”

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to Asura07 and hutioglu81 for

the reviews!

Thank you to Asura07 and hutioglu81 for the reviews!

Chapter 503: Worse than a Hell on Earth (1)

Upon hearing the patriarch’s words, the Captain immediately felt a

bit excited. He turned to look at Sir Bloodsmelter, his eyes
brimming with glittering tears. To him, Sir Bloodsmelter was a
towering and mighty figure who also overflowed with warmth and
kindness. The truth was that he really was the subject of a lot of
malevolent gazes from millions of cultivators from two prefectures.
For the patriarch to forthrightly speak up for him went to show how
much the patriarch approved of him. It instantly turned all of the
Captain’s feelings of humiliation into pride. All of a sudden, he
realized that there really was such a thing as truth and warmth in
the world. It was his Grand-Master that had always loved him the
most. And he had always been the most beloved of the grand-
apprentices. With that, he forced his eyelids up, causing his head
to tilt slightly so he could give Xu Qing a look.

Xu Qing’s face remained expressionless as he lifted the Captain’s

head up high so he could see what was going on. Then Xu Qing
turned to the grand elders from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and
Injustice Prefecture and said, “Based on the Secretariat Division’s
Summary Intelligence Report #A-379, I found out that the chaos in
the two prefectures was caused by the Holytides. Then, Classified
Dossier 214 confirmed that they were trying to awaken Forbidden
by the Garment.
“In addition to that, the sealing in Injustice Prefecture was clearly
going more smoothly than in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. By
combining information I received from both prefectures, I
confirmed that backup wasn’t immediately required in Injustice
Prefecture. All Injustice Prefecture required was about a month to
complete the work. Emperor-Receiving Prefecture needed more.

“I had my suspicions about what was really going on, even when I
was back in the Secretariat Division. Originally, I thought that
sealing the godly door in Forbidden by the Zombie was simply a
more difficult task. But now, thanks to Chen Erniu’s efforts in
Forbidden by the Garment, I can see that the two events are
actually connected.”

The Captain was getting even more excited. He nodded

vigorously. That, combined with his haggard complexion and
scraggly beard, made him seem unusually tragic, and as a result,
quite convincing. However, the most convincing voice came from
some distance away.

“The chaos in Forbidden by the Garment has nothing to do with

this human child. In fact, he’s been of immense help to my
people.”

Everyone turned to see a host of garments flying out from atop the
giant shroud. Once in the air, they transformed, becoming
extremely colorful. They were, of course, Garmentfolk. However,
there were clearly much fewer living Garmentfolk than there were
dead ones. The person who had just spoken was a garment that
resembled the robe of an empress. Behind her were a host of
garments that looked like those of an imperial guard.

The local cultivators all clasped hands respectfully. The

Garmentfolk had paid the steepest price to carry out this sealing of
Forbidden by the Garment, and the words spoken by this empress’
robe clearly carried a lot of weight.

When the Garmentfolk appeared, the Captain suddenly made

something of a retching sound. Looking somewhat uncomfortable,
he said, “Little Ah Qing, help me out.”

Face completely expressionless, Xu Qing pulled open the

Captain’s mouth, fiddled around for a moment, then pulled a glove
out.

It was hard to say how the Captain had managed to hide that
glove in his mouth. It was all crumpled up into a ball, and was very
wrinkled. But after it was out in the open, the Captain exhaled
sharply into the glove, causing it to expand to its normal shape.

It was none other than Lady Fivefingers. Having just awoken, she
looked around, seemingly confused. Then she flew a few unsteady
circles around the Captain’s head. After sending out some
emotional fluctuations of joy, she waved to the Captain and flew
back to her people.
Xu Qing noted the way the Captain looked at the glove, and
something about it seemed suspicious. His gaze seemed too
warm. It was a look Xu Qing had never seen in the Captain’s eyes
before. Knowing that now wasn’t the time to pry, he said nothing.

The sealing of Forbidden by the Garment was essentially

complete at this point. The black funerary garment was completely
covered by the white shroud.

Things had gone according to plan. Two hours later, Injustice

Prefecture’s Swordsage Court had already organized the human
cultivators to join the forces of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture to
head to the front lines of the war.

In majestic fashion, the armies began the process of leaving

Forbidden by the Garment via the teleportation portal.

As the armies started entering the teleportation portal, Qingqin

looked at Xu Qing and gave a caw. From the look in his eyes, it
was obvious he was getting ready to part ways. He had helped Xu
Qing because his Eldest Brother had asked him to. But that didn’t
mean he would just blithely follow along and fight to the bitter end.
He had his own ideals. Though he didn’t feel any malice toward
humans, he didn’t love them either. What was more, he didn’t want
to directly participate in a war between two major species. That
was the main reason he’d refused Palace Lord Kong’s original
request for help. He was more than willing to help Xu Qing as a
personal favor. But he didn’t want to do favors for the species as a
whole.

For the entire time, Qingqin hadn’t used any divine will, and had
only used his physical voice. That said, Xu Qing could tell what he
meant, and he understood the decision.

“Many thanks, Senior Qingqin!” Xu Qing said from aboard the

huge flying ship. Clasping his hands, he bowed.

Qingqin soared through the sky, looked at Xu Qing with his three
heads, then circled around.

“CAW! CAW! CAW!!”

With a flap of his wings, he rocketed off into the dome of heaven
and disappeared over the horizon.

Xu Qing watched him go. After he was gone, he looked down at

the Captain, who stood next to him. The Captain was currently as
tall as Xu Qing’s knee.

“I never thought so much stuff would happen in such a short time,”

the Captain said. The Captain had already grown a tiny body,
which was roughly the size of an infant. His plump little hands and
feet were very cute. However, when they were combined with an
adult-sized head, it made him look very strange.

Xu Qing glanced around to confirm that everyone else was

focused on entering the teleportation portal. Lowering his voice, he
said, “Eldest Brother, what actually happened back there?”

The Captain sighed. “I really got the short end of the stick. After I
teleported away from Ten Entrails Tree, I ended up in Garmentfolk
territory. I happened to run into my old friend Little Sis Fivefingers.
I asked her if there was anywhere fun to hang out, and as we were
going along, lo-and-behold the freaking Forbidden by the Garment
started waking up!!

“The waking up part wasn’t so bad. But then Little Sis Fivefingers
got devoured by the forbidden ground! It happened right in front of
me! She just got devoured! So what could I do? I had to go after
her. I went into the depths of Forbidden by the Garment, risked my
life and nearly died, all to save her!

“Of course, you know me. Things always go bad for me, right?
While I was there, I figured I might as well go in a little deeper.
That was when I saw this heart flying along. Looked like it was in
the process of waking up. Thinking solely of revenge, I took a bite
out of that heart-soul. Well. A few bites.”

The Captain cleared his throat. Clasping his two tiny hands behind
his back, he looked up at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked back, thinking about how that face had been
angrily cursing him. For some reason, Xu Qing got the sense that
what happened came down to a lot more than ‘a few bites.’ Xu
Qing only believed about half of what the Captain said. However,
the incomplete information just confirmed in his mind that the
Captain wasn’t the reason behind the disaster.

Based on what he knew of the Captain, it seemed most likely that

something heaven-shaking, earth-shattering had taken place in
the depths of the forbidden ground. And some unpredictable thing
had occurred that not even the Holytides could have guessed was
coming. When all was said and done, things worked out, and the
sealing was accomplished smoothly.

Nodding, Xu Qing looked down at the diminutive Captain. “In that

case, Eldest Brother, when I get back, I’ll make sure to create an
official record describing your amazing accomplishment.”

The Captain’s eyebrows shot up, and he laughed heartily. “That’s

my little Junior Brother! Hahaha! Here, take this.”

After glancing around furtively, the Captain produced an egg-sized

green crystal and shoved it into Xu Qing’s hand. There was clearly
something sealed inside, although it wasn’t visible. But once it was
in his hand, Xu Qing could sense shocking fluctuations inside. The
moment he had it, he felt an instinctive sense of longing coming
from his soul.

Even the god’s finger in his D-132 heavenly palace stirred

because of it.

Xu Qing was visibly moved. “What is this?”

“Ahem. Want to know why I said that fellow in Forbidden by the
Garment is a moron?” The Captain grinned enigmatically, then
winked at Xu Qing. Raising his tiny little hand, he pointed at the
crystal. “That’s why.”

Xu Qing inhaled sharply and looked at the Captain with disbelief in

his eyes.

“What else did you eat, Eldest Brother?”

“Nothing! Really, nothing! That’s just a tiny fraction of the half-god

body that fellow was trying to make. With a lot of difficulty, I should
add.” The Captain burped haughtily, then looked at Xu Qing in the
hopes of getting an envious reaction.

“Half-god?” Xu Qing asked.

“Of course. Ai. Better than nothing, I suppose. It’s not like it was
that amazing. You know, little Ah Qing, you showed up just a tad
too late. If you’d come earlier, I might not have ended up so
stuffed, and you could have had some more for yourself.” The
Captain cleared his throat. Though his tone of voice came across
as sounding modest, his facial expression made it seem obvious
that he was very pleased with himself. “Come on, show a bit of
envy for your Elder Brother.”

Xu Qing nodded in agreement, then opened his eyes wide and let
his jaw drop as if in astonishment. After, he put the green crystal
away to absorb later.
The Captain didn’t look very pleased, though. “Ai, little Ah Qing.
That expression wasn’t very good. Come, come. You need to click
your tongue in admiration, and add in a gasp too.”

Xu Qing had to admit that it made sense, so he gave it a shot. In

the end, it didn’t seem to add much to the effect, though.

The Captain was pleased to see Xu Qing cooperating in this way,

but he still shook his head. “Oh, you! You need to practice more!”

With that, he and Xu Qing got off the ship and started walking
toward the teleportation portal. As the Captain walked along, he
stretched lazily.

“By the way, little Ah Qing, what sort of things have you acquired
lately?” The Captain stepped onto the portal.

“Oh, not much,” Xu Qing said coolly, also stepping onto the portal.
“I did get a god body, though.”

As the teleportation portal rumbled to life, the Captain spun and

said something, except Xu Qing couldn’t hear him clearly.
However, the Captain had clearly gasped, and his eyes were wide.
What was more, after his gasp, he apparently bit his tongue.

Oh, is that what he means by clicking the tongue? Xu Qing

thought about it for a moment.

The light of teleportation flared, covering them and the cultivators

from two prefectures.
Chapter 503: Worse than a Hell on Earth (2)

Rainfield Prefecture was a long and thin prefecture. Its western

border with Tidefall Prefecture formed the western front, and its
northern border with Tranquility Prefecture formed its northern
front. The climate was warm year-round. Because of that, the
species in Rainfield Prefecture tended to be larger than those from
other prefectures. For example, the Fullspirits that Qingqin had
been such a fan of grew to an average height of about fifteen
meters.

The prefecture was a very rainy place. There were mountains

everywhere, with about one out of every ten being a volcano. That
said, they didn’t erupt very frequently. Because of the war,
Rainfield Prefecture ended up becoming a staging zone. If
supplies weren’t delivered directly to the northern or western front,
they would be stored in Rainfield Prefecture for a time.

To some extent, the prefecture was considered part of the war

zone, and therefore, the Justice Palace was temporarily in control
of it.

The vast majority of Holytides were in the armies being held off on
the borders. But because the northern part of the county had lost
three prefectures early on, not even the great net created by the
combined forces of the county’s taboo treasures could prevent
small squads of Holytides from slipping into the interior.
Holytides were very skilled at disguising themselves, and were
also equipped with magical treasures that could prevent the taboo
treasure net from targeting them. Therefore, unless a lot of effort
was put into tracking them down, it would be almost impossible to
wipe them out completely. In addition to all that, they had received
special training for this operation. The majority of them were from
the Black Guard, and most of them had split up to avoid detection.
Their main goal was to either divert or destroy the supplies being
sent to the front lines.

After all, not all supplies could simply be stuffed into a holding
device or dimensional space. And not everything could be sent
through teleportation portals. Much of it was transported manually.

At the moment, a few thousand Black Guard cultivators had

gathered outside of a large-scale teleportation portal in Rainfield
Prefecture, and were launching an unexpected attack. Each one
had an extraordinary cultivation base and shocking battle prowess.
After all, members of the Black Guard were similar to swordsages;
they were all outstanding figures among their people. Although not
every single one could fight an enemy from a higher cultivation
level, most were considered elites among elites.

Their mission was to destroy this specific teleportation portal. The

complex had a total area of about fifty kilometers. From high
above, it looked very impressive, and whenever it was activated, it
could move tens of thousands of cultivators at a time.
The sounds of fighting already echoed along the edges of the
portal.

There were a lot of cultivators stationed around the portal to

defend it. However, most were disciples from the Justice Palace
who couldn’t even come close to being on the same level as the
elite members of the Swordsage Palace. And compared to the
Black Guard cultivators, they were just simply deficient.

The upside was that they had the advantage of numbers.

Furthermore, there were also members of Rainfield Prefecture’s
native species present, plus some swordsages as well.

The portal had been activated, but there were a few hundred Black
Guard cultivators in the air using magical devices to interfere with
the portal’s operation. As a result, the portal wasn’t working.

Some of the Black Guard cultivators even managed to break

through the defensive barriers, reach the portal itself, and self-
detonate, causing shock waves to spread out and further disrupt
the portal’s operation.

That said, overall, the portal was still in good working order. Most
of the assault was being held at bay by the borders.

Much of that was due to the person in charge of the overall

defenses of the portal, Yao Yunhui. She was the director of the
Justice Palace’s Division 3, and was also a Spirit Trove cultivator.
As such, she had personally repelled the Black Guard cultivators
multiple times already. She did not seem alluring and seductive
like she had back at the county capital. Instead, she wore a suit of
armor, and though she was clearly exhausted, she exuded a
somber and desolate aura. Thanks to her leadership, the forces
under her command had held strong against the Black Guard
assault.

After the protracted fight, the Black Guard cultivators seemed like
they were on the verge of withdrawing. The commander in charge
of the Black Guard contingent looked coldly at the distant Yao
Yunhui and weighed the options. He knew that they couldn’t stay
in this location for too long, so finally, he decided to order the
retreat.

However, even as the thousands of Black Guard cultivators

prepared to leave, and as the human cultivators and their allies
breathed sighs of relief... the ground started vibrating.

It happened so suddenly that both sides were shocked. Countless

specks of dirt on the ground began to rise into the air, making it
seem like some massive force was arriving from above.

Scattered buildings, rocks, corpses, and even blood on the ground

started floating up. The sight of all that blood flowing up in rivulets
was nothing short of appalling.

The Black Guard cultivators’ magical devices were no longer

capable of interfering with the teleportation portal. In fact, they
suffered such a severe backlash that they exploded.

All of the local cultivators present were shaken to the core. Their
hair began to drift up around them, and in some cases their skin
sank down. There were even some with very low cultivation bases
who found their blood oozing out of their pores and coating them
in crimson. Thankfully, no one died.

Everyone was absolutely shocked, but what was more shocking

was what was causing this event. The astonishing development
wasn’t coming from the sky, but the land. Specifically, it was the
enormous, 50-kilometer-wide teleportation portal! The portal had
been activated! The explosive power of the portal caused
everyone to gasp for breath. A power of this shocking level hadn’t
been seen since the big movement of troops in the beginning of
the war. The only thing that could provoke something like this was
a teleportation that pushed the limits of what the portal was
capable of! And that meant that the group teleporting in had to
reach into the hundreds of thousands!

“That’s not possible!”

“Our people and the humans are at a deadlock at the front lines.
There’s no way the humans could send in backup forces right now.
Don’t tell me we’re dealing with nonhumans?”

“If it’s a nonhuman force, it would be incredibly small. We’ve

already sent notices to all nonhumans in Sea-Sealing County that
we’ll maintain the status quo after we take over!”

“Given the circumstances, what nonhuman species could fully

mobilize like this?”

The Black Guard cultivators who had just been on the verge of
retreating were visibly shocked. All of them could see the brilliant
light building up on the massive teleportation portal. The light was
so dazzling that it turned a dark night into what seemed like
daytime. Along with that light came a deafening rumbling sound
that pulsed to a special cadence.

“It doesn’t matter what’s going on. We can’t let this teleportation
happen!”

“All Black Guard cultivators, attack at once! Stop this

teleportation!”

When the commander gave the orders, the thousands of Black

Guard cultivators all rushed toward the portal.

“Hold nothing back!” Yao Yunhui ordered. “Kill anyone that gets
even close to the portal!” Then she personally shot forth to block
the path of the Black Guard commander. When a large-scale
teleportation portal like this was activated, it emitted its own type of
pressure that mixed with the pressure of the incoming
teleportation. That ensured that the teleportation process couldn’t
be interfered with.
As the Black Guard cultivators advanced, and the Justice Palace
cultivators fought back, intense rumbling sounds echoed from the
portal. At the same time, a group of over a hundred individuals
appeared.

The Black Guard commander had been both right and wrong. He
was right in that there was a group of hundreds of thousands of
cultivators teleporting in. But he was also wrong, because the first
wave consisted of all Void Returning experts!

The arrival of over a hundred such cultivators caused brightly

colored light to flash in heaven and earth, and screaming winds to
whip about. The air trembled, and the ground shook so hard it
seemed like it might crack.

The cultivators from both the Black Guard and the Justice Palace,
plus the allied nonhumans, were all staring in absolute
astonishment.

“Th-that... that....”

“That’s not possible!”

“Human relief troops!”

The Black Guard cultivators felt like their scalps were about to
explode. All were visibly stunned and began to scramble
backward. In contrast, the cultivators from the Justice Palace were
all extremely excited.
“Relief troops!”

“The backup troops are here!”

“Reinforcements have finally arrived!”

Though these cultivators had not been stationed on the front lines,
the past month had been very difficult for them. They had been
forced to continuously suppress their feelings of despair and just
endure. In fact, right now, some even wept or let loose piercing
cries.

Yao Yunhui was so moved she seemed dazed. She’d long

assumed there would be no relief troops, and that the war was a
lost cause.

In fact, everyone had thought that. It was easy to imagine how the
front line troops would react when seeing backup arrive. Given
how long they had been risking their lives on the battlefield, they
would probably be ten times as excited as the cultivators here.
Maybe even a hundred times.

The patriarchs from Injustice Prefecture and Emperor-Receiving

Prefecture emerged and spread out in all directions. Some waved
their hands, causing heaven and earth to explode. The thousands
of Black Guard cultivators were as weak as wet paper, and they
exploded into flowering clouds of blood.
The Void Returning cultivators checked the teleportation portal and
the surrounding area for safety, and as the excited local cultivators
looked on, began another teleportation.

Before long, an army of hundreds of thousands of cultivators

appeared. Their combined aura spread out like a tempest, causing
rumbling like thunder to fill the sky, and cracking the ground as if
from an earthquake.

However, things weren’t over yet! After those hundreds of

thousands of cultivators materialized, they made room for another
teleportation, and another wave materialized. Heaven shook! The
earth quaked! After the over 1,000,000-strong army from two
prefectures arrived, including the Captain, the teleportation portal
glittered again as one more person arrived.

As this person materialized, everyone was asked to leave the

portal, including the Captain.

Deathblade's ThoughtsThis chapter will conclude with the next

release, chapter 503 (part 3).

This chapter will conclude with the next release, chapter 503 (part
3).
Chapter 503: Worse than a Hell on Earth (3)

The entire portal was empty. The over 1,000,000 cultivators

hovered in the air looking down, and the two Swordsage Court
grand elders stood by, looking somber. Everyone was looking at
the person materializing in the middle of the portal. The cultivators
from the Justice Palace seemed very serious. As for Yao Yunhui,
who had been just about to hurry forward to clasp hands in
greetings, she suddenly stopped in place and looked at the
materializing figure. For some reason, this person seemed familiar
to her. And then, as the light reached its most dazzling brightness,
that person became clear.

It was Xu Qing!

The moment he materialized, the surrounding 1,000,000

cultivators and the two Swordsage Court grand elders clasped
hands and bowed to him.

They didn’t speak a word. They just bowed. And yet, that bow was
such a powerful gesture it caused heaven and earth to tremble
violently. There was even an invisible convergence of destiny aura
at play.

Xu Qing looked around at everything. He knew that as secretary-

general, he didn’t deserve to be bowed to like that. But right now
he represented Palace Lord Kong, and therefore, he had to accept
it. Besides, the cultivators of Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and
Injustice Prefecture were only here because of his leadership.
Thus, he could accept that bow. Looking very respectful, he
clasped hands and returned the bow.

From high in the sky, the grand elder from Emperor-Receiving

Prefecture said, “Secretary-General Xu Qing is here on behalf of
Palace Lord Kong with new orders!”

Holding the palace lord’s command medallion aloft, Xu Qing said,

“The relief troops from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and Injustice
Prefecture will make haste... to the western front!”

“Your orders shall be followed!” the million cultivators shouted.

Some distance away, Yao Yunhui stood in place, stunned, her

mind spinning, her vision growing dim. The only thing she could
see was that person standing straight and tall as a million people
bowed to him. The image would be etched in her mind forever.

The relief troops from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and Injustice

Prefecture didn’t stay in Rainfield Prefecture. As soon as Xu Qing
issued his orders, they started moving. They would fly the rest of
the way to the western front.

Yao Yunhui and her contingent of Justice Palace cultivators had

their own assignments to attend to, and didn’t go along. However,
even after the army was gone, she couldn’t dispel her
astonishment. And she couldn’t stop thinking about that final figure
who had teleported in and received honor from a million
cultivators.

“That was the secretary-general from the Swordsage Palace. He

works directly for Palace Lord Kong....”

“His name is Xu Qing!”

“I heard Xu Qing and Chief Yao... don’t get along.”

Though the cultivators from the Justice Palace didn’t care as much
about Xu Qing as those from the Swordsage Palace, they had still
heard about him. That was especially true considering that, before
the start of the war, Palace Lord Kong had been named as the
temporary governor, and Xu Qing had always been at his side.

That said, none of them were as shocked by what had just

happened as Yao Yunhui was. And as some people remembered
that she and Xu Qing had had their differences, many of them
secretly looked over at Yao Yunhui.

Yao Yunhui didn’t say anything. Waves of shock pulsed through

her as she thought back to past events. Everything was still vivid
in her mind, and it all led to very mixed emotions. After a long
moment passed, she managed to regain her composure. Looking
around at her Justice Palace subordinates, she said, “Back into
position! Guard the portal!”
Because of her status, her cultivation base, and her recent
experience, Yao Yunhui seemed a bit more dignified than before.

The surrounding cultivators immediately voiced affirmation of her

orders and stopped focusing on thoughts about the amazing event
which had just occurred. With fresh reinforcements heading to the
front lines, they now had some hope.

The fire of hope set Rainfield Prefecture ablaze. And it soon

spread to Tidefall Prefecture and the western front.

***

On the western front, the humans and the Holytides had just gone
through thirteen straight days of combat, and had only just agreed
to a temporary ceasefire to rest and recuperate.

From a distance, it was possible to see that some 5,000 kilometers

away from the Heaventide Mountains was a massive ravine. That
ravine formed a clear division between sets of territory.

On the other side of the ravine were the Heaventide Mountains,

which had once formed the third line of defense holdout in Tidefall
Prefecture. Beyond the mountains were the Heaven Eye Abysm
and the Ninelands Plains. Previously, you had to pass those three
areas to get to Holytide lands.

But things were different now. From high above, the Heaventide
Mountains looked like a dragon that had surrendered and was
gasping for breath. Many areas in the mountains were in complete
ruins. Some peaks had crumbled, and black smoke drifted about
everywhere. The wreckage of magical devices was visible
everywhere. They were the vestiges of war.

Previously, those mountains had been one of the major lines of

defense against the Holytide army. But as the Sea-Sealing County
taboo treasures began to crumble... the Holytides broke through.

The human forces had been forced to fall back 5,000 kilometers to
where the taboo treasure net was reestablished, and a fourth line
of defense was maintained.

As of now, the Heaventide Mountains had no humans in them.

Most of the individuals present were heavily armored Holytide
cultivators. They were several million strong. What was more,
beyond the mountain range it was possible to see a vast area filled
with countless army tents. There weren’t just Holytides present.
There were also members of countless species that the Holytides
had enslaved.

Over the course of the last half-month, the Holytides had begun a
host of engineering projects in the mountains. As of now, there
were over a million towers rising up from the mountains. Black
lightning bolts danced between them, creating a huge net of
electricity. Then the lightning rose up, but didn’t go all the way up
into the sky. As deafening thunderclaps rang out, it caused the
black clouds to form a very clear barrier that made it seem like
there were countless enormous objects taking shape within them.

Each of those huge objects was a full 3,000 meters, roughly

diamond-shaped, and had a red eye in the middle of it. There were
no less than a hundred thousand of them. They existed within the
boundless clouds in the sky and were arrayed in the direction of
the front lines of battle. They pulsed with terrifying auras, as well
as the drone of howling animals. Wherever that sound passed, the
air twisted and rippled, making it sound almost like the chanting of
a god. They were magical devices of war that the Nightshades had
given to the Holytides. The sounds they emitted could shatter the
soul, and cause pressure to weigh down that could crush the flesh.
In fact, the magical techniques they released could devastate just
about anything.

But most dangerous were the grim reapers they scattered about.
Those reapers were strange, invisible entities that the senses
couldn’t perceive. They came and went on the battlefield like
ambassadors of death with huge sickles that they used to inflict
grievous and deadly wounds on humans.

They didn’t just attack individual enemies, though. They also

perpetrated invasions by releasing mutagen, just like the kind in
forbidden regions and grounds. It was a severe corruption method
specifically targeting humans. Humans who got too close to the
reapers would only be able to launch a few attacks before their
bodies started withering rapidly. Then their mutation blotches
would go out of control, causing them to mutate into mindless
beasts. That was just one of the tactics employed by the Holytides.

Above the battlefield, the dome of heaven was dark and gloomy,
and weighed down oppressively. There were also black
snowflakes that fell.

The black snow was another Holytide tactic. Although it looked like
snow, if you examined the snowflakes closely, you would see that
each flake had very tiny hands and feet, as well as faces. They fell
everywhere. Individually, they could form magical techniques, or
they could clump together to become divine abilities. As they
spread, the humans who breathed them would be corrupted with
an extremely dangerous poison. The snowflakes could also be
used by Holytide cultivators to make weapons. There was almost
nothing that could defend against them.

Inside the clouds were the diamond-shaped magical devices.

Beneath the clouds was the endless black snow. But that wasn’t
even close to everything at play.

The Holytides had caused the ground itself to come alive.

The endless mud and corpses turned into enormous severed arms
that crawled forward. The deep furrows left by the arms would
quickly fill with black snow. The severed arms dragged black
chains behind them that stretched up into the sky and into the
clouds.
There, in the clouds, they converged in a massive black vortex.
That vortex resembled a sun. As it slowly rotated, the chains from
the ground merged into its depths. And as the severed arms
slowly pulled the clanking chains, it seemed like they were
gradually dragging some terrifying entity out into the open. An
extremely noxious smell drifted out from the vortex, which became
even more black clouds that made the black snowfall thicker.

As the armies from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and Injustice

Prefecture neared the front lines, they received official permission
to get close. What they saw of the Holytide front lines was as
described above.

Xu Qing led the army, and what he saw caused his heart to pound.
The other most noticeable part of the battlefield were the endless
corpses.

Mountains of corpses. Seas of blood. Forests of bones.

Xu Qing had killed a lot of enemies in his life. But not even he had
seen anything as shocking as this battlefield.

There were just too many corpses. Too many. Few were in one
piece. And the seemingly endless flesh and blood created a most
vile of stenches. War was like a millstone of heaven and earth.
When it began to roll, all living beings would be caught up by it and
crushed.
Xu Qing had thought of the Three-Spirits Dao-Suppressing
Mountain as being a hell on earth. But compared to this, that was
nothing.

This was worse than a hell on earth.

Next to Xu Qing was the Captain and everyone else, and all of
them could only look around wordlessly.
Chapter 504: This World Really Eats People
Up (1)

After taking everything in, Xu Qing focused on the front lines of the
human forces.

The enormous golden net that filled the sky and connected to the
lands below were what cut off the field of battle like a screen.
Whether it was above or below, the Holytides’ tactics were all
blocked by the humans’ fourth line of defense. The majestic
golden net didn’t just connect heaven and earth, it spread to the
left and right for a seemingly endless distance.

If someone possessed a pair of eyes that could see all of Sea-

Sealing County at the same time, they would see that the net
reached all the way to the northern front, creating a barrier at
every spot where the Holytides were encroaching on the county.

The huge ravine that formed the fourth line of defense had been
selected for its location within the golden net. Behind the ravine
were hosts of tents as well as defensive war machines.
Innumerable human cultivators, all of them visibly wracked with
exhaustion, worked to build and maintain the various structures.

There were rows of military magical devices that resembled

thorns, filling the ravine and pointing in the direction of the
Holytides. There had to be hundreds of thousands of them, and
they glittered brightly and caused the air in front of them to distort
in waves. In fact, the distortions were so intense that small rifts
were torn open, causing deafening sounds to echo out. They
weren’t explosive bangs, but rather, deep and sustained
rumblings.

The magical devices weren’t unleashing techniques that could be

seen with the naked eye. Rather, they were deploying magical
sound waves to deal with the black snow. When fully deployed,
they mostly negated the effects of the black snow clumping
together, and would cause it to melt earlier than normal. The
intense rumbling sounds put out by the devices were constantly
drifting out over the front lines.

Hundreds of Void Returning experts sat cross-legged in the golden

net, guiding the power of the taboo treasures to defend against the
diamond-shaped magical devices used by the Holytides.

They also collected data and coordinates that were used to

dispatch cultivators to kill the enemy.

Scattered everywhere on the ground were enormous war puppets

that were clearly the work of human hands. They towered over the
surrounding area like mountains. Each puppet was stationed atop
a spell formation, and was operated by an entire squad of
cultivators. It went without saying that they were incredibly mighty.
Most hair-raising of all were the nine enormous Emperor’s Swords!
They were beyond massive, as they stretched from the ground
high into the sky. They radiated immense majesty and disturbing
power. Looking closely at them, it was clear that the nine
Emperor’s Swords were actually composed of countless smaller
Emperor’s Swords. By combining the power of all those swords, it
was possible to create an incredibly powerful weapon unique to
humankind.

High in the sky was the enormous Dao Bell. That bell had been
gifted to Sea-Sealing County’s Swordsage Palace on the day of its
founding by the Swordsage Division headquarters in the imperial
capital. It had originally been hung in the Swordsage Palace. But it
had been moved to the field of battle. After all, it was... a precious
treasure of Sea-Sealing County’s Swordsage Palace, and was
considered one of the reserve powers of both the Corrections
Division and the Swordsage Palace as a whole. It wasn’t just
something that could be used as a weapon against enemies. It
also provided a rousing boost to the humans and their allies.

From a distance, it was possible to see that the huge bell was
surrounded by hundreds of thousands of bronze coffins, each of
which was covered with many layers of sealing marks. Those
coffins didn’t contain dead people; they contained living people!
There were men and women, old and young. They were ‘living
swords’ created by the Swordsage Palace over the years, and
their sole purpose was to be used in a wartime situation like this.
The majority of them were people who had lived in times of
relative peace. When they reached the end of their life without
ever having unsheathed The Emperor’s Sword, they had
submitted special requests to use a secret magic to enter a state
of suspended animation. At the same time, The Emperor’s Sword
was fused with their life force.

Once they woke up, they could unleash a single attack with that
special sword that was now a permanent part of their own life.
There were others who, knowing that they couldn’t progress any
further in their cultivation, made the same decision to become
living swords. Every single one of them knew that, were they to be
woken up, it would be at a moment when Sea-Sealing County
faced grave danger.

At the moment, about thirty percent of the coffins were empty. The
swordsages in those coffins had been awoken in the fighting.
Every single one of them had, without the slightest hesitation,
ended their own lives to unleash that final devastating sword
attack.

As Xu Qing looked on, a group of several dozen figures flew out

from the front lines and headed toward him and the army he led.
As they neared, it became clear that they were being led by one of
the deputy palace lords. The fact that he was coming personally
made his attitude very clear. He looked exhausted but also
excited. Considering the high level of his cultivation, it wasn’t
common to see such things on his face.
Kong Xianglong was in the group flanking the deputy palace lord.
Kong Xianglong was injured, and looked a bit depressed, although
when he saw Xu Qing he managed to force a smile onto his face.

Xu Qing’s heart sank upon seeing Kong Xianglong in that state,

and he suddenly got a very bad feeling. However, now wasn’t the
time to ask questions. As the deputy palace lord neared, he spoke
in a loud voice.

“Brother Mingyi, Brother Gongze!”

The grand elders from the Swordsage Courts in Emperor-

Receiving Prefecture and Injustice Prefecture flew forth and
clasped hands respectfully to the deputy palace lord.

“You came just in time. Just in the nick of time!” The deputy palace
lord took a deep breath and forced himself into a state of relative
calm. “Palace Lord Kong has issued commands. The Void
Returning experts and other sect leadership from Injustice
Prefecture and Emperor-Receiving Prefecture are to immediately
proceed to the forward command tent. The palace lord wants to
see you! Everyone else will set up camp and wait for orders.
Please, follow me!” The deputy palace lord clasped hands to the
forces from the two prefectures. Then he looked at Xu Qing, his
eyes glittered with open admiration. “Secretary-General Xu, you
come to the command tent also.”

“Yes, sir,” Xu Qing said somberly.

No one wasted any time. The deputy palace lord led them to the
command tent.

Just before leaving, Xu Qing looked over at the Captain.

The Captain’s body was now roughly equivalent to a seven- or

eight-year-old. He was standing next to one of the Spirit Trove
honor guards, and looked just like a kid. Noticing Xu Qing’s gaze,
he waved as if to say, “See you in a bit.”

Xu Qing nodded and followed the others to the command tent.

Along the way, Xu Qing noted countless wounded human

cultivators. Clearly the front-line cultivators had been aware
reinforcements were coming from two prefectures; as the group
made their way to the command tent, numerous cultivators walked
out of their tents and looked at Xu Qing and the others, excitement
visible on their faces. There were sect disciples, rogue cultivators,
and swordsages as well. Some had very serious injuries, others
had minor wounds. But all of them clasped hands and bowed
deeply to Xu Qing. The situation had been dire, bitter, and
exhausting. No one seemed to be in a state of despair, yet they
were longing for hope. And that hope had just arrived!

Xu Qing could sense the emotion in the eyes of the cultivators as

he made his way through the camp. He saw some who looked
taciturn or cold. Others were bitter, or had eyes glowing with killing
intent. But all of them changed when they saw Xu Qing. Clearly,
their spirits were lifting.

Of course, there were many swordsages present. Xu Qing even

spotted Chen Tinghao and Sun Liying. Both had serious injuries,
and Sun Liying was supporting Chen Tinghao with her arm. When
they spotted him, both smiled. Because of being so close to the
battlefield, the noise of the magical devices was almost deafening,
making it pointless to call out greetings.

Xu Qing gave them a nod. Seeing Chen Tinghao so badly hurt, yet
in good spirits, caused him to sigh inwardly. Xu Qing had always
liked those two. They had been the ones who introduced the
county capital to them, and also stood up for him to the Justice
Palace. [1]

Xu Qing soon passed them. Before long, the deputy palace lord
had led them through the camp to the command tent that
overlooked the ravine.

This place was the Command Department, which oversaw the

front lines.

There were several hundred guards keeping an eye on the area.

There were also swordsages with civil post assignments, standing
by waiting for orders to come out of the tent. They were the ones
responsible for making sure those orders got delivered and
executed. Orders streamed out of the command tent, whereupon
the civil swordsages outside raced to execute them.

“Have the Seventh Battalion advance to the front lines

immediately. I want to be apprised of even the slightest Holytide
movements!”

“Arrange for the Ninth Battalion to split up and try to infiltrate the
battlefield. I want updated data on the black snow levels!”

“Have the Corrections Division form small squads to track down

the Black Guard infiltrators. We cannot allow the fifth line of
defense to be sabotaged before it’s even ready!”

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered as he took stock of the civil swordsages.

When those swordsages noticed Xu Qing, they were initially
surprised. Then their eyes shone with respect. Those who
accepted new orders and raced off would take the time to bow
briefly to him as they passed. Because of their status and rank, as
well as their focus on time management, they would rarely take
time to show respect to others in a wartime situation. But they
absolutely had to do so for Xu Qing. After all, they were all
attached to the Secretariat Division now, which meant that they
were his subordinates.

Though Xu Qing hadn’t come to the battlefield, the Secretariat

Division had traveled with the army to the front lines.
Xu Qing nodded to them, indicating that they should hurry about
their business. Meanwhile, the deputy palace lord stopped out
front of the command tent.

“Palace Lord, the Void Returning experts and sect leadership from
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and Injustice Prefecture are here.”

“Enter!” Palace Lord Kong said from within the tent.

The Void Returning experts all filed into the tent solemnly. Before
long, the only people outside the tent were the guards, as well as
Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong.

Xu Qing looked over at the haggard and dispirited Kong

Xianglong.

“What’s wrong, Big Bro Kong?” he asked softly.

1. Chen Tinghao and Sun Liying were introduced by name in

chapter 390, though they were present without names in earlier
chapters. We last saw Chen Tinghao “onscreen” in chapter 425. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to pi and FOEHAMMER117

for the reviews!

Many thanks to pi and FOEHAMMER117 for the reviews!

Chapter 504: This World Really Eats People
Up (2)

“Duskspirit... is dead.” Kong Xianglong’s voice thrummed with grief

and bitterness, and his eyes no longer sparkled.

Xu Qing’s heart thumped when he thought about Duskspirit, who

had clearly been in love with Kong Xianglong.

“Before she died, she told me she loved me....” Kong Xianglong
shivered. Reaching out, he gripped Xu Qing’s shoulder. His eyes
were bloodshot and his hand trembled. “I don’t know how to deal
with this, Xu Qing!”

He closed his eyes.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. He just let Kong Xianglong hold on to

his shoulder. Xu Qing had been forced to part with loved ones in
death. More than once. So he could imagine what Kong Xianglong
was feeling. It was a sensation that defied reality, and was
something you could never get used to.

The only thing Xu Qing could think to do was take out a flagon of
alcohol and hand it to the trembling Kong Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong took it and drank deeply. Then he murmured, “I

never imagined there would be a time when alcohol tastes like
nothing.”

Kong Xianglong released his grip, patted Xu Qing on the shoulder,

and then walked away. Despite feeling so heavy at heart, he had
come here just to see Xu Qing.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. He suddenly thought back to the first

time he saw Duskspirit, back when he first arrived at the
Swordsage Palace. She was a young woman who liked eating
melon seeds of flesh and blood. She was the one who suggested
he go to the Supreme Void Demonization Sect to learn the
Demonization Art. Even back then, he’d known that she only cared
about Kong Xianglong. [1]

A long moment passed, and Xu Qing sighed. This world really eats
people up.

Eventually, the Void Returning experts started filtering out of the

tent to handle their various assignments. That included Sir
Bloodsmelter and the two Swordsage Court grand elders.

Finally, Palace Lord Kong called out, “Come in, Xu Qing.”

Steeling himself, Xu Qing stepped into the tent. He immediately

caught sight of the palace lord sitting there in front of a huge
sandbox formed by means of a magical technique. The sandbox
was a map depicting the entire western front, including the ravine
and much of the Holytides’ front line. It even stretched all the way
to include the northern front. Obviously, the western front was only
one part of a much larger war. Though the command tent had a
direct view of only one small part of that conflict, the fact that
Palace Lord Kong had set up the Command Department here
went to show that he thought of this place as the most important
part of the front lines.

Xu Qing took a deep breath as he looked at the sandbox and then

Palace Lord Kong. The palace lord looked even more haggard
than before. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was clearly injured.
He still wore the very same suit of armor that Xu Qing had helped
him don. The baleful aura that surrounded him was stronger than
before. To Xu Qing, he seemed like a wild beast, as if all of the
ferocity of the army was focused on him.

“Greetings, Palace Lord,” Xu Qing said somberly, clasping hands

and bowing.

“Xu Qing, I received the supplies you sent.” As the palace lord
looked up at Xu Qing, he seemed to reign in his baleful aura.
However, the destiny aura of the army made it impossible for him
to completely dispel the aura of blood on him. That said, he
managed to force a gentle look onto his face, and his eyes
glittered with praise. “I’m also aware of what went into gathering
the armies of the two prefectures. You’ve performed an amazing
service!”

Xu Qing bowed his head. “Your humble servant only did what was
necessary. By the way, about Mount Daybreak, I—”
Before he could finish speaking, the sky outside changed colors
dramatically, as if it were being dilated and stretched out at the
same time. Killing intent surged from the earth, which quaked as
though being attacked by subterranean dragons and snakes.

The howls of Holytide cultivators echoed in the air. The temporary

lull in the fighting had ended! Killing intent swept forth like storm
winds from the Heaventide Mountains, slamming into the taboo
treasure net protecting Sea-Sealing County. The huge net
trembled and emitted dazzling flashes of light. The wild wind swept
across the ravine, hitting countless tents among the forces of Sea-
Sealing County, and causing many of them to ripple wildly.

When the wind hit Palace Lord Kong’s command tent, the fabric
whipped back and forth loudly. The tent flaps opened, revealing
that the dark clouds outside were filled with countless lightning
bolts.

RUMBLE!

Both land and sky filled with the loud sound.

Xu Qing’s long hair stirred, and his heart started to pound.

A roar echoed out like that of countless wild beasts, quickly

surpassing the heavenly thunder as it spread far and wide.

Face completely expressionless, the palace lord stood. His baleful

aura flared, and he handed a jade slip to Xu Qing. Then he walked
toward the tent flaps.

“That jade slip contains all the details about the Holytides and the
battleground. I want you to take the time to study it thoroughly, Xu
Qing. I’ll give you a day. What’s happening now is just combat as
usual. Things haven’t really reached the point of being a big war.
How to make use of all the details in that information will be up to
you. Starting tomorrow, I want you back at my side as my
secretary-general!”

“Yes, sir!” Xu Qing said immediately.

Palace Lord Kong nodded and walked out of the tent. The
swordsages from the Secretariat Division had already returned
and were waiting for new orders.

Xu Qing stood behind the palace lord looking out at the battlefield.
In addition to the dramatic things happening in the dome of
heaven, he saw countless Holytide cultivators racing forward like a
wave on the ocean. Some flew in the air, others raced on the
ground. All wore suits of armor and radiated killing intent. Their
troop formations resembled enormous severed hands that covered
the sky and spread out over the earth.

The palace lord began issuing orders, and Sea-Sealing County’s

army stirred like a beast that had been napping and was now
ready to fight back.
After taking it in for a moment, Xu Qing clasped hands and left. He
knew that, having just arrived at the battlefield, he didn’t have any
idea of the wartime operations, much less the ups and downs of
the situation. The post of secretary-general wasn’t something to be
viewed casually. It didn’t just involve passing along orders, but
rather, required keen observational and analytical skills. In the
current situation, it would require a general understanding of all
the details related to the battlefield.

In reality, a single day wouldn’t be enough for Xu Qing to catch up

properly.

Nor could one jade slip possibly contain all of the information
necessary to understand the Holytides and the battlefield.

In order to more quickly familiarize himself with everything, he

wanted to find a spot that overlooked the battlefield, and station
himself there to observe the fighting. At the same time, it would be
easy for him to actually go onto the battlefield to personally
experience the details of the fighting between humans and
Holytides.

He could do the former by staying with Palace Lord Kong, but not
the latter. Being near the palace lord, who was the core of the
entire army, would make it difficult to actually go onto the
battlefield.
As rumbling sounds filled heaven and earth, and everything shook,
Xu Qing looked around for a suitable spot. Eventually, he noticed
an area where a host of scrap puppets had been piled up on a
mountain. The war puppets of Sea-Sealing County were usually
operated by large numbers of cultivators, and would be stationed
on a spell formation to be kept in a peak state of readiness. But
already, many of them had been rendered nonoperational due to
damage taken. They were being temporarily stored on that
mountain, where they could be scavenged for spare parts. Or, they
could be tossed out at key moments in the battle and detonated.

After spotting the pile of scrap puppets, Xu Qing flew over.

Given the state of the fighting, there was only one person on
guard. It was an old cripple who sat there looking out woodenly at
the battlefield. He noticed Xu Qing's approach, and he looked over
with a blank expression.

Xu Qing didn’t speak to him. He leaped up onto the scrap puppets

and climbed to the top of the pile. Standing there, he took out the
jade slip and reviewed the contents while simultaneously looking
out at the battlefield.

The high vantage point offered a good view. Just beyond the
golden net, the battle raged.

High in the sky, the Holytides had their diamond-shaped magical

devices. Occasionally, they would release ear-piercing sounds that
rippled through the air, along with lightning bolts that would smash
into the ground. The blood-colored eyes in the middle of the
diamond-shaped devices would emit crushing pressure that
hindered the human forces but bolstered the Holytides.

The jade slip had some basic information about the diamond-
shaped magical devices, such as the fact that the gruish things
were a gift from the Nightshades.

That said, the humans had their own advantages. For instance, Xu
Qing could see the Void Returning experts seated in the golden
net sending out cultivation base power into the net. As a result,
numerous golden mouths appeared, which emitted noiseless
howls as they launched attacks at the diamond-shaped magical
devices.

Though the mouths interfered with the diamond-shaped devices,

and even drew their attention, the black snow was pervasive and
difficult to contain.

Sometimes the snowflakes transformed into magical attacks that

hit the human cultivators, or converged to form both humanoid and
beastly shapes. Some landed near Holytide cultivators, where they
formed into dangerous weapons. Sometimes the black snow
would land on the humans, no matter how they tried to avoid it.
There was simply too much of it. When that happened, the
cultivator would shiver as the snow turned into a dangerous
poison. If the mutagen within those cultivators reached a certain
point, they would scream as they experienced mutation and
started blindly attacking anyone around them. It was a brutal
scene.

But there was still more the humans could do.

Even as Xu Qing felt shaken, he saw the shocking magical thorns

emit deafening sound wave attacks. Wherever the sound passed,
the snow would melt, turning into black water that splashed onto
the ground and eventually turned into a black mist.

When that happened, some humans on the battlefield would just

take the time to catch their breath, maybe even by falling back
from the fighting. Then, after recovering, they would charge back
into the battle.

1. Duskspirit was introduced in chapter 397. She introduced the

Demonization Art to Xu Qing in chapter 421. ☜
Chapter 505: The Emperor of Redspirit (1)

Xu Qing was shocked by what he was seeing. Even in the short

time had been observing, he had seen many people die. Human
cultivators lost their lives in a very gruish fashion. Despite being far
from any enemies, they would suddenly be slashed to pieces by
unseen blades. Then, after dying, they mutated into mindless
mutant beasts. Hoarse shouts and bloodcurdling screams mixed
with the sounds of self-detonations and the thrum of magical
devices. Taking in the scene as a whole, it didn’t seem like the
forces of Sea-Sealing County could possibly launch a
counteroffensive. They could only mount a defense.

Sea-Sealing County originally had thirteen prefectures, but lost

three at the very beginning. Injustice and Emperor-Receiving
weren’t participating from the beginning. That means we had the
power of eight prefectures. And I remember that, at the beginning
of the conflict, we had eight battalions!

Suppressing his shock at what he was seeing, he quickly analyzed

the situation.

There’s no specific strategy being forced on everyone. The forces

from the different prefectures all have their own unique qualities,
so it doesn’t make sense to shoehorn everything into one plan.
Therefore... the eight battalions are essentially autonomous, with
their own supplies, magical devices, battle plans, and the like.

For example, those magical thorns are overseen by the Third

Battalion. And the hundreds of Void Returning cultivators
managing the taboo treasures from the various prefectures are
actually selected from all of the different battalions. And they only
represent a portion of the Void Returning forces. The Swordsage
Palace is responsible for the war puppets, the Dao Bell, and The
Emperor’s Swords!

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qing looked left and right and didn’t see
anyone from Injustice Prefecture and Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture. And the army forces here seemed lacking.

It made Xu Qing think back to the sandbox he’d seen in the

command tent.

The front lines stretch for a long way, and are divided into multiple
battle zones. Injustice Prefecture and Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture, as well as the forces from two other prefectures, are
being assigned to one of the more westerly areas. The part I’m in
right now is the battle zone overseen by the Command
Department!

Don’t tell me Palace Lord Kong has set himself up here to make
himself bait? Is he trying to attract the attention of the Holytides...?
Or maybe he has some other plan.
Without more detailed information, Xu Qing couldn’t be sure of the
nuances of what he was seeing. That said, he was still getting
much more familiar with the war situation. After wrapping his mind
around the various battle zones, he decided to number the zones
to make it easier to analyze them.

Sea-Sealing County is the West Zone, while the Holytides occupy

the East Zone.

Zones West 1, West 3, West 4, and West 8 are closest to the

golden net. The forces there are on standby as they wait to
engage with the enemy forces from Zones East 5, East 7, and
East 11. West 2, West 5 are using war puppets, while the other
three zones are providing support. On the Holytide side, dozens of
zones including Zones East 3, East 6, East 14, and East 17 have
shifted to make Zone East 2 the most prominent.... No, hold on.
The Holytide formation is changing into an arrow, with East 2
being the arrowhead!

After having made that determination, he looked over to where the

golden net hovered above East 2.

With the Holytide’s formation shift complete, over ten thousand

living severed hands suddenly appeared. Every single one of them
held a huge chain as they surged forward. Simultaneously, intense
rumbling sounds rang out as the vortex behind them opened up
further. More black snow emerged, pouring like an avalanche onto
the field of battle.
Xu Qing’s expression flickered as he noticed one of The
Emperor’s Swords suddenly glitter with light, as if it had been
waiting for this moment. Massive amounts of sword light erupted
from it, turning into a sword sea that shot toward the vortex. It
closed in and detonated, causing howls of anguish to emerge from
the spinning vortex. The sword sea sent the avalanche of black
snow spraying off in different directions.

Meanwhile, high above the Sea-Sealing County, the huge Dao Bell
surrounded by the bronze coffins suddenly tolled. The sound was
profoundly ancient, and seemed capable of shattering anything
and everything. The bell tolled seven times, and each time, it sent
ripples out over the battlefield. Countless Holytide cultivators
simply exploded, while at the same time revealing figures that had
previously been invisible.

The illusory figures were not Holytides. Instead, they looked like
mantises, each of them dozens of meters tall and pulsing with a
very unique mutagen that invaded everything around them. Xu
Qing knew that these were the grim reapers created by the
Nightshades’ diamond-shaped magical devices. Their unusual
state of existence made them impossible to detect, and thus
extremely difficult to deal with. Normally speaking, the golden net
was needed to mark them. But right now, the Dao Bell was
exerting crushing power that instantly revealed them.

That was the moment when the war puppets sprang into action.
Over ten thousand gigantic puppets rushed onto the battlefield
toward the grim reapers.

War was like a complicated game. Sometimes, a defensive

maneuver could actually turn into a counteroffensive. And
sometimes complicated situations were actually simple.

That said, war was always like a millstone that required great effort
to be expended as it rotated. Whether one side was in the right or
wrong didn’t matter. Blood had to be spilled. When the millstone
rotated, lives were taken. Matters of victory and defeat were
secondary.

Xu Qing stood by, silently studying the battlefield.

The sky above seemed to be that of perpetual dusk. It didn’t

matter if it was day or night. The sky always looked like that.

Intense sounds. The reek of blood. Mutagen. Those were the main
themes of the war. As for how long the brutal symphony would
continue to play, no one knew. The slaughter went on and on, an
endless cycle that brought untold pressure onto the combatants.
Along with that pressure came a mounting despair.

Eventually, Xu Qing looked away. He had seen enough of the

battlefield. The fighting continued, with both sides employing
various tactics to keep the bloody millstone turning.

Death was commonplace. Survival was a miracle.

Yet, during the entire time he watched, Xu Qing didn’t see
retreating troops.

Where would they retreat to?

From his position atop the pile of scrap puppets, he looked back at
Sea-Sealing County. Even though he had experienced countless
sufferings from his youth until now, there were still many things he
worried about. It made sense for a well-rounded person to have
worries.

Eventually, he looked away from Sea-Sealing County and up at

the diamond-shaped magical device in the sky, and the rippling
distortions that surrounded them.

I can sense a bit of the power of the red moon on those magical
devices....

He had only picked up on that after observing them from a

distance for a while. He got the same sense from the black snow.
That said, he was so far away from both that the sensation wasn’t
very strong.

After considering the matter, he left the scrap puppet pile and
headed toward the battlefield.

As he was leaving, the old cripple called out in a voice hoarse from
age, “Come back alive!”
Xu Qing stopped and turned in place to look at the old man. Xu
Qing didn’t know him, and the two of them hadn’t exchanged any
words up to this point. The old man didn’t say anything further. He
just looked out at the battlefield, his expression one of sorrow. Xu
Qing nodded to him, then became a streak of light that shot toward
the golden net.

He wanted to get onto the actual battlefield to get a better sense of

the power of the black snow and the diamond-shaped magical
devices. If both of them were really backed by the power of the red
moon, then maybe he could provide some help.

Given the speed he was capable of, he quickly passed through the
golden net and onto the battlefield. The smell of blood and gore hit
him like a wave. The air was humid and smelled disgusting. Even
a hardened killer would feel nauseous upon smelling such an odor.
It was because of how many had died, and how many had been
filled with feelings of despair when they did.

Emotions were like contaminants. The eyes of humans would turn

red, whether from fear or excitement. And when those two
emotions mixed together, the results were even more dramatic.

Being on the battlefield was very different from observing it from

afar. The sights, sounds, and smells were now much more
intense.
He saw bitter faces, enraged expressions, and back-and-forth
fighting. There was madness and confusion. It almost looked like a
great hand had dropped from the sky to create a painting in front
of Xu Qing. And then the painter had unwittingly added Xu Qing
into the picture as well, like a tiny dot that could hardly measure up
to the larger image.

Next to that tiny dot was a Holytide cultivator, his expression one
of ferocity as he shot forth to take Xu Qing’s head. Black snow
became a magical device shaped like a ghost claw. It burst with
extraordinary might, yet the moment the vicious Holytide arrived,
Xu Qing vanished.

A black dagger slashed through the Holytide’s neck. Blood

sprayed and the head flew, allowing the Holytide cultivator to
briefly see his own headless body.

Xu Qing licked the acerbic blood from his lips, all while the baleful
aura seeped out of his bloodshot eyes. He didn’t waste any time.
He burst into motion, sending taboo poison power all around him.
Any Holytides who dare get close to him would shudder, then
scream as their bodies melted within their armor.

As he proceeded along, he got closer to an area with black snow.

When he arrived, he let the snow fall and looked closely for traces
of the red moon. However, as he studied them, the snowflakes
released faint fluctuations that caused them to collapse.
It does and doesn’t... he thought, looking around vigilantly. The
black snowflakes did have the power of the red moon in them, but
it was so weak as to be insignificant.

What was more noteworthy was that it had some type of chaotic
power element. As a result, though Xu Qing could exert some tiny
fraction of control, the slightest misstep would result in total failure.
If he wanted to gain true control, he would need to do further
observation and testing.

As for the poison in the snow, it didn’t count for much when
compared to Xu Qing’s poisons. However, when the black snow
turned into various magical techniques, they were very strong. And
when they clumped together, they became incredibly astounding.

There’s more to them than meets the eye. There’s something

vicious inside, plus there’s that unstable chaos power that guides
the melting of the snowflakes....

After some thought, he tried to collect some of the snow, then

turned to leave for another area.

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to Dile for the review.

Thank you to Dile for the review.

Chapter 505: The Emperor of Redspirit (2)

He wanted to see if the diamond-shaped magical devices were

similar to the black snow. Unfortunately, the devices were high in
the sky, which made them much more dangerous to approach.
Therefore, he settled on the grim reapers as his next goal.

Blurring into motion, he headed to a spot in the distance where he

saw some war puppets fighting with some grim reapers. Along the
way, he took time to study the mutagen on the battlefield.

This is a living mutagen, not the kind that comes from forbidden
grounds, or the kind made by cultivators!

Narrowing his eyes, he sent his shadow out to devour the

surrounding mutagen. Such living mutagen was very suitable for
the shadow. Meanwhile, Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior flew out
and circled protectively around Xu Qing like a dharma protector.

Xu Qing continued on his way, and the slaughter proceeded

around him. There were too many Holytides on the battlefield. As
Xu Qing sped along, blood splattered onto his uniform, and
dripped from his face and hands down to the ground. As time
passed, he left behind a wake of corpses. He was cautious by
nature, so despite the bloodshot nature of his eyes, his expression
was still calm and collected. He didn’t stay in one place for very
long, and whenever he sensed Spirit Trove fluctuations, he would
flee.

Thus, time passed, and eventually he reached the spot where the
war puppets and grim reapers were fighting. Being on the
battlefield, he now had a good sense of how difficult things were
for the human cultivators. The deafening noise here was much
more intense than on the other side of the golden net.

It was easy to imagine how cultivators from either side would

eventually go deaf from it. They wouldn’t hear the screams of
others, nor their own howls of grief. People who lost their hearing
would experience two contradictory sensations. On the one hand,
the battlefield would seem vastly bigger because of the lack of
sound. On the other hand, that person would feel immeasurably
small because of being isolated and alone. That state could help a
cultivator to focus more on fighting, but could also drive them to
the limits of sanity.

Xu Qing saw people like that as he moved along. He saw some

corpses with hands clamped over their ears as if they only hoped
to stop hearing the rumbling and booms around them. It was the
same with both humans and Holytides.

At the moment, Xu Qing was stepping over a mangled corpse. He

looked at it, then looked up at the spot ahead where the grim
reapers and the war puppets fought back and forth. The puppets
seemed to have the upper hand.
Both parties were dozens of meters high. The Sea-Sealing County
war puppets were humanoid, while the grim reapers looked like
mantises. They fought back and forth ferociously, causing blood to
spray with each blow. Either that, or shattered puppet parts would
fly out.

The shockwaves spread far and wide. After all, the battle prowess
on display was not just Nascent Soul; it was actually more in the
Spirit Trove level. More than ten thousand war puppets had
engaged the grim reapers, and there were already high casualties
on both sides. Before long, though, the war puppets blasted
through the grim reapers, then surged onward.

When Xu Qing arrived, he gathered some of the flesh and blood of

the grim reapers. He could sense their brutal aura, and was able
to detect the power of the red moon in it. It was stronger than in
the black snow.

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed as he once again sensed that, all of a

sudden, things were changing on the battlefield!

Then Palace Lord Kong’s voice echoed out, filled with

unprecedented solemnity.

“All Sea-Sealing County battalions: fall back immediately!”

Even as the words rang out, the sky flashed as an intense sound
that surpassed all the magical devices erupted from the huge
vortex. The sound crushed down on everything, and seemed to
restore hearing to all cultivators on both sides of the conflict.

Thump-thump!

Thump-thump!

Thump-thump!

It sounded like a heartbeat, pulsing down from the vortex in the

sky, filling all the lands. And then, an eye peered out from within
that vortex. It was ashen gray, lifeless, and in fact, pulsing with a
boundless aura of death. Then the eye lunged forward, and the
vortex was pulled open as a crimson head emerged!

It was not the head of a human. Rather, it was the bright red head
of a bird! It was only a head, not a body. The bird’s neck ended in
a gaping hole, as if its neck had been cut through with a sharp
blade. This bird’s head was so huge that it was larger than
Qingqin’s entire body, as if Qingqin were just a child, and this was
an adult. As it appeared, filling the sky, a huge emperor’s throne
could be seen in its eye!

Sitting on that throne was a person. He wore an emperor’s robe,

as well as a crown, the beads of which obscured his face. He
emanated a majestic mightiness that created a tempest all around
him. The terrifying bird’s head was apparently serving as his
imperial carriage.
All of the Holytide cultivators on the field of battle dropped to their
knees to kowtow, their eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

“Emperor!”

“Emperor!!”

Next, a projected image of Palace Lord Kong appeared above the

fourth line of defense, tens of thousands of meters in size. His feet
were planted on the ground while his head was high in the sky,
and he radiated a terrifying, baleful aura. To his left was the Dao
Bell, emanating an ancient thrumming, and to his right was a
30,000-meter Emperor’s Sword, pulsing with killing intent. Behind
him, the air undulated into the shape of a huge eye that stared at
the newly-arrived emperor.

“Redspirit, you old bastard.”

The newcomer was the emperor of the Holytides’ fourth royal

dynasty, the Redspirit Dynasty!

The battle lines were clearly drawn, with Emperor Redspirit on one
side and Palace Lord Kong on the other.

The delineation created by the golden net was very clear. Outside
of the net, imperial might surged. Inside the net, a baleful will
enveloped all. The pressure from the two mighty figures swept
across the battlefield, filling the prefecture. As a result, countless
living beings in Tidefall Prefecture shivered from the depths of their
souls.

Emperor Redspirit and the Palace Lord Kong were simply too
powerful. As they locked eyes and their energies squared off,
heaven shook and the earth quaked. Close examination would
reveal that the air between them was filled with the projections of
countless minor worlds.

It looked like a sort of supernatural phenomena. As their minor

worlds collided, countless figures flew out from them and started
fighting. It was a hair-raising sight as innumerable minor worlds
crumbled. Yet more minor worlds popped into being to replace
them. It was obvious that the minor worlds on both sides were
reaching the point of being able to combine into one. Both of their
auras rose higher and higher, until that unification happened, and
illusory major worlds appeared. That signified the true extent of
their cultivation bases.

By reaching this point and forming illusory major worlds, they were
in the fourth stage of Void Returning. After creating that major
world, they would lift it high, turning it from illusory to corporeal.
And by hoisting it onto their shoulders, then fusing it with their
soul, they would turn it into a full world.

They would be one-world Smoldering Gods!

That said, neither Emperor Redspirit nor Palace Lord Kong were
at that point yet. After all, the difference between fourth-stage Void
Returning and one-world Smoldering God was a gap that was
rarely crossed!

As a result, fourth-stage Void Returning was considered extremely

domineering in most situations. As their minor worlds collided
endlessly, black clouds collapsed and lightning transformed into
starlight. Down below, only those cultivators who were in Spirit
Trove dared to look up at what was happening. All others could
only avert their eyes.

However, there were a few who had outrageous gall, or perhaps

who didn’t look away in time, who saw what was happening. When
they did, their eyes bulged, their flesh exploded, and they were
destroyed in body and soul.

Xu Qing only saw for a brief moment, and it caused his mind to
reel and his soul to feel like it was about to be ripped to shreds.
Thankfully, his fleshly eyes were able to endure the pain. He took
a deep breath as he realized that meant his fleshly body was a lot
tougher than his soul. Taking out the green crystal the Captain had
given him, he began to absorb it while backing up with the rest of
the army toward the golden net.

Intense rumbling sounds echoed out that surpassed the magical

devices of war.
The Holytide army was clearly in high spirits. In fact, as soon as
they received the orders from their commanders, they started
rushing toward the retreating Sea-Sealing County forces.

Meanwhile, Emperor Redspirit’s cold voice echoed out high above.

“Kong Liangxiu, if it weren’t for the destiny aura of Sea-Sealing

County converging on you and forming your major world, you
wouldn’t be a match for me.”

“You,” Palace Lord Kong said coolly, “one of the four mighty
emperors of the Holytides, don't have the blessing of the Holytide
Region’s destiny? Why might that be? Don’t you know?”
Chapter 506: Grievous News (1)

The slaughter intensified. Though the Holytides advanced with

deadly momentum, the golden net of Sea-Sealing County
bolstered the troops, and the countless magical devices
thrummed, providing cover for the orderly retreat of the battalions.

Large numbers of cultivators gathered in the war puppets and then

rushed out to provide further support. There were both large
puppets and small ones. The smaller varieties were sometimes
only a few dozen meters tall, while the larger ones could reach a
height of 3,000 meters. All contained a variety of spell formations,
and were crewed by cultivators of all types and kinds. In some
cases, the crew had less than a hundred people, but in most
cases, thousands. The latter were the variety that had been
fighting the grim reapers. The cultivators in them linked their
cultivation base with the puppet itself, allowing them to unleash
battle prowess similar to the Spirit Trove level. Looking around the
battlefield as a whole, there were tens of thousands of puppets
both large and small.

Because of that, the human battalions maintained order as they

fell back and went through the golden net into safety.

Meanwhile, Emperor Redspirit faced off with Palace Lord Kong.

“Kong Liangxiu,” the emperor said in a voice that thrummed with
heavenly might, “the scope of the conflict surpasses your little
county here. The Nightshades are already at war with you
humans, and that’s why your Imperial Region is powerless to help
you. You can’t afford to delay things any longer, and you have no
backup on the way.

“All the major species in Revered Ancient are waiting to see how
this war will fare. The slightest decline in human strength will result
in them uniting to wipe you out of existence. You must realize all of
that, don’t you?

“The imperial dynasty of one of the most paramount species in

Revered Ancient, the Firemoon Darkheaven people, will soon
carry out the grand tradition they’ve maintained for the past
400,000 years. The Great Hunt of Species. The ancient treaty will
expire soon, and there isn’t a single species that wants to be the
prey in the Great Hunt. Since humans have no domain treasure
it’s obvious you’ll be the sacrificial gift. That way, the other species
can rest at ease for the next 100,000 years. [1]

“Therefore... the outcome here is inevitable. You’re out of time. I’ll

give you one single chance to surrender to my Holytide army.
That’s the only chance you have to save Sea-Sealing County.”

The words spoken by Emperor Redspirit weren’t just for Palace

Lord Kong to hear. They echoed across the entire battlefield and
through the golden net. All the humans heard them. Just as the
emperor intended. Everyone who heard the words were shaken.
The speech had some mysterious power within it that caused
feelings of despair to rise unbidden in the hearts of the listeners.

When Palace Lord Kong spoke, his voice was as cool and
collected as always. It didn’t tremble in the least bit, making him
seem like a boulder that stood in place no matter how the sea
smashed it with waves. “It’s interesting you would resort to such
ridiculous words in an attempt to erode the fighting spirit of Sea-
Sealing County. I guess you must be getting really nervous,
Emperor Redspirit.”

As his voice echoed out, the effects of Emperor Redspirit’s words

faded from the hearts of the human cultivators.

Then Palace Lord Kong strode forward, reached out, and grabbed
the scintillating Emperor’s Sword. As he did, it changed shape,
becoming a long spear that he hefted. He charged toward
Emperor Redspirit. They clashed, sending wild colors pulsing out
left and right. As they fought, they rose higher and higher into the
air until it wasn’t possible to see them. That said, the rumbling
booms of their fight shook everything below.

The battle continued.

After the human battalions had all fallen back behind the golden
net, the county capital’s taboo treasures were unleashed. They
manifested as spirit automatons on the golden net, which began to
advance in resistance of the Holytide assault. Unfortunately, Sea-
Sealing County was only one county, and it couldn’t possibly
measure up to the entire Holytide Region. That was why the
conflict had been fairly one-sided so far. Though they were only
facing the lone Redspirit Dynasty, they still weren’t a match. They
could only hold the line as best they could, and hope that
reinforcements would eventually come from the imperial capital.

***

Time passed, slowly but surely. Soon, seven days had passed.
The battle continued as it had up to this point. Whether it was night
or day, rumbling booms echoed out, and deadly fighting went on.

Palace Lord Kong had not returned. However, thanks to the

deputy palace lords and the swordsage grand elders from the
various prefectures, things remained orderly. On numerous
occasions, it seemed like the lines would collapse, but in the end,
they held.

The construction work on the fifth line of defense, which was 5,000
kilometers back, was halfway complete.

Xu Qing joined the fighting on multiple occasions. As he got

familiar with the situation on the battlefield, and the tactics of the
various battalions, he slaughtered many enemies. That said, he
suffered his fair share of injuries. The violet crystal was always
there to heal him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of mental
exhaustion that continued to build up in him. It seemed to almost
close up his throat, making him even more silent than ever.

On a few occasions, he ran into Holytide Spirit Trove cultivators.

Thankfully, he never strayed too far into the fighting, and was
always able to escape them. On one occasion, he received a very
serious injury.

Eventually, he joined up with Kong Xianglong’s squad of several

hundred cultivators. Sir Mountain-River was there. Using one of
the war puppets, they were able to wade deep into the fighting.

Because of the relentless assault of the Holytide forces, the troops

of Sea-Sealing County as a whole got no opportunities for rest.
Nerves grew taut. Only by rotating forces within the battalions
were any of the cultivators able to get any rest. It was currently just
such a moment.

Kong Xianglong lay on the ground staring blankly up into the sky. It
was the same with Sir Mountain-River. Normally speaking, Sir
Mountain-River wasn’t a big drinker. But now he leaned back
against the battered war puppet, gulping alcohol and rubbing his
slowly growing beard stubble. He was young, yet right now he
looked incomparably old.

Xu Qing had heard that three days after Duskspirit died, about half
a month ago... Wang Chen was killed in combat. He had been
providing backup for Sir Mountain-River. In one of the lulls in the
fighting, Kong Xianglong and Sir Mountain-River went out to look
for his corpse on the bloody sludge of the battlefield. They never
found it. [2]

Xu Qing looked off into the distance. It was evening. Red light
occasionally flared, and deafening booms rang out constantly.
Specifically, he was looking toward another part of the western
front, where the battalion from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture was
garrisoned.

The Captain was there, as was Sir Bloodsmelter.

I hope they’re safe.

It wasn’t possible to send a message via transmission jade slip, as

communications were locked down on the battlefield. Only
messages relating to the war itself were allowed.

Stifling pressure. Taciturn silence. That was the general state of

affairs in war. Any periods of rest were very short.

When orders came down to start fighting again, Kong Xianglong

wordlessly got back up and returned to his spot on the war puppet.
The puppet itself was splattered with blood and had taken a lot of
damage already. This was the seventh puppet their squad had
gone through in the past seven days. Sir Mountain-River carefully
put away his flagon of alcohol and also returned to the puppet. Xu
Qing did the same, along with all the other cultivators in the squad.
Back at his spot, he sat down cross-legged and sent his cultivation
base out. A tremor passed through the puppet, and then it pulsed
with mighty pressure as it lumbered toward the field of battle. As it
moved, chunks of bloody flesh slipped out of its joints and fell to
the ground. Some came from the crew, but most was the flesh of
Holytide cultivators. The flesh that fell to the ground was left
behind, to be trampled by other puppets that followed behind
them.

Xu Qing was responsible for the war puppet’s left hand, which
gave him command of incredibly destructive force.

From his spot, Xu Qing was able to see the outside through a
screen. As they neared the battlefield, he unconsciously
maintained the same expression as everyone else; wooden and
numb.

Upon passing the pile of scrap puppets, Xu Qing looked over and
didn’t see any living person there. He thought back to the crippled
old man who had told him to ‘come back alive.’ The old man’s
corpse was leaned up against one of the scrap puppets, greenish-
black from advanced spread of mutagen.

Xu Qing had seen many corpses like that back in South Phoenix.
On a battlefield full of millions upon millions of people, a single
death wouldn’t be noted by anyone other than the squad they had
been a member of, or perhaps by the records division. Such
deaths were inconsequential.
The puppet eventually charged through the golden net, joining
tens of thousands of other puppets to race toward the enemy.

Time passed.

On the evening of the tenth day, Palace Lord Kong returned. His
presence boosted morale; it was possible to see a gleam in the
eyes of the Sea-Sealing County cultivators. After the palace lord
returned, the Holytide forces chose to fall back for a short time.
Another rest period began. Squads from both sides did their best
to recover the corpses of their comrades. Although that resulted in
occasional friction and even fighting, for the most part, both sides
would look for the quickest opportunity to back down.

Xu Qing received a summons from Palace Lord Kong and left

Kong Xianglong’s squad.

Back in the command tent, Xu Qing noted that the palace lord
didn’t have any visible injuries. In fact, the flame of his life force
seemed to burn with more intensity, and he had an even stronger
baleful aura than before. It didn’t make sense. How could the
palace lord have possibly fought such an extended battle with
Emperor Redspirit without ending up hurt?

After a moment of hesitation, Xu Qing finally related the results of

his investigation in Daybreak Prefecture. Taking Palace Lord
Kong’s command medallion, he offered it forward with both hands.
Palace Lord Kong took it, looked at it, and then tossed it back to
Xu Qing. “There are two of these command medallions. You can
keep that one. It might keep you safe later on. Even after the new
governor arrives, and the authority of that medallion is taken
away... it will still allow you to activate the capital’s taboo treasure
one time.”

Xu Qing looked at the old palace lord and felt deeply moved.
“Palace Lord—”

“Xu Qing,” Palace Lord Kong interrupted, “do you have a handle
on the battlefield now?”

Inside, Palace Lord Kong was sighing. He really liked Xu Qing,

and had originally planned to mentor him as a successor. But then
war came along and changed everything. There wasn’t enough
time.

Xu Qing bowed his head and quietly answered, “I think I have a

rough handle on it.”

Palace Lord Kong looked out of the tent and calmly said, “In that
case, going forward, I want you to continue serving as my
secretary-general. Record the following information.”

“Yes, sir,” Xu Qing said, taking out a jade slip.

“Notify the Sixth Battalion as well as the Seventh Battalion that

they’re to fall back 5,000 kilometers to the garrisons on the fifth
line of defense.

“Notify the battalions from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture and

Injustice Prefecture to fall back 19,000 kilometers to the garrison in
the Rainvast Mountains.

“Notify the Fourth and Fifth Battalions to retreat 35,000 kilometers

to the garrison on the border of Rainfield Prefecture.

“Notify the Corrections Division to scatter into Tidefall Prefecture

and hunt down every last Black Guard cultivator that’s there. I
want all roads in Rainfield Prefecture purged.

“Notify Rainfield Prefecture that they’re to immediately activate

their large-scale teleportation portal!

“Secretly notify the First Battalion to make haste to Rainfield and

Enlightenment Prefectures to inspect the current state of the
earthflame there, and to accelerate the evacuation of the mortals
in those prefectures.”

Upon hearing the last order, Xu Qing looked up at the palace lord.
“Palace Lord, this will leave the fourth line of defense manned
solely by the Swordsage Palace and the Second and Third
Battalions.”

Palace Lord Kong closed his eyes. “Send out the orders!”

Xu Qing bowed his head and backed away. At the mouth of the
tent, he hesitated, then quietly said, “Palace Lord, in case you’re
not aware… Big Bro Kong is in very low spirits….”

Palace Lord Kong didn’t say anything.

Xu Qing waited for a moment, then quietly left.

After he was gone, Palace Lord Kong opened his eyes. When he
did, the flame of his life force that gleamed in his eyes went dim. A
moment later, it flared back to life, though it came with a price:
blood leaked out of the corners of his mouth.

Outside the command tent, Xu Qing encountered Kong Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong caught his eye and nodded. Palace Lord Kong
called to Kong Xianglong, and he hurried into the tent.

Seeing Kong Xianglong look so desolate caused Xu Qing to sigh

in his heart. Taking a moment to settle his thoughts, he started
organizing the various commands to send out.

1. The Firemoon Darkheaven people were previously mentioned in

chapter 401. ☜

2. RIP Wang Chen. He last appeared in chapter 475, and his last
speaking role was in chapter 458. He was introduced in chapter
397. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsANNOUNCEMENTI will be doing a live

reading of chapter 508 on February 2/10 at 7:30 p.m. on my
YouTube channel. That means I'll be reading the chapter some 12
hours before it's publicly released. I don't have the stream set up
yet, so for now, make sure you're subscribed to my channel. I'll
post an announcement later on with a link to the stream itself.

ANNOUNCEMENT

I will be doing a live reading of chapter 508 on February 2/10 at

7:30 p.m. on my YouTube channel. That means I'll be reading the
chapter some 12 hours before it's publicly released. I don't have
the stream set up yet, so for now, make sure you're subscribed to
my channel. I'll post an announcement later on with a link to the
stream itself.
Chapter 506: Grievous News (2)

Days passed. The fighting got more intense, and the casualties
mounted. As the battalions got new orders and left, the camp
remained busy. Corpses continued to pile up.

Xu Qing walked silently through the camp. Twenty-three days had

passed since he arrived at the front lines. He had seen a lot of
death during those twenty-three days. He had witnessed
unspeakable misery. He had observed a true hell on earth. At this
point, he hardly noticed the constant rumbling boom of combat.

There was another lull in combat right now, and Xu Qing was
planning on taking advantage of the moment to recruit a few more
people into his Secretariat Division. The Secretariat Division
played an integral role in the fighting, and as a result, over a
hundred members had already lost their lives. There weren’t
enough left behind.

When he thought about how many people he saw die on a daily

basis, Xu Qing’s feet felt heavy as he walked. At the same time,
he thought about Palace Lord Kong. There was definitely
something wrong with the palace lord. It wasn’t possible for the
flame of his life force to burn so brightly. In fact, that fire seemed to
overshadow the baleful aura on him.
Grief flickered in Xu Qing’s eyes. As a cultivator, he knew what it
indicated. Though he hadn’t realized it at first, after enough time
passed, it became obvious. Palace Lord Kong was burning his life
force. And he was burning it with abandon. Doing so gave a
terrifying boost to strength, which the palace lord was pooling into
a powerful reserve he could unleash later.

Are the relief troops from the imperial capital really not going to
show up?

All of the Sea-Sealing County cultivators were wondering the

same thing.

As the secretary-general, Xu Qing knew more about the war

situation than just about anyone, but... he didn’t know the answer
to that question. As he sighed, he walked past piles of corpses.
Suddenly he stopped walking and turned his head.

Off in the distance were two corpses embraced in death. They

were covered with wounds and full of mutagen. But despite having
sacrificed their lives, they wouldn’t let go of each other. That was
the case even though the lower halves of their bodies were
missing.

Xu Qing walked over and stood by the two corpses. A very long
time passed.

“Elder Brother Chen....”

The two embracing corpses were Chen Tinghao and Sun Liying.
Xu Qing had seen them when he first arrived. Back then, Chen
Tinghao had been injured, and Sun Liying had been tending his
wounds. He remembered how they smiled at him when they
spotted him. Now they were gone forever. [1]

Xu Qing took the cape off of his swordsage uniform and put it over
the two corpses. After ten breaths of time passed, he softly said,
“Rest in peace.”

He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and left. Around
then, horns blared on the battlefield as fighting began again.
Things were intensifying.

Palace Lord Kong stood outside of his command tent in his suit of
armor. He didn't need the Secretariat Division, as he was
projecting these orders directly to the army using divine will.

“Activate all taboo treasures, and unleash them at seventy percent

capacity!

“Notify all war puppets to use discarded weapons as projectiles on

the battlefield!

“Notify all swordsages to use their Emperor’s Swords!

“Have the dharma thorns utilize stage three power. Unleash five
barrages onto the battlefield.

“Tell all battalions to prepare to retreat to the fifth line of defense!”

Though the palace lord had an overall view of the situation, there
was no way he could be aware of all the minute details. Therefore,
he needed Xu Qing’s Secretariat Division swordsages to go to the
battlefield to collect detailed reports for him, which he could use to
make judgment calls. Before long, the fighting was back at full
intensity. This time, thanks to the fact that Xu Qing was personally
filtering all of the reports, he got the sense that the entire western
front was about to collapse.

“Palace Lord,” he said, “there’s something wrong with the

exhaustion levels of the Holytide cultivators! Something’s also
wrong with the black lightning! It’s only about fifty percent as
strong as before! Based on casualty statistics, and also based on
the differences between the magical device and spell formation
operation numbers... the Secretariat Division has come to the
conclusion that the Holytide’s have secret reinforcements on the
way!”

At almost the exact same moment that Xu Qing said that, a wild
tempest sprang into being in the north. It was like a tornado that
connected heaven and earth. The rain within the wind spread out
over the battlefield. It was a rain, not of water but of blood. And it
was coming from the north.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing’s command sword started vibrating as reports

started pouring in from the north.
As Xu Qing scanned the reports, his mind started spinning. It took
all the willpower he was capable of to maintain calm. The hand
that gripped his command sword tightened.

Also outside the command tent was one of the deputy palace
lords, two honor guards, and the Swordsage Court grand elders
associated with the Second and Third Battalions. All of them could
sense something strange going on, and they looked at Xu Qing
and the palace lord.

Palace Lord Kong shivered slightly. Given his authority over the
magical treasures from the capital city, he was already aware of
the information contained in Xu Qing’s reports. For the first time,
Palace Lord Kong, who had always been like an unmovable
bastion, boulder-like stabilizing force for Sea-Sealing County,
betrayed a look of sadness. With that look in his eyes, he gazed
northward. The trembling and the grief only lasted for a short
moment, though. Then he purged the weakness. He stood tall and
straight, his expression grim, his eyes as determined as ever.

“Palace Lord...?”

The grand elders from the Second and Third Battalions stood
there hesitantly.

“Read the report, Xu Qing!” Palace Lord Kong said. He was back
to being that unmovable bastion.
Xu Qing ducked his head in acknowledgement, then took a deep
breath.

“The northern front reports that the taboo treasure net collapsed
and can’t be restored. The army of allied species was defeated.
Casualties are impossible to track. The Holytide’s Heavengale
Dynasty and Earthsoil Dynasty have surged into Tranquility
Prefecture! The palace lord of the Justice Palace died in battle!
The palace lord of the Administration Palace died in battle! The
Yao Clan forces on the northern front... were wiped out. Marquis
Yao went missing on the battlefield. It’s not yet known if he’s alive
or dead.”

Xu Qing’s words hit the deputy palace lord like a bolt of lightning.
Everyone gasped and looked at Palace Lord Kong. He smiled.

“It’s only now that I understand everything…” he said. “Fear not.

There’s no need for any of you to be afraid.” He looked out at the
battlefield. “The final battle is coming.”

The moment the words left his mouth, something dramatic

happened on the battlefield. All of the Holytide forces
simultaneously started cheering, and at the same time, falling
back. They retreated to the Heaventide Mountains. So did the
diamond-shaped magical devices.

The retreat of the devices cleared the sky of much of the cloud
cover and revealed that there was a huge vortex spinning there.
Black snow poured down from it. At the same time, the countless
severed arms pulled the chains violently, whereupon a powerful
aura of death emerged from the vortex. Even just the small bit of
that aura that came out was enough to turn everything as dark as
a winter night. Green mist gathered on the ground. The chains
stretching out of the vortex frosted over, as if they were being
frozen.

Two huge figures rose up from behind the Holytide army, standing
tall on the mountains.

On the left was Emperor Redspirit. On the right was another figure
in an imperial robe and crown. It was the emperor from the fourth
of the Holytide’s royal dynasties. As they towered up into the sky,
they looked down at the palace lord by his command tent.

“Kong Liangxiu, the northern front has collapsed. Our army is

inside Sea-Sealing County. The Nightshades’ domain treasure is
coming. Things will end soon. You know what a domain treasure
is. If you want to try to stop it, go ahead. We won’t interfere. But as
you know... you can’t stop it.”

The swordsages around the command tent stood there with

decisive looks on their faces. Palace Lord Kong looked up at the
two emperors standing atop the Heaventide Mountains.

“You’re right, things will end soon.” The palace lord looked back at
Sea-Sealing County, then continued, “Notify the Second and Third
Battalions to retreat 5,000 kilometers. They’re not to continue
fighting.

“Notify all Sea-Sealing County cultivators present to cease

fighting.

“Notify all other battalions to hold their ground. They will cease
fighting.

“Notify all swordsages... to retreat 2,500 kilometers. They will

cease fighting!”

Everyone present looked at the palace lord with surprise. Xu Qing

also turned to face him.

The deputy palace lord took a step forward, his face somewhat
ashen. “All of our forces are to cease fighting. That just leaves
you.... Palace Lord, given your age, let me stand with you.”

Honor Guard Sima’s eyes revealed that he was ready to die, yet
he still smiled as he took a step forward. “Palace lord, I, Sima Nan,
might not have an amazing cultivation base. But my blood runs hot
in my veins, and I don’t want to waste that. That domain treasure
is emanating a frigid coldness. I’d love nothing more than to go
use it to cool down.” [2]

The other honor guard present was Honor Guard Sun, the very
one who had played a lead role the day Xu Qing and the other
new swordsages swore their oaths. Smiling, he stepped forward.
“Of the four honor guards, Ol’ Zhou and Ol’ Song are no longer
with us. Only myself and Ol’ Sima are left behind. Palace lord, you
can’t show favoritism to Ol’ Sima. I’ll be coming along too.”

As the honor guards stepped forward, the frigid power coming

from the vortex grew stronger. The sky looked even darker than
before. The vortex rotated, and shocking coldness emerged,
spreading out to cover everything. Where it passed, it froze the
clouds. It also turned the green mist into a forest of irregularly
shaped columns. It was horrendous in appearance.

Looking at the honor guards, Palace Lord Kong said, “Am I still the
palace lord, or not?”

Everyone stood there silently.

“Are you tired of the Swordsage Palace?” the palace lord

continued. “When humans go to war, do we fear death? All of you.
Follow orders!”

Looking in the direction of the battlefield, he waved his hand.

Instantly, a majestic tempest sprang up that took all of the
countless cultivators on the front lines and physically moved them
back 30,000 meters.

Now there was a lone figure standing on the fourth line of defense.
It was a man who, up to now, had not removed his armor.
Sand flew in the wind. Frost lifted from the ground. Everything
became hazy.

He strode forward, growing more distant, but at the same time,

stronger. He waved his hand, and the Dao Bell tolled. Flying out
from amidst the coffins, it shot toward the vortex, exuding crushing
pressure.

Then, Palace Lord Kong’s hoarse voice echoed out.

“Redspirit. Moonmist. Do the two of you dare to fight me?”

1. RIP Chen Tinghao and Sun Liying. Chen Tinghao first appeared
in chapter 283. They appeared as a couple in chapter 388. ☜

2. Quick reminder that Honor Guard Sima is Zhang Siyun’s Sect

Grandfather. He was mentioned a few times in passing, but played
a key role in the event in chapter 425. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsANNOUNCEMENTI will be doing a live

reading of chapter 508 on February 2/10 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
on my YouTube channel. That means I'll be reading the chapter
some 12 hours before it's publicly released. I don't have the
stream set up yet, so for now, make sure you're subscribed to my
channel. I'll post an announcement later on with a link to the
stream itself.

ANNOUNCEMENT
I will be doing a live reading of chapter 508 on February 2/10 at
7:30 p.m. Pacific time on my YouTube channel. That means I'll be
reading the chapter some 12 hours before it's publicly released. I
don't have the stream set up yet, so for now, make sure you're
subscribed to my channel. I'll post an announcement later on with
a link to the stream itself.
Chapter 507: The Lone General, A Hero
Through the Ages (1)

The spinning vortex in the dome of heaven emitted rumbling

sounds along with a frigid coldness so intense it turned the chains
into ice. The coldness spat out by the vortex turned the sky into
something like a black mirror.

The terrifying entity inside was slowly emerging.

In front of it hung the huge Dao Bell, which was covered in

countless ancient magical symbols, all flickering as the bell
emitted an invisible pressure. However, the aura coming from the
vortex was so astonishing that not even the bell could suppress it.
The bell held nothing back, yet eventually it reached its limit.
Cracks started to spread out across its surface; clearly it couldn’t
prevent the domain treasure from emerging.

A wind of extermination blew out from the vortex. It looked like a

windmill, slowly spinning to send the icy cold out in all directions.
More frost built up on the ground below, turning countless corpses
and stretches of gore into ice that eventually shattered and
became dust. Meanwhile, the black snow continued to fall, turning
everything blurry.

A lone figure strode through it all, his cultivation base burning,

causing everything around him to twist and contort.
All Sea-Sealing County cultivators saw him.

Xu Qing saw him, and only him.

He wore the pitch black armor of a soldier, and had long hair that
was white because of how he was burning his own life force. The
cold wind blew Palace Lord Kong’s cape to the side, making it look
almost like a flag. Sand and frost swirled through the dark of
evening, making the scene seem ancient.

“Palace Lord....” Waves of grief and indignation swept through Xu

Qing.

As Palace Lord Kong walked away, his energy built. He wasn’t just
the focus of the watching cultivators, but also seemed to attract
the attention of heaven, earth, and the universe. In front of him
was the massive Holytide army, and the two shocking emperors
standing in front of the Heaventide Mountains. Those emperors
seemed to block out the sun, sending out brutal and fiendish auras
to cover everything. 30,000 meters behind Palace Lord Kong were
the Second and Third Battalions, as well as tens of thousands of
surviving swordsages.

He was making his stand alone! The sight caused all human
cultivators to feel sorrow deep in their hearts. Their eyes were
already bloodshot from all the fighting, but now they’d become
more deeply bloodshot.
Kong Xianglong looked at that lone figure, and his somewhat
glazed eyes suddenly lit up. He began trembling.

As waves of emotion swept through everyone, the deputy palace

lord suddenly cried out, “Everyone. The time has come... to fall
back!” The pain in his hoarse voice was there for everyone to hear,
yet his words echoed like thunder. “That is what Palace Lord Kong
commanded. Follow your orders!”

As the wind blew, the honor guards and grand elders shouted
further instructions to get the army moving. Everyone kept looking
over their shoulders. Unfortunately, there was nothing for them to
see. That figure had melted into the darkness.

But then, a dazzling stream of light ripped through the gloom,

rising high into the sky above the battlefield. The sky trembled and
the lands shook. A boundless sword will drove away the darkness,
turning the sky light again. It was a beam of sword light.

It was The Emperor’s Sword!

The Swordsage Palace of Sea-Sealing County had a total of nine

composite Emperor’s Swords. They had previously used four in
the fighting, and this was the fifth. The moment the sword
appeared, it cast out blinding light that sliced apart the haziness.
Everything rippled as it shot into the sky and headed toward the
two Holytide emperors atop the Heaventide Mountains. Wherever
the sword passed, it left a huge furrow in the ground, almost like a
dragon. Deafening rumbling sounds echoed out. The light of the
sword illuminated the faces of the countless Holytide cultivators,
shocking them to the core.

“You’ve already lost this war, Kong Liangxiu,” Emperor Redspirit

said. “What’s the point of burning away your own life force?”

He strode forward, and when his foot landed on the ground,

everything shook. He lifted his right hand, and the tens of millions
of minor worlds around him converged on his palm. Shrinking
down, they turned into an illusory major world. That was a sign of
the fourth stage of Void Returning. He gently pushed his hand
down. Heaven and earth shook wildly, and everything blurred
again. A violent storm sprang up, causing the frozen ground to
shatter and turn into what looked like meteors. The Heaventide
Mountains trembled, and rocks tumbled down.

When things became clear again, Xu Qing and all the other Sea-
Sealing County cultivators could see a 30,000-meter gap in the
Heaventide Mountains! A shocking crevice had been hewn from
the battlefield and through the Heaventide Mountains. It was
hundreds of kilometers long and completely shocking in
appearance.

Emperor Redspirit was staggering backward toward the

mountains.

All Holytide cultivators looked on with shock and fear.

In front of them, the air rippled as Palace Lord Kong walked out of
the haze. His entire body burned with the power of his life force
and cultivation base. As he walked, his hoarse voice echoed out
along with the sound of his footsteps.

“As long as Sea-Sealing County lives, I won’t hesitate to sacrifice

myself for it.”

As his words rang into the hearts of the cultivators from Sea-
Sealing County, a second radiant beam of sword light appeared.

It was the sixth Emperor’s Sword. The moment it appeared, the

battlefield shattered. Blinding light spread out into what seemed
like the Nine Serenities itself, and it shot right toward Emperor
Redspirit.

Things weren’t over yet. As Palace Lord Kong continued to move

forward, burning his own life force, he unleashed the seventh and
eighth swords.

This time, Emperor Moonmist gravely stepped to Emperor

Redspirit’s side and thrust out his hand. The dome of heaven
seemed to tilt, and the ground collapsed outward. Everything
blurred again.

This time, the cause of the blur wasn’t the rippling air, or the
collapse of the frost, or any other such thing. It was that the
cultivation bases of the cultivators in the area were too low, and
that made it impossible for them to see clearly.
Even Xu Qing saw nothing but a blur, within which three figures
fought a battle to the death. Every time they clashed, booms rang
out that surpassed the intensity of heavenly thunder. The
deafening shockwaves slammed into the hearts and minds of the
observers, forcing them to back away. It was the same among the
Holytides.

Sword energy swept back and forth, wreaking havoc on the lands.
This lasted until there was one more boom, accompanied by
shattering sounds as the countless bits of floating earth in the air
collapsed.

The three battling figures parted.

Once again, everything became clear to the observers. Palace

Lord Kong’s advance had finally been halted. He looked up into
the sky.

Behind Emperor Redspirit and Emperor Moonmist, the Heaventide

Mountains were half collapsed. Massive gullies had been slashed
through them. The two emperors were also looking up into the sky.

All cultivators, including Holytides and those from Sea-Sealing

County, likewise inclined their heads and looked into the dome of
heaven, their hearts pounding.

“The portal to the Nightshades’ Nine Serenities is about to open,”

said Emperor Redspirit in a hoarse voice. His face was now ashen
after his fight with Palace Lord Kong.
Intense rumbling sounds echoed out from the dome of heaven,
specifically, from the massive vortex. The frigid power emanating
from it was like an icy seal on life force. Even the vortex itself
seemed frozen. And then, the razor-sharp tip of a weapon
emerged from within! It was pitch black and full of a consummate
killing intent, as well as an intense aura of death.

Even Void Returning experts would tremble because of the

terrifying cold.

The Dao Bell trembled as cracks spread further across its surface.
Despite being a gift from the imperial capital, it was crumbling. And
that was because it was now facing a precious treasure designed
for warfare. The mysterious materials used in its construction had
been a gift given by the red moon. According to the stories, it was
made from the weapon of a god that the red moon had
exterminated. The cold that it emanated could turn the world into a
wasteland.

It was a domain treasure. Domain treasures were the ultimate

reserve powers of entire major species, and were so powerful they
defied imagination. They could even cause gods to tremble. They
existed on a higher level than the taboo treasures of the sects in
Revered Ancient. Domain treasures were the foundation of why a
species could become strong.

The Holytide species did not have a domain treasure. Most

species did not have domain treasures. Humans had one in the
past, but not anymore. Any species who had a domain treasure
could ensure that their position in the Revered Ancient mainland
was secure; they wouldn’t have to worry about invasion, and could
even wage war on other major species.

What was emerging, however, wasn’t the actual domain treasure

of the Nightshades. It was a projection of the domain treasure.
That said, the power within it was such that Void Returning
cultivators couldn’t resist it. It could wipe out heaven and earth. Its
unparalleled coldness could eradicate anything and everything,
reducing it to pure dust.

The countless spirit automatons in the distant golden net howled in

anguish. They wanted to fight back, but simply couldn’t, and were
being wiped out one by one.

When the cultivators of Sea-Sealing County saw what was

happening, they were despondent. Xu Qing’s mind was a
complete blank. Their entire world was being replaced with cold.

Meanwhile, Emperor Redspirit and Emperor Moonmist looked at

Palace Lord Kong as the frost built up.

“Soldiers and officers, heed my command,” Emperor Redspirit

said. “Our target is the county capital. We’ll rendezvous with
Heavengale and Earthsoil there!”

In response, millions upon millions of voices joined together to

shout, “Yes, sir!”
The massive army of Holytides and other species began to flow
like the tide. Then Emperor Redspirit and Emperor Moonmist
headed in the direction of Palace Lord Kong.

They closed in.

Palace Lord Kong stood in front of the massive army. Looking up

at the vortex, he threw his right hand over his shoulder. A dazzling
Emperor’s Sword appeared, which was the ninth. It was also
Palace Lord Kong’s personal sword.

“I have a sword!” he said. As the words left his mouth, the

countless bronze coffins that were still floating in the air... opened!

Voices echoed out.

“I have a sword!”

“I have a sword!!”

“I have a sword!!!”

One voice after another emerged from the coffins as numerous

figures appeared out in the open.

They were people from ancient times until modern whose

cultivation bases had reached the limit. They had lived in times of
peace, and had ultimately chosen to enter a state of suspended
animation in which their lives were fused with The Emperor’s
Sword. They chose to be sealed until great need arose in Sea-
Sealing County, whereupon they could unleash their deadly sword.
They were... swordsages!

Light erupted from the awoken swordsages! Hundreds of

thousands of beams of sword light converged in the dome of
heaven, becoming a river of swords that rushed to Palace Lord
Kong. The swordsages’ bodies withered rapidly, until they simply
vanished from existence.

In their last moments, all of them looked in the direction of their

home, Sea-Sealing County. They were reluctant to part ways with
it. They wished it well. They felt relief, but at the same time
reminiscence. And there was something that none of them had:
regrets.

“I have a sword.” Palace Lord Kong looked up as hundreds of

thousands of streams of sword light swept around his hand, fusing
with his Emperor’s Sword. The light became blinding, to the point
where even the coldness in the air had to shy away from it. The
sword shook heaven, and its sound crushed the ages.

“I will defend my home!” Palace Lord Kong said, and he swept the
sword out from behind him toward Emperors Redspirit and
Moonmist.

It was an earth-quaking, sky-felling sword that could wipe out

entire armies. It was a sword that could cause the weapons of
gods to turn dark, whose intense cold could repudiate all
transformations.

The two emperors were visibly taken aback. The convergence of

hundreds of thousands of swordsage swords was something that
could crush anything in its path. It could supersede heavenly daos,
transform magical laws, slaughter villainous wills, and punish all
invaders.

Emperor Redspirit fell back, summoned his red bird imperial

carriage, and shoved it out in front of himself as a defense.

The sword energy screamed as it pierced right into the forehead of

the red bird. It sliced it in half!

Looking shocked, Emperor Redspirit summoned his major world.

When The Emperor’s Sword hit it, a deafening noise rang out as
the major world once again turned illusory, then collapsed. Blood
sprayed out of Redspirit’s mouth. His cultivation base was
teetering, and as fury filled his eyes, the sword slashed through his
forehead!

Moonmist was next to him to provide support, yet couldn’t even

protect his own fleshly body. He was able to defend his soul,
except he ended up being cut in half at the waist. Flustered, he
could only watch as his imperial robe was shredded into nothing,
and his imperial crown was destroyed. Looking completely
bedraggled, he fell back.
The might of the sword dissipated. Heaven became peaceful, and
the earth went silent.

Palace Lord Kong stood in place, his hand empty of any sword.
Blood oozed out of his mouth, becoming like a rain of blood that
fell toward the ground. However, that blood rain wasn’t destined to
reach the earth. As the might of the sword faded, the coldness
from the vortex erupted again, sweeping across everything.
Wherever it reached, heaven and earth iced over and turned into
nothing.

The Dao Bell that had been gifted to Sea-Sealing County when it
was founded... tolled for the last time.

The bell collapsed.

Deathblade's ThoughtsANNOUNCEMENTI will be doing a live

reading of chapter 508 on February 2/10 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time
on my YouTube channel. That means I'll be reading the chapter
some 12 hours before it's publicly released. I don't have the
stream set up yet, so for now, make sure you're subscribed to my
channel. I'll post an announcement later on with a link to the
stream itself.

ANNOUNCEMENT

I will be doing a live reading of chapter 508 on February 2/10 at

7:30 p.m. Pacific time on my YouTube channel. That means I'll be
reading the chapter some 12 hours before it's publicly released. I
don't have the stream set up yet, so for now, make sure you're
subscribed to my channel. I'll post an announcement later on with
a link to the stream itself.
Chapter 507: The Lone General, A Hero
Through the Ages (2)

The Nightshades’ domain treasure continued to emerge. It was the

darkest black imaginable, and emanated boundless evil that could
ravish heaven. It was a long, sharp weapon that was infinitely
vicious.

Sea-Sealing County’s taboo treasure net pulsated. The spirit

automatons of the various taboo treasures howled as they were
wiped out. The net was about to collapse.

Emperor Moonmist only had half his body left. Threads of flesh
and blood were already wriggling out to form a new lower body for
him. He looked up at Palace Lord Kong, fear in his eyes.

“Do you have another sword, Kong Liangxiu?” Emperor Redspirit

had lost his entire fleshly body and couldn’t build another. He
floated there in soul form. However, his soul wasn’t like other
ordinary soul shadows. It was covered with countless red threads
that filled the soul, protecting it but also merging with it. It was a
lifesaving aid to Holytides provided by the Nightshades. However,
it would only sustain the soul for a limited time. Emperor Redspirit
looked at Palace Lord Kong. “Your swordsage power devastated
my physical form. It shattered my major world. It severed my dao
foundation. It wiped out half of Moonmist’s body. It shook my soul.
You’re an amazing person, Kong Liangxiu!”

Palace Lord Kong looked up, his eyes filled with regret as he
smiled. Cracks spread across his face, extending to his armor, like
a spider web. He ignored that. Nor did he respond to Emperor
Moonmist’s words. He turned to the crumbling net protecting Sea-
Sealing County. As he walked toward it, he got bigger and bigger,
his armor eventually ceasing to function. The armor started
collapsing, falling to the ground, piece by piece. He left the
battlefield and walked to the crumbling net. By that point, he was
several tens of thousands of meters tall. He looked through the net
at the retreating human army.

“Palace Lord....”

Many such cries rang out from within the army.

Kong Xianglong nearly fell to the ground, but Xu Qing was there to
help him stand. Kong Xianglong’s eyes were red. Though he
couldn’t see everything clearly, he could see enough to know what
was going on. It was the same with everyone else.

Outside the net, Palace Lord Kong looked at these scions of

humanity and said, “Everyone dies, so why cry? Stand tall and
straight!”

In their grief, everyone in the army stood a bit taller and straighter!
Palace Lord Kong nodded. He scanned the crowd, stopping to
look at Xu Qing for a moment, anticipation in his eyes. His gaze
came to rest on Kong Xianglong for two moments. He looked
regretful but also gratified. He looked at the deputy palace lord for
three moments. Though no one else knew what he meant by that,
the deputy palace lord knew exactly what he was indicating. The
deputy palace lord nodded, his heart filled with brief loneliness.

As Kong Xianglong trembled even harder, Palace Lord Kong

looked in the direction of the county capital. As he did... the final
piece of his armor fell off.

Terrifying and destructive fluctuations from the domain treasure

pulsed out of the vortex, and the army of Holytides advanced....

Palace Lord Kong turned so his back was to Sea-Sealing County.

Stretching out his arms, he leaned back into the great net and
fused into it.

As he did, countless minor worlds appeared on the net. Endless

amounts of them flowed into a burning major world that belonged
to Palace Lord Kong. The coldness in all the taboo treasures in the
net flowed to Palace Lord Kong’s major world, converging there.
He was fusing with the taboo net! He had sacrificed his longevity
and sacrificed his cultivation base. He had unleashed his final
sword strike. Then, just as he was about to die, he sacrificed his
own life. He had made himself a part of the taboo net, and had
used his warmth to delay its crumbling.
“Notify all human forces in Tidefall Prefecture… to retreat to the
county capital.”

As the intense coldness converged on him from all directions, he

howled, until finally he turned into a statue of ice. Yet he still stood
there propping up heaven and earth. He was still protecting Sea-
Sealing County from that intense coldness. Down to the last, his
tone of voice and his facial expression had not betrayed the
slightest weakness.

The taboo net was once again the color of gold. After fusing with
the net, he ensured that the net would last for longer, and would
continue to protect all of the county. The northern front, the
western front, and all of the scattered armies everywhere else
were once again protected by the golden net. The advance of the
Holytide army was halted. All of the occupied territories were once
again covered, temporarily ending the deadly scenarios that had
been playing out.

The source of all that, Palace Lord Kong, was starting to fade from
existence. The frigid cold from the domain treasure was a
destructive force that caused indescribable pain. To Palace Lord
Kong, that didn’t matter. His limbs crumbled into dust, as did his
torso. His head slowly lowered, and his eyes seemed about to
close.

On the battlefield, Emperor Redspirit and Emperor Moonmist both

raised their hands to stop the army from moving. They stood in
place in front of the golden net, as did all the forces behind them.
Then the expressions of the two emperors flickered as they looked
into the air just in front of Palace Lord Kong. A raspy voice spoke
out of nothing.

“Kong Liangxiu. There was no need for me to appear here, but to

see you die in this way has earned you my respect. Thus, I’ve
come here to ask you something. Are you holding on to your last
breath of life in the hopes that I would show up?”

A shadowy figure appeared in the air in front of Palace Lord

Kong’s face. The dark form caused all onlookers to be shocked to
the core, whether they were Holytides or humans. Only the two
emperors didn’t seem to be very surprised.

As for Xu Qing, his eyes went wide as he stared at that shadowy

figure. It made him think about the mission Palace Lord Kong had
assigned him. Using every ounce of ability he possessed, he tried
to commit that figure’s image to memory.

Unfortunately, that shadowy figure was nothing but a blur.

Palace Lord Kong’s closed eyes suddenly opened, and he looked

at the shadowy figure. Voice hoarse, he asked, “You’re the one
who killed the governor?”

The shadowy figure nodded. “Yes. It was me. You assigned

someone to investigate, didn’t you? What a pity you were looking
in the wrong direction.”
Palace Lord Kong didn’t say anything in response.

“Aren’t you going to ask who I am?” the figure continued.

“Would you answer?”

The shadow figure shook its head and sighed. “In that case,
goodbye, Kong Liangxiu.”

The shadowy figure stepped back a few paces, clasped hands,

and bowed. Then it began to fade from existence.

However, just before it disappeared, a dazzling light suddenly

erupted from Palace Lord Kong’s eyes. It was an astonishing
Emperor’s Sword that had been converging there, and it slashed
right toward the shadowy figure. It moved with such astonishing
speed that it seemed impossible for anyone to dodge it. In the
blink of an eye, that sword reached the shadowy figure’s forehead.
It could track the essence, and could pierce through the endless
void. It could find the shadowy figure’s true form, and slash it down
regardless if it was in the past, present, or future. All those things
were in the range of this sword.

The shadowy figure shivered, then vanished, leaving behind only a

whisper.

“So, you did have another sword left. However, I have no past. I
have no future. Nor do I have a present. There are not many
people I admire, Kong Liangxiu. But you’re one of them. This
sword of yours ensures that you’ll remain in my heart. I won’t
forget you.”

Palace Lord Kong’s gaze froze for all eternity. Frost covered his
face. He collapsed into dust. He had been annihilated.

“Palace Lord!!”

The human army wept blood in their hearts. Tears flowed from the
eyes of all the cultivators. Each and every one felt overwhelmed
with infinite grief. Palace Lord Kong of the Swordsage Palace had
perished. The leadership of Sea-Sealing County had once again
fallen. The sky also seemed to grieve, and rained blood onto the
ground.

Within that icy blood, Xu Qing shivered. His eyes were full of
sorrow, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant
hand. It hurt. Badly. He couldn’t stop thinking back to all his
interactions with Palace Lord Kong.

The sound of weeping echoed out. Kong Xianglong slipped out of

Xu Qing’s arms and dropped to his knees, tears streaming down
his face. Helplessness and sorrow were the only things in his
heart. He eventually fell prone on the ground, sobbing.

Right then, intense rumbling sounds filled heaven and earth as the
taboo treasure net collapsed. It started in the northern front, then
continued to the western front. It was an official indication that
Sea-Sealing County had been defeated. Intensely cold storm
winds blew in, sweeping in all directions. The ground quaked.

At the same time, the Holytide army advanced again. Frigid

energy filled the air, making it hard to tell if it was night or day.

The reality was... it was dawn. Even if frost fills the sky, a rainbow
can still appear. However, it only happens after the storm ends and
the sun rises.

Palace Lord Kong’s blood was the rain. The despair and grief of
Sea-Sealing County kicked up the wind.

The Holytide army crossed the fourth line of defense exactly as

the sun rose into the sky.

Golden light converged into a sea that spread through the dome of
heaven. However, it wasn’t just sunlight. Within that sea of light
were countless flags streaming in the breeze. There were
innumerable figures clad in golden armor. There were black
dragons, howling, and countless spell formations sending out
powerful fluctuations.

Wild colors flashed in heaven and earth. Winds screamed.

At the summit of heaven was a 300,000-meter four-clawed golden

dragon, ripping through the air, its voice capable of shaking suns
and moons. The lands shook, and the Holytide army stopped in
place. Emperors Redspirit and Moonmist looked up.
On the back of that golden dragon, sitting in a golden throne, was
a figure who seemed threatening without being angry. He wore a
yellow robe, but was not an emperor. The four claws of the golden
dragon indicated his identity. [1]

“It’s the seventh son of the emperor. Seventh Prince!” [2]

1. The number of claws on a dragon can be important. Although

the significance of the claws changed throughout history, it was
most common for the emperor to be associated with a five-clawed
dragon motif, with princes and nobles having four-clawed dragons.
☜

2. The title of the prince, in this specific passage, is literally

“human emperor seventh son.” There are some other
configurations of the various characters making up the name,
some of which use the more proper configuration of characters to
mean ‘prince.’ I’m going to refer to this character as Seventh
Prince to make things simple. Just bear in mind that he’s
specifically an imperial prince, and of course, is human. It goes
without saying that if he’s the seventh prince, then there are other
princes as well. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsTranslator note:This ends the spate of

extra-long chapters. Going forward, we’ll have “normal” length
chapters for a short time. There are more extra-long chapters
coming, though, so don’t get too comfortable!-------Author’s note
translated from Chinese:This is the last day I will be writing about
the war. Truth be told, this was hard for me to write. Much harder
than usual. There was no happiness, and I felt a lot of pressure.
Usually, you have to spend a lot more time thinking about what
you’re writing than actually writing it. You can’t just think about how
the scene fits into the big picture. You also have to think about
how to describe things logically. You have to work in details about
things that were previously foreshadowed, plus later plot details.
You need to carefully reveal the world building, and also explain
what’s going on with all the characters.I don’t want the characters
to be NPCs. I want them to be living, breathing people.Incidentally,
there are a lot of plot threads hidden in this chapter. Some readers
will probably be able to deduce why Palace Lord Kong chose to
die.And now, think about becoming a Champion for the sake of
Palace Lord Kong!I will be streaming a live reading of chapter 508
approximately 30 minutes after this chapter goes live. Here's the
link to the stream.

Translator note:

This ends the spate of extra-long chapters. Going forward, we’ll

have “normal” length chapters for a short time. There are more
extra-long chapters coming, though, so don’t get too comfortable!

-------

Author’s note translated from Chinese:

This is the last day I will be writing about the war. Truth be told,
this was hard for me to write. Much harder than usual. There was
no happiness, and I felt a lot of pressure.

Usually, you have to spend a lot more time thinking about what
you’re writing than actually writing it. You can’t just think about how
the scene fits into the big picture. You also have to think about
how to describe things logically. You have to work in details about
things that were previously foreshadowed, plus later plot details.
You need to carefully reveal the world building, and also explain
what’s going on with all the characters.

I don’t want the characters to be NPCs. I want them to be living,

breathing people.

Incidentally, there are a lot of plot threads hidden in this chapter.

Some readers will probably be able to deduce why Palace Lord
Kong chose to die.

And now, think about becoming a Champion for the sake of Palace
Lord Kong!

I will be streaming a live reading of chapter 508 approximately 30

minutes after this chapter goes live. Here's the link to the stream.
Chapter 508: An Elegy to Sea-Sealing

In the fourth month of the year 2,932 of the Dark War calendar, the
governor of Sea-Sealing County perished. In addition to that,
Holytide forces invaded three prefectures, while the Nightshades
mounted a large-scale offensive on the imperial capital. [1]

Sea-Sealing County was thrown into profound chaos, and hovered

on the brink of utter disaster.

In the sixth month of the same year, Sea-Sealing County, after

marshaling all the county forces and mounting a two-month-long
defense, failed to hold its northern front. Li Rongyu, the palace lord
of the Administration Palace, died in battle. Zhang Hengxin, the
palace lord of the Justice Palace, also died in battle. Yao Tianyan
went missing. The allied army suffered untold casualties, and was
forced to retreat 100,000 kilometers.

The day after the defeat on the northern front, the western front
also collapsed. Kong Liangxiu, the palace lord of the Swordsage
Palace, died valiantly in battle.

In that most critical of situations for the humans of Sea-Sealing

County, the seventh imperial prince, who was deeply worried
about the situation, fought against all odds to break through the
Nightshade blockade and arrive with relief troops.
Seventh Prince hacked through brambles and thorns and struck
like a thunderbolt backed by hundreds of thousands of pounds of
force. Under his command was an imperial army 60,000,000
strong, including forces from five Celestial Divisions as well as 49
commanders-in-chief from Eastglory. With those forces, he swept
through the northern front. [2]

He slaughtered 7,000,000 enemy cultivators from the two Holytide

kingdoms of Heavengale and Earthsoil. Using the blood of those
enemies, he established an impenetrable defensive perimeter on
the northern front.

After that, he sallied forth into the night with 27 commanders-in-

chief, 113 generals, and a host of seasoned warrior cultivators
from the imperial capital. Mounted on a golden dragon imperial
carriage, he made his debut on the western front. [3]

At that moment in which the western front collapsed, and all

humans in Sea-Sealing County faced the peril of imminent
extinction, Seventh Prince stopped the advance of the two royal
Holytide dynasties of Redspirit and Moonmist. Personally taking to
the field of battle, he inflicted grievous wounds on the emperors of
both dynasties.

Seventh Prince didn’t just seriously injure two emperors. Under his
leadership, the forces of humankind slaughtered more than
6,000,000 enemies on the western front. Imperial blood stained
the dome of heaven as Seventh Prince, with the cooperation of the
commanders-in-chief, disregarded his own safety to unleash a
taboo magic to seal half of the entire county and halt the effects of
the Nightshade domain treasure. In that manner, he came to the
rescue of the defeated forces on the western front.

He then marshaled the surviving forces to create a unified line of

defense. He assigned 10,000,000 of his own troops, along with the
surviving Sea-Sealing County cultivators, to guard the border.
Then he assigned three commanders-in-chief and ten generals to
lead warrior cultivators from the imperial capital into the heart of
Sea-Sealing County to track down the Black Guard infiltrators.

The spirits of everyone in Sea-Sealing County were lifted, and

during that time, fiends and devils trembled in fear, while evil
spirits cowered in terror! All the villains in Sea-Sealing County
were rooted out, and humankind entered into a period of peace
and tranquility. The numerous allied species cried out in joy, and
countless other species bowed in respect.

In the seventh month of that same year, after the Holytides were
thoroughly defeated, the humans launched a major
counteroffensive, sending a terrifying armed force out to reclaim
their lost prefectural land.

Seventh Prince was a skilled strategist, and had the reputation of

having an outstanding military mind. He turned retreat into assault
and set devious traps for the enemy. By detonating the earthflame
in Rainfield and Enlightenment Prefectures, he used countless
volcanoes as weapons. Lands shook and mountains rocked. The
effects stretched all the way into Tidefall and Tranquility
Prefectures. Four prefectures were set ablaze.

The sky there turned dark, with the only light coming from the ever
burning earthflame.

The Holytides in those lands screamed in anguish as they were

exterminated in large numbers. In that manner, the Holytide
invasion was ended. When news of the victory spread through
Sea-Sealing County, cries of rejoicing echoed out everywhere.

The lieutenant governor made several formal visits to the imperial

prince, to formally beg for him to come to the county capital and
take control. All such requests were denied. However, after the
great victory was achieved, Seventh Prince, out of consideration of
all the officers and soldiers in the human forces, announced his
plans to travel to the county capital. That was in the seventh
month of the year.

***

It was three days before the imperial prince planned to depart for
the county capital.

On the border of Enlightenment Prefecture, where the mountains

formed a natural barrier millions of kilometers in length, Xu Qing
sat atop a mountain boulder looking out into heaven and earth.
He looked very different compared to the past.

Instead of his swordsage uniform, he wore a battered suit of

armor. He no longer had long, flowing hair. It was cut short. He
was dirty and smelled of blood and gore. His lips were dry and
cracked. Deep exhaustion filled his eyes. As he looked out into the
evening he saw smoke everywhere. What had once been lush and
verdant mountains were now scorched and bare. He saw either
darkness or flames everywhere. And within all of that smoke and
fire were countless blackened corpses....

Xu Qing took it all in silently.

At some point he heard footsteps behind him. It was Kong

Xianglong.

Kong Xianglong was dressed in the same attire as Xu Qing, and

looked just as exhausted and lonely. He approached and sat next
to Xu Qing.

“Go back and rest, Xu Qing,” he said, sounding numb and

emotionless as he looked out at heaven and earth. “I’ll take over
for now. By the way, I saw your Eldest Brother on the way here.
He wants you to hurry over and meet him. Earlier this morning the
deputy palace lord said that our main force will be returning to the
county capital in three days. He mentioned wanting you to come
along. The Secretariat Division is no more, so there’s little point in
you sticking around. I agreed on your behalf to go back.”
Xu Qing stood and looked at what was now the front line of
defense. The forces here were made of Sea-Sealing County
cultivators and imperial troops. Off in the distance was the main
camp overseeing the second line of defense.

A long moment passed, and then Xu Qing clasped Kong

Xianglong's shoulder. Taking out a jug of alcohol, he placed it off to
the side. It was the only jug he had left after standing watch at this
spot all day and all night.

Kong Xianglong took the jug and drank deeply. As Xu Qing turned
to leave, he spoke again.

“Xu Qing, did you see that shadowy figure...?”

Xu Qing closed his eyes and nodded.

Kong Xianglong was silent for a moment. “What do you think of

the imperial prince?”

“He’s ruthless,” Xu Qing replied in a hoarse voice.

He thought back to the moment when the grand net of taboo

treasures collapsed, and the four-clawed gold dragon appeared in
the sky. And he thought about the figure who had been riding that
dragon.

“He detonated the earthflame in two provinces,” Kong Xianglong

said. “The old man—er, I mean, the palace lord was also planning
to do that, which is why he was trying to evacuate those provinces.
But this imperial prince is so ruthless he didn’t bother. All he cares
about is victory and reputation. He doesn’t care about life!”

Xu Qing didn’t say anything.

“Have you read the war reports, Xu Qing? All they talk about are
the prince’s glorious achievements. He injured two emperors! Oh,
how amazing! But why didn’t he come earlier? Even an incense
stick’s worth of time would have made a big difference....” Kong
Xianglong chuckled bitterly and said nothing further. After taking
another long drink from the jug, he waved his hand dismissively.

Xu Qing stood there for another long moment, then walked away.

A month had passed since the death of Palace Lord Kong.

Now that Seventh Prince had arrived, there was no point in having
a Secretariat Division. In fact, most people had forgotten about it.
The swordsages Xu Qing had recruited into his old division had
been assigned to other posts.

Life went on. As the war dragged on, Xu Qing had personally
come to know more about Seventh Prince’s personality and way of
doing things. The prince seemed to care only about victory,
regardless of the price to be paid. It was just as Kong Xianglong
had said. To him, life didn’t count for much. Most of the humans,
nonhumans, and mortals in Rainfield and Enlightenment
Prefectures never had a chance to evacuate.
When the right strategic moment came, Seventh Prince detonated
the earthflame. A lot of Holytides had died during the last month.
But a lot of humans had also died.

It was the same with the forces who had originally been stationed
on the western front. They usually served as the vanguard in
battle. Not many survived, and those who did were sent out into
the larger imperial army. Through the course of the war, each of
them had been tempered into elite warriors, veterans of many
battles.

Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong were no exception. Eventually, the

deputy palace lord and other county leaders managed to get the
two of them exempted from the most deadly missions. As of now,
they were members of the grand imperial army, serving in the
forces of the Seventeenth Commander-in-Chief. Specifically, they
were in Fourth Legion led by Third General. That legion was in
charge of this stretch of the defensive perimeter.

It was currently evening. The dark clouds and the smoke made
everything look brown as Xu Qing walked silently along the
mountain path.

He went straight to the garrison, which had been set up in a

nearby valley. There were hundreds of cultivators there. Some
were from the old western front. There weren’t a lot of people, but
neither was the group small. Yet things were very quiet. Everyone
had injuries of some sort. Some people sat tending their wounds.
Others were meditating. Yet others sat there with blank looks on
their faces. A short distance away was a pile of corpses that had
not yet been buried.

Xu Qing’s arrival caught the attention of a few people who looked

at him. Some were swordsages, some were sect disciples. He
even saw some cultivators from the old Secretariat Division.

Off to the side, in front of one particular tent, was the Captain. He
was bedraggled, and his armor was heavily damaged. But he
seemed to be in good spirits. His body had long since grown back
to normal. He squatted in front of the tent, gnawing on a black
horn as if to test its toughness. In front of him was an army wok
heated by a flame stone. There was some meat stewing inside,
bubbling and popping. It smelled wonderful.

“Eldest Brother. I’m back.” Xu Qing walked past him into the tent.

That tent was their joint residence. Although Seventh Prince was a
strict commander on the field of battle, he had eventually
succumbed to the repeated requests by the deputy palace lord
and Swordsage Court grand elder to allow swordsages to return to
their various sects, all of which were dangerously low on
cultivators.

That said, he didn’t allow all of them to return. Only some.

Sir Bloodsmelter, who had been seriously hurt, as well as some of

the other Seven Blood Eyes disciples, had been able to return.
They were in the fourth wave of county locals to be able to return.

As a swordsage, the Captain hadn’t been able to join them. He

had previously been assigned to a different location, but had
somehow manipulated matters to eventually be transferred to the
same legion as Xu Qing.

The Captain turned to look at Xu Qing and grinned. “You came

back just when I calculated you would, little Junior Brother. Come
on, let’s eat!” Laughing, he beckoned for Xu Qing to join him at the
wok. “Earlier this morning I went over to the imperial garrison and
found that they have some delicious food there. I just so happened
to get some for me and you. Did you know they have Holytide
battle beasts over there?” He pointed at the wok. “Want to have a
try?”

Xu Qing glanced at the Captain, inwardly marveling at how skilled

he was at making friends. Ever since the imperial army arrived, the
Captain had been visiting the imperial garrisons on a daily basis.
He had made a lot of friends, and had also acquired a lot of
information. And occasionally, he brought back some very
nutritious supplies.

Xu Qing took a piece of meat and put it into his mouth. It tasted
good. What was more, after swallowing, it sent warmth throughout
his body, along with bits of spirit energy that benefited his
cultivation base.
“Not bad, huh?” the Captain said, grinning again. Leaning back, he
started eating his own piece of meat. “I heard Ol’ Kong say that
we’re going back to the capital in three days. Feels like we haven’t
been there in forever. Once we’re back, you and I need to start
trading off some of those dao fruits we got.

“I asked around and found out that those things are even prized in
the imperial capital.” The Captain glanced around, then lowered
his voice and continued, “According to the rumors I’ve heard, the
war in the Imperial Region is still ongoing. The Nightshades are
attacking full force. And other species are getting antsy. Sea-
Sealing County is the only place where humans have come out
victorious.

“I heard that the big victory here has caused some of the major
species near the Imperial Region to quell their thoughts of making
a move. Instead, they’re waiting to see what happens....
Everybody in the world is talking about Seventh Prince and his big
win.

“I also learned that the emperor has twelve sons and three
daughters, yet there’s not even a hint of any succession struggle.
The emperor is in the prime of his life, and he acts with strength
and decisiveness. What’s more, he’s a grim and callous person.
He doesn’t care much about family, and is only interested in what
benefits humankind as a whole.
“You can tell Seventh Prince is cut from the same stock.
Apparently, the prince doesn’t even plan to go back to the imperial
capital. Think about everything he’s done since he got here; it all
seems to be in preparation for making Sea-Sealing County his
personal territory.”

The Captain looked very thoughtful.

“It’s all a huge game of Go. Who knows what move he’ll play next?
One thing’s for certain: Sea-Sealing County has a new leader....
And thus, little Junior Brother, don’t be too attached to how things
were in the past. There’s only one certainty in this world, and that’s
death. Therefore, staying alive is the most important thing.

“It’s like the meat in this wok. Although it takes a while for it to
stew, if you give it enough time, it’ll be very tender. There are no
negative emotions that won’t abate with time. If you have them, it
just means that not enough time has passed.

“Back before the patriarch left, he told me to work hard on my

cultivation, and not worry about girls. He said that there will still be
plenty of girls around after I get my cultivation base to a very high
level. I put a lot of thought into that, and I realized it makes sense.

“The same principle applies to Sea-Sealing County. If they don’t

want us, we’ll leave. Later, when we get stronger, we can come
back and throw our weight around. Other species will line up to
work for us.”
Looking very proud of himself, the Captain took another piece of
meat out of the wok and handed it to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing slowly chewed the meat, one mouthful at a time.

***

Around the time that the Holytide invasion of Sea-Sealing County

was ended by the earthflame conflagration in four prefectures, the
four Holytide emperors gathered in the holy land of white sand.
There in the temple of the ancestral emperor, they kowtowed in
front of a special throne made from blood crystals.

Seated upon the throne was a figure cloaked in blurred darkness,

making it impossible to see him clearly. The only things visible
were the streams of black energy that seeped off of the figure and
merged into the blood crystals. It seemed as if the figure’s blood
vessels were being purified in that way.

Emperor Redspirit had regrown his fleshly body. However, he

looked pale, as though his energy and blood were unstable. “Your
Ancestral Highness,” he said, “everything is going according to
plan. However, the Nightshades seem to be getting suspicious.”

Next to Emperor Redspirit were the other three emperors,

Heavengale, Moonmist, and Earthsoil. All had their heads bowed.

When they got no response to Redspirit’s explanation, Emperor

Heavengale said, “Your Ancestral Highness, we lost 30,000,000
troops in this conflict. Seventh Prince is both ruthless and decisive.
He’s no ordinary individual. If the person we’re cooperating with...
is deceiving us, or if Seventh Prince breaks his promise—”

“Heavengale,” interrupted Emperor Moonmist, “this has all been

arranged by the ancestral emperor. All we have to do is get things
done. Stop worrying so much.”

The other two emperors didn’t reveal what they were thinking, and
just remained in place silently.

A short time later, an ancient voice echoed out from the figure on
the throne.

“There’s no need for the four of you to probe for information. I

know you’re curious about what’s going on. Some of you want
independence. Some of you still think of yourselves as human.
Some of you are concerned about my position. And some of you
want a stronger leader. In the past I might have ignored all of that,
but this time, I can tell you that whoever causes problems for our
species will be killed immediately. I’ll replace them with a new
emperor.”

The four emperors bowed their heads low.

“Redspirit.”

Emperor Redspirit’s expression turned even more serious.

“You made a big sacrifice, and you’ll be compensated. Though
your dao was severed, I can replenish your loss!”

Trembling, Emperor Redspirit knocked his forehead onto the

ground as he kowtowed.

“Regarding the suspicions of the Nightshades that you mentioned,

it’s because of something I told them. After all, the truth can only
be kept hidden if another truth is revealed.” When the four
emperors heard that, various unusual expressions appeared on
their faces.

“Heavengale.”

Emperor Heavengale took a deep breath.

“I’m aware of your misgivings. That said, the human Seventh

Prince clearly wants to be some sort of hero. After all, it’s plain for
everyone to see that, though he did kill 30,000,000 of our Holytide
soldiers, it came at the price of countless humans dying. Yet who
cares? Nobody. The humans want a hero, so they pay attention to
the glorious accomplishments. As for what is wrong or right, other
than the family members of the dead, who will pay attention? Few
people know how many bones are buried in the shadows.

“He’ll still go through with his plans to expand his territory and
establish a millennium of glory. If he succeeds, who will take note
of how many people died along the way? Who will dare to defy
him?
“As the saying goes, a general’s reputation is made out of ten
thousand corpses. Considering he wants to be the hero of
humanity, he definitely won’t go back on his word before he
reaches his goal. And he will send us that which we have
requested.

“As for you four, you need to have the same attitude when it
comes to the future of our species. It will be impossible to avoid
making sacrifices. Now that the first step of the plan is complete,
let’s wait to see what move will be made by the mediator linking us
to the Seventh Prince. Most importantly, we need to see if the
method they suggested is effective.”

“Your orders shall be followed!” the four emperors said, sounding

both excited and respectful.

1. The Dark War calendar was previously mentioned in chapter

401, in case you want to go back and check how much time has
officially passed since then.... ☜

2. Eastglory was previously mentioned in the same chapter linked

to in footnote 1. ☜

3. The word for imperial carriage here is the same word used as
an alternative for the golden crow’s chariot. In fact, chapter 110 is
entitled The Sun’s Imperial Carriage. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThis is an unusually long chapter, but it's

not a 2-in-1 chapter and does not reach the minimum length for
splitting, so I kept it whole.

This is an unusually long chapter, but it's not a 2-in-1 chapter and
does not reach the minimum length for splitting, so I kept it whole.
Chapter 509: Troops Return to the Capital

Time passed. Three days went by in a flash. At dawn on the fourth

day, Seventh Prince’s grand army broke camp and prepared to
travel.

Xu Qing, the Captain, and Kong Xianglong were all in the crowd.

As the army left the defensive perimeter, Xu Qing looked over his
shoulder in the direction of the distant western front. He had
experienced many things in the past two months, and had seen far
too much death. There were many other cultivators who were
similarly looking to the west. Most were swordsages from Sea-
Sealing County.

Eventually, Xu Qing turned back around. High in the air, he could

see several hundred black dragons gliding around a... four-clawed
golden dragon.

Only bits and pieces of the dragon’s massive frame were visible as
it swirled through the clouds, but it gave off a sensation of
holiness. Of course, there was little need to mention who sat on
the imperial carriage atop the dragon. The people down below,
including Xu Qing, were all familiar with that individual who was as
respectable as the highest heavens, and was as far above them
as the clouds were from the mud.
It made Xu Qing think back to something one of the scholar
teachers back in the slums had once said.

“What are important people like...? It’s simple. They’re people

who, if you’re in a crowd and you look up at them, you remember
them, whether you want to or not. Because they’re the only person
you see. But when that person looks into the crowd, they don’t see
you, and could never remember you. That’s the difference
between ordinary people and important people. So, ya little punk,
if you ever reach the point that the city magistrate himself notices
you, then you’ll know you’re an important person.”

Xu Qing remembered that after the broken face of the god’s eyes
opened, he had snuck into the city magistrate’s manor to look for
cultivation techniques. At that time, he found the city magistrate
himself, who was nothing more than a corpse. Xu Qing had looked
down at his blank eyes and seen his own reflection in those dead
pupils. [1]

He glanced briefly at Seventh Prince high in the clouds, then

looked away, his face completely expressionless as the army
moved onward.

Several hours later, the army reached a large-scale teleportation

portal. They marched into the portal, and then Xu Qing and his
fellow war veterans disappeared in a flash of dazzling light. They
materialized near the county capital.
The locals had been away for two months. It wasn’t possible for
the army as a whole to enter the capital. Xu Qing and most of the
other rank-and-file soldiers waited on standby outside of the city.
Only a handful of people who qualified to personally attend
Seventh Prince teleported into the city itself.

Now that he was back in familiar territory, Xu Qing looked in the

direction of the capital and listened to the familiar buzz of the city
that drifted through the air. A seven-colored glow rose high above
the city, and the three palaces emitted dazzling light.

Xu Qing couldn’t see into the city, so he didn’t notice the colorful
banners that festooned all of the buildings. The main road which
led from the teleportation portal into the Governor’s Mansion had
been renamed Boulevard of the Imperial Prince. Lanterns and
colored banners decorated the streets, which were lined with
cheering crowds.

“We won!”

“We won!”

“We won!”

Drums thumped and gongs clashed as the lieutenant governor

waited outside the teleportation portal, flanked by a contingent of
Demi-Immortals, Saintfiends, and other nonhuman patriarchs.
When the teleportation light flared, and Seventh Prince stepped
out, the entire group clasped hands and bowed respectfully.
“Greetings, Seventh Prince!”

High above, the four-clawed golden dragon exhaled a red mist that
glowed with bright light. Down below, Seventh Prince stepped out
and smiled.

The crowd roared.

Of course, none of that had anything to do with Xu Qing. He

currently stood outside the city in the army, where they could hear
the commotion but couldn’t see anything. Eventually, orders came
down telling the imperial army to pitch camp. Meanwhile, the
swordsages from the western front were finally given freedom to
return to their homes. They were being dismissed from service.
Going forward, they wouldn’t need to go to the front lines except
under special circumstances.

The order came from the lieutenant governor and the deputy
palace lord of the Swordsage Palace. Thanks to their pleadings,
the imperial prince had shown favor to the swordsages to thank
them for their service.

When Xu Qing left the army, he had nowhere else to go but his
sword pavilion. Upon entering, he didn’t even bother to take off his
armor. Instead of meditating, he lay down and slept. He didn’t
wake up until the evening of the following day.

When he opened his eyes, he found that his transmission jade slip
and command sword were both full of messages.
Message transmissions weren’t allowed on the battlefield, and all
such devices had been locked down. Now that he was back in the
county capital, all of those messages came through.

“Xu Qing, I haven’t been able to get in touch with you, but I saw
your Eldest Brother today. I was very relieved to hear that you’re
fine. I’m going back with the Wood Spirits. Things are different
nowadays in the county capital, and the war took a heavy toll on
the Wood Spirits. I nearly died myself.... If you have time, come
visit the Wood Spirits. Ling’er will be awake soon.” That message
was, of course, from the innkeeper of Plankspring Way.

“Xu Qing, when you wake up, come drink with me.” That was Kong
Xianglong.

“Little Junior Brother, after you wake up, let me know. I need to
come get your dao fruits.” That was the Captain.

“Secretary-General Xu, be careful. After I got back to the county

capital I got news that some of the nonhumans you threatened
joined forces to submit a formal petition claiming you harmed the
unity of Sea-Sealing County. The lieutenant governor has kept a
lid on it, but you still need to watch out.” That was Qing Qiu.

Xu Qing responded to each message with a few words, then put

the jade slip down. After stretching a bit, he finally took off his
armor, then waved his hand to summon plenty of rainwater and
mist to bathe himself. He hadn’t bothered with such things during
the war. There hadn’t been any point. The battlefield was filled with
so much smoke and death that even if you cleaned yourself, you
would almost immediately become dirty again. Only the most
fastidious person would bother with such an endless, pointless
cycle.

After bathing, Xu Qing put on a new swordsage uniform. Around

that time, the Captain, who had similarly bathed and changed
clothes, arrived with a look of anticipation on his face. Back on the
battlefield, Xu Qing had explained to the Captain that he only
brought a small portion of dao fruits with him, and had left most of
his cache back in the county capital. Now that they were back, Xu
Qing didn’t even wait for the Captain to say a word. He took out a
bag of holding and tossed it over.

“50/50,” Xu Qing said calmly.

The Captain’s eyebrows danced up and down. “Perfect! I’m finally

going to have enough to buy that Ancient Dao Righteous Bestowal
Edict. Let me tell you, little Ah Qing, all of my hard work here in the
county capital to earn military credits has been for this!”

Looking very pleased with himself, the Captain tucked the bag of
holding into the fold of his garment and then looked at Xu Qing
with a broad smile on his face.

“Any chance you’re thinking of buying a life lamp, little Ah Qing?

The military credits from these dao fruits will be more than enough
to get one. Pretty soon, they’ll be giving out battle credits as well.
Have you checked to see what battle credits you’ll be getting? I
got four grade-five battle credits and two grade-three!”

Xu Qing took out his command sword to check his battle credits.

“Swordsage Xu Qing, as approved by the Swordsage Palace and

audited by the Military Affairs Department, you have earned the
following battle credits during the war of Sea-Sealing County: one
grade-two battle credit; four grade-three battle credits; seven
grade-four battle credits; eleven grade-five battle credits.”

Xu Qing was more than a little surprised that he had earned so

much.

The Captain laughed heartily. “Looks like you got a lot. I heard that
the deputy palace lord himself approved all of the rewards, and
that he doled them out handsomely to everyone.” Grinning, the
Captain looked around and then lowered his voice. “Did you really
sleep the entire time since you got back, little Ah Qing? Let me tell
you, a lot of stuff happened since yesterday. The entire county
capital has changed thanks to the arrival of Seventh Prince.

“He appointed three of his own subordinates as the palace lords of

the Swordsage Palace, Administration Palace, and Justice Palace.

“The grand elders of four prefectural Swordsage Courts were

accused of being negligent in their duties. The one from Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture was among them. One of the listed reasons
was a prisoner escape. That shrew Nethersprite went so far as to
suffer a serious injury and even a drop in her cultivation base to
slip out of her bonds and escape during the chaos.

“There was a big change to the treaty with the Demi-Immortals

and Saintfiends. Nobody knows how Seventh Prince did it, but all
it took was a single day for both of those species to officially ally
themselves with the humans of Sea-Sealing County. In addition to
that, over 400 nonhumans agreed to increase their yearly tribute
and also cede full military authority.

“Anyway, enough of that boring stuff. I’m going shopping! By the

way, little Ah Qing, the lieutenant governor announced that
tomorrow we’ll have a county-wide memorial service for the
governor, the three palace lords who died, and all the other
warriors who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.”

Xu Qing watched the Captain leave. As he stood outside his sword

pavilion, he realized that the familiar county capital already looked
different. Things were changing.

He suddenly missed Seven Blood Eyes, and he missed his

Master.

After some thought, he went into the city to buy some alcohol, then
went to Kong Xianglong’s sword pavilion.

Kong Xianglong was there alone, drinking. Upon seeing Xu Qing,

his lips twitched as if he might smile. However, he didn’t smile. He
just took another drink. Xu Qing sat down next to him and took out
a jug. Together, they drank without speaking for a while.

The night passed, and then light filled the sky outside. At that
point, Xu Qing said, “Big Bro Kong, the memorial service is about
to begin.”

Kong Xianglong looked up at him. A moment passed. “Xu Qing, go

outside and wait for me for a moment.”

Xu Qing nodded and walked out of the sword pavilion.

Before long, the door opened and Kong Xianglong emerged. He

had just shaved, and he didn’t smell of alcohol. With his fresh,
white swordsage uniform on, he looked just like he had in the past,
before the war.

“The old man never let me call him ‘grandfather,’” he said softly,
“so I didn’t bother trying. Even when I was young, I always lived
alone. Except... he was always so strict. If I showed up to the
memorial drunk, I can only imagine how pissed he would be.
Maybe he’s not here to curse me, but I think I should do what
would please him. Am I right, Xu Qing?”

Xu Qing nodded.

Kong Xianglong took a deep breath and started walking. Xu Qing

went with him. As they left the sword pavilions and went up into
the city, bells tolled somberly. Eventually they found themselves...
in front of the huge statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.

There were already hundreds of thousands of people gathered

there. There were cultivators from the Swordsage Palace,
Administration Palace, Justice Palace, as well as the county
yamens.

More people were arriving, flying in from all directions. Some

people were missing limbs or were otherwise recovering from
serious injuries. Some people had bloodshot eyes, while others
suppressed their grief. These were the veterans from the western
front.

Down in the imperial military camp, the soldiers stepped out of

their tents and bowed their heads.

All families in the county emerged. Men. Women. Young ones. The
elderly. They all looked at Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.

On the western front, the prefectural cultivators and swordsages

who were still part of the war effort all stopped what they were
doing and looked in the direction of the county capital, their
expressions full of sorrow.

And the humans who had returned from the front lines to their
sects in various prefectures did the same. Bells tolled in all of
those sects, spreading through the prefectures and filling all
heaven and earth.
As one, the county mourned.

1. Xu Qing snuck into the city magistrate’s manor before the start
of the story, though he recounted the incident in chapter 1. It was
during that escapade that he got seriously injured. Only by shoving
the violet crystal in his chest did he recover from that injury. He
went back to the manor in chapter 44. ☜
Chapter 510: Guyue Zhang’an

The capital city was held in Dark Serenity’s hands, roughly at his
chest level. At the spot closest to the statue itself was a huge
public square paved with limestone slabs, which could
accommodate a million people. Ninety-nine stairs led from the
square to an altar that had a total of nine hundred and ninety-nine
enormous columns carved to resemble dragons.

Only a few hundred thousand people had been permitted to gather

below the altar. Among them were swordsages, cultivators from
the Administration and Justice Palaces, and county officials. Their
robes and uniforms were all in perfect order, but their expressions
were those of grief. All of them held black flowers.

The arrival of Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong attracted some

attention. People looked over at them with sorrow, conflict, and
reminiscence....

They went to the assembled swordsages, who parted to make a

path leading to the front of the formation. Xu Qing stopped
walking, but Kong Xianglong, his face expressionless, went to the
very front, where he bowed his head and stood there unmoving.
Xu Qing stayed behind with the Captain. The Captain clasped Xu
Qing’s shoulder, and the two of them stood there solemnly.
Everything was quiet. Grief built up in the hundreds of thousands
of cultivators, spreading to fill the city, the three palaces, and
eventually, all of Sea-Sealing County.

The clouds in the dome of heaven seemed to reflect the grief from
below, and rain began to fall. The pitter-patter echoed out across
the limestone slabs. No one used their cultivation base to avoid
the rainfall. They let it fall on them.

After enough time had passed for an incense stick to burn, a

rumbling sound reached their ears. High in the clouds, lightning
snaked back and forth. A group of people appeared. Approaching,
they entered the square and walked up the stairs.

All of the hundreds of thousands of cultivators bowed their heads.

The group included the highest ranking deputy palace lords of the
Swordsage Palace, Administration Palace, and Justice Palace.
There were also three middle-aged men who, despite having
changed outfits recently, pulsed with baleful auras. They were the
commanders-in-chief that the imperial prince had appointed to
head the three palaces. Also present was the lieutenant governor,
who had a very grim look on his face.

Leading the group was a young man in a yellow robe. He had long
black hair that flowed down his back, extremely fair skin, angular
features, sword-like eyebrows, and eyes that sparkled as if with
starlight. Not only was he unusually good-looking, he also exuded
an indescribable sense of nobility. It seemed as if, with him
present, heaven and earth would dim. There seemed nothing
more natural than for him to walk in front, while others followed
behind.

This, of course, was the person who had saved Sea-Sealing

County in its moment of crisis. He had suppressed all the evil
devils in the county, had brought light to overcast skies, and
earned the admiration of countless species. He was the seventh
imperial prince!

On this day of memorial in Sea-Sealing County, only he qualified

to preside.

As people left and right bowed low, Seventh Prince climbed the
stairs to the highest spot on the altar. There he stood, alone. Only
he had the right to stand in that spot. From that position, he looked
up at the enormous statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, and
his eyes glittered with reverence. After a moment, he got to his
knees and kowtowed.

“Oh imperial ancestor, I am Guyue Zhang’an, your 3,915th

descendent. I wish you peace and purity!” [1]

When he kowtowed, the lieutenant governor, the commanders-in-

chief, the deputy palace lords, and everyone else bowed from the
waist. Further down, the hundreds of thousands of cultivators also
bowed respectfully. There was no need for them to kowtow. After
Seventh Prince got to his knees, it indicated that no one else
qualified to do the same. After kowtowing nine times, Seventh
Prince stood back up and looked at the crowd.

Because of the rain, it was difficult to see him clearly. But the
statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity behind him was clear for
everyone to see, and it created a very somber atmosphere.

A moment passed, and then he spoke with grief in his voice.

“Great winds blow, great tides flow; the flood dragon, totem of
torrents; the phoenix reborn in the fire’s glow.

“Today, I hereby submit a memorial to Ancient Emperor Dark

Serenity, and a testimonial to Emperor Dark War. We humans,
guardians of Sea-Sealing, bringers of peace and serendipity, have
safeguarded the County for eight hundred twelve-months, and do
yearn for more than ten continued sixty-year cycles of peace and
security.

“Countless among our heroes have met their end, but three stand
foremost among them.

“The palace lord of the Administration Palace was the epitome of

scholarly wisdom and magnanimity. The palace lord of the Justice
Palace was the personification of humility and courage. The
palace lord of the Swordsage Palace was the paragon of loyalty
and responsibility.
“The souls of the Sea-Sealing heroes provoke awe, thereby
dimming the light of stars and moon. As the millennia pass in our
lands, ancestors come and go. There are times of honor and times
of disgrace. There are ups and there are downs.

“We grieve at the decline of heaven and earth. We mourn when

stars fall in the blue sky. The fallen have gone, but the physical
relics linger; when recalling their visages, tears of sorrow pour out.
The anguish born therein pushes us beyond the point of self-
control.”

Seventh Prince’s words up to this point were rife with sorrow, and
his expression was downcast. He stopped speaking for a moment.
Everyone in the crowd felt deeply sorrowful, and it was even
possible to hear the sounds of weeping.

“However, the flame of humanity will never be extinguished! Not

even gods can suppress the human heart! I hereby solemnly
swear to petition our emperor to enshrine the souls of the fallen
heroes, and erect a monument to them, before which incense will
burn from generation to generation!

“We are a species whose ancient ancestors shone like the stars.
And among our descendants will be generations of heroes. The
universe is in constant motion, which embodies the spirit of eternal
self-improvement. The cosmos is forgiving, which reinforces the
virtue of magnanimity.
“Our respected ancestors, venerated by the masses, shall have
temples erected in their names, as we join forces to establish lofty
splendor. Let it be made clear to future generations that none of
this will be forgotten. Not ever!”

As Seventh Prince’s mournful speech echoed out, the bells in all

the numerous sects through the various prefectures of Sea-
Sealing County tolled loudly.

The county grieved as one.

Down beneath the capital city, the tallest sword pavilion of all,
which had belonged to Palace Lord Kong, crumbled into ashes
which drifted out across the county.

Uncontrolled weeping could be heard within the crowd of hundreds

of thousands of cultivators, and their tears mixed with the rain to
fall to the ground.

Xu Qing was having trouble seeing clearly. It was hard to say

whether it was because of the anguish in his heart or the blur
caused by the rain. Either way, he felt like he could almost see
Palace Lord Kong standing in front of him, tall and mighty.
Majestic. After the death of the governor, he had become the
leader of Sea-Sealing County.

As emotions swept through Xu Qing, he suddenly recalled

something Arch-Immortal Plumdark had said.
“Xu Qing, maybe when you develop a bit of admiration for the
organization and the people in it, you’ll eventually turn that
admiration into respect. And when that happens, you’ll have
figured things out.” [2]

Back then, Xu Qing had been a bit confused by that advice. After
all, he hadn’t really thought of himself as truly being a swordsage.
But now, as he stood there in the rain, his heart hurting, he
suddenly felt deep respect.

Sadly, Palace Lord Kong wasn’t standing there in the rain. He

existed only in Xu Qing’s memories. And now they were as far
apart from each other as heaven was from earth. The only thing
left behind was that command medallion. After Palace Lord Kong
died and Seventh Prince took command of the Swordsage Palace,
all of the authority in that medallion had been taken away.
However, it still contained the right to use the county capital’s
taboo treasure a single time.

After a long, mournful silence, Seventh Prince spoke again. This

time, there was no grief in his voice. Instead, he spoke with
unwavering determination, laced with killing intent, that caused
thunder to rumble in the sky, and provoked a vicious growl from
the four-clawed golden dragon.

“Let all of Sea-Sealing County be made aware that we have

determined the identity of the culprit responsible for the death of
the governor, the disastrous war, the fall of the three palace lords,
and the blood of all our heroes!”

Xu Qing looked up.

“Yao Tianyan, a descendant of Heavenly Marquis Yao, has broken

our hearts! Throughout the history of Sea-Sealing County, he has
always shielded the nonhumans. And now, he has colluded with
the Holytides to assassinate the governor, drag our county into the
flames of war, betray humanity, and bring death to countless Sea-
Sealing humans!

“Our investigation further confirmed that he was largely

responsible for the collapse of the northern front. Due to the
horrendous nature of his crimes, I hereby issue a county-wide
arrest warrant for this traitorous Yao Tianyan. I will also submit a
petition to the emperor to extend that warrant to all human
territories!”

An immense swell of rage erupted from the hundreds of thousands

of cultivators. And fury rose from the countless commoners in the
county capital who heard the words. There had been plenty of
people over the years who didn’t approve of Marquis Yao. People
cursed him on just about a constant basis. Not only had he
shielded nonhumans over and over again, he had even allowed
members of his clan to marry nonhumans. It seemed like little
more than working hand-in-glove with the enemy, which was why
many people cursed the Yao Clan as being worse than dogs or
pigs. They were traitors against humanity, devoid of conscience,
people who bent the knee to outsiders. Such cursing had been
common in the past eight hundred years.

The common view was that Marquis Yao thought that nonhumans
were worth more, and that his reputation among nonhumans was
more important. In other words, humans weren’t very important.
Such thoughts had weighed on the minds of cultivators for eight
hundred years.

When Xu Qing arrived at the county capital, he had heard

countless instances in which people cursed Marquis Yao in
private.

As far as Xu Qing could tell, it made perfect sense that Marquis

Yao was the traitor! In fact, back when the governor died, there
was a lot of talk about Marquis Yao being the biggest suspect.

Right now, the eyes of the cultivators from the three palaces were
incomparably bloodshot. In the blink of an eye, their killing intent
reached unheard-of levels. For the swordsages, the death of their
palace lord was the source of unending pain in their hearts, and all
of them now felt it was their most important mission to avenge his
death.

“Kill Marquis Yao!”

“Get revenge for the palace lords!”

“Avenge the governor!”

“Get revenge for the countless sons of Sea-Sealing County who

sacrificed their lives in the war!!”

“The Yao Clan should be exterminated!”

Down below, the imperial garrison surged with killing intent. The
fury of the officers and the soldiers was so intense it shoved aside
the rain!

Yao Yunhui was in the crowd, trembling, her eyes full of grief.
People all around her glared at her, and backed away from her as
if she were dirty. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words
came out.

Zhang Siyun was in a similar situation. Moments later, both of

them were escorted away by imperial troops.

Atop the altar, Seventh Prince noticed the movement below. He

clearly saw what was happening, and when he looked at Zhang
Siyun, his eyes glittered briefly.

Meanwhile, in Yao Mansion, Marquis Yao’s younger sister Yao

Feihe wept openly, her tears falling onto her garment, soaking it
and turning it dark. [3]

“Brother... was it worth it?”

She closed her eyes as a crashing sound reached her ears. The
forces sent by Seventh Prince had arrived to arrest everyone,
including the elderly and the children. Yao Feihe didn’t fight back
as she was taken captive. As the prisoners were led out of Yao
Mansion, many of the commoners looked on with disdain, calling
out curses and demanding blood be spilled.

Li Shitao was off in the distance. She had arrived too late to help,
and could only stand there helplessly, her expression one of fury.
[4]

The anger burning in the county capital at the moment was more
than enough to drown out all other sounds.

1. Guyue Zhang’an. Guyue is a compound surname invented by

the author. Gu means “ancient.” This is the same character from
things like Revered Ancient and Ancient Emperor. Yue is a
character with many meanings. It can mean “exceed, climb over,
surpass.” But it’s also commonly associated with peoples and
states in south China or South Asia in general. Zhang also has
many meanings, including “chapter, structure, rules, seal, stamp,
badge, medal, order.” An means “prison, jail” as well as “a
mythological animal mentioned in ancient legends whose image
was put on prison gates.” Madam Deathblade says the surname
Guyue gives a feeling of ancientness, while the given name
Zhang’an sounds vicious and even animalistic. ☜

2. Arch-Immortal Plumdark said that to Xu Qing in chapter 414. ☜

3. Yao Feihe was introduced in chapter 428. ☜

4. Li Shitao was introduced in the same chapter as Yao Feihe was

introduced in, . She appeared briefly in chapter 475. ☜
Chapter 511: Classified Dossier 19

From his spot in the county memorial service, Xu Qing turned and
looked toward the distant Yao Yunhui and Zhang Siyun.

He thought about how the Smokewights in Daybreak Prefecture

had mentioned Marquis Yao. He also considered Marquis Yao’s
previous actions, and how he’d simply disappeared from the
battlefield. On the surface, it really did make it seem like there was
something suspicious going on with him. What was more, the
palace lord had also suspected Marquis Yao.[1]

But there were some things that didn’t make sense to Xu Qing.
Why would Marquis Yao take his entire people, with the exception
of the women and children, to the battlefield, where they were all
wiped out? And why would all the women and children just sit
around waiting to be arrested? What was more, Marquis Yao had
been the one to rally the nonhumans into an alliance and then lead
them to the northern front. And everything had gone smoothly in
that regard. When you considered all the elements as a whole,
they didn’t add up.

Of course, Xu Qing was well aware that he couldn’t possibly be

the only person to have come to this conclusion. But right now...
no one dared to speak up.
For one thing, Marquis Yao was generally disliked. What was
more, there was no evidence to prove that he wasn’t a traitor to
humanity.

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. By now, he had come to the

conclusion that the war in Sea-Sealing County was a lot more
complicated than just two enemies fighting each other. The fact
that Seventh Prince showed up at almost exactly the same
moment that Palace Lord Kong died gave Xu Qing the sense that
there was much more to the situation than what appeared on the
surface.

Off to the side, the Captain narrowed his eyes and spoke to Xu
Qing in a voice as quiet as a mosquito’s. “This Seventh Prince is
quite impressive. He’s tugging at everyone’s heart strings with
complete ease! He hits things from every angle, has his pulse on
the community, and really knows how to work the crowd!

“As of now, Sea-Sealing County might as well be his personal

fiefdom. He’s got an incredibly high status, he can take credit for
saving the entire county, and he’s got the support of the masses.
In reality, if he’d shown up just a moment earlier, Palace Lord
Kong wouldn’t have died in battle. And if the palace lord didn’t die,
then the imperial prince’s arrival wouldn’t have been as dazzling.
He would have had to share the spotlight with the palace lord.

“In contrast, by arriving just a bit too late, he took all the glory. He
completely saved the day and became famous far and wide. All
because of one battle.

“I know you’ve already come to realize this on your own, little

Junior Brother. I know you’re close with Kong Xianglong, but
you’ve got to remember not to be impulsive. This prince is not
someone you can casually trifle with.

“Surely you can see how even the deputy palace lords and the
lieutenant governor are biting their tongues. And Kong Xianglong
is holding back too. A lot of people know what’s really going on
here, not just us! We small fries should focus on keeping our
friends and family safe. Trying to do more than that... isn’t going to
do any good.”

The Captain patted Xu Qing’s shoulder.

Xu Qing looked up into the sky. Truth be told, he had come to a

realization of what was going on a lot earlier, and had been
keeping it inside for a long time.

“I know, Eldest Brother,” he replied quietly. “There’s no way he was

going to show up before the taboo net fell and Palace Lord Kong
died. That was why the palace lord issued all those orders to the
army, and also the reason he chose to die as he did.”

Xu Qing closed his eyes and thought back to everything the

palace lord had said before dying, and all the arrangements he’d
made.
It rained all day. As for the memorial service, it didn’t last that long.
It was over after about two hours. When Seventh Prince left, it
marked the end of the service. The crowd dispersed in lonesome
solitude.

The Captain seemed really worried about Xu Qing, and gave

several more warnings in line with his previous exhortation. Then
he said he was going to go buy Ancient Dao Righteous Bestowal
Edict, then find a place to open another of his seals. Apparently,
that was going to take some time.

“I’m going to be in seclusion for about half a month, little Junior

Brother. Remember. Don’t do anything impulsive. After I’m out of
seclusion, we can assess the situation. If things are really bad,
then we can just resign as swordsages.”

Noting how sincere the Captain seemed, Xu Qing nodded.

The Captain, convinced of Xu Qing’s sincerity, hurried away.

Xu Qing really was being sincere. He knew that even if he said

something to someone, his words wouldn’t carry any weight.
Whether because of his general status or his cultivation base, he
couldn’t do anything to affect the tangled web of intrigue that was
this war.

And yet, he couldn’t stop thinking about Palace Lord Kong.

Eventually, he sighed and went back to his sword pavilion beneath
the glow of evening. Upon arriving, he looked around.
I miss Seven Blood Eyes.

Closing his eyes, he sat down and started meditating. Eventually,

night fell and the moon rose. Around midnight... he heard a voice
outside his sword pavilion, full of pain and bitterness.

“You there, Xu Qing?”

Xu Qing opened his eyes. It was Kong Xianglong. Xu Qing opened

the door of his sword pavilion and saw Kong Xianglong standing
there in the moonlight. He was obviously drunk. The smile he wore
made him look more full of grief than if he’d been weeping.

“Duskspirit is dead. Wang Chen is dead. Sir Mountain-River is

back in his sect recovering from his injuries. I... I don’t have
anyone else to drink with. Xu Qing, do you mind drinking with me
again today?”

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. He just took a few steps back.

Kong Xianglong grinned and walked inside, swaying back and

forth a bit as he did. Sitting down, he tossed a jug of alcohol to Xu
Qing, then pulled out one of his own and took a drink.

“Wanna guess who I saw this afternoon?” he said with another

forced smile.

Xu Qing took a drink and shook his head.

“Seventh Prince, of course! The deputy palace lord took me to see
him. Oh, that prince. As you might expect, he knew that the palace
lord was my grandfather. So what do you think happened next? He
commended me, and even gave me an assignment. I’m in charge
of the Corrections Division now. I’m supposed to get the place
back in order. I mentioned you, by the way. He agreed to let me
handle things however I wanted.” He laughed. “I expressed my
deep and heartfelt gratitude.”

Kong Xianglong laughed even more. However, his expression

looked pained, and though his laughter was full of many emotions,
joy was not one of them. In the end, he huffed and then spat off to
the side.

“Screw that motherfucker! You know who the first batch of new
inmates are? Everyone from the Yao Clan. What does he think I’m
going to do, execute them all? I’m not an idiot. Don’t tell me that
the shadowy figure that appeared before the old man right before
he died was Marquis Yao?” Kong Xianglong roared with laughter,
but his eyes were cold. He took another drink. “I went over and
took a look at the Yao Clan prisoners. They’re all women and
children. Zhang Siyun was nowhere to be seen. Apparently Honor
Guard Sima vouched for him. [2]

“That said, maybe it would be good for me to be a bit of an idiot. If

I execute them, I might be able to get closer to Seventh Prince.
Then maybe I can figure out what’s really going on with this war.”
As he spoke, his voice got colder and colder. His eyes glittered.
“What do you think, Xu Qing?”

Xu Qing looked at Kong Xianglong, who had lost most of his

friends during the war, then had to deal with Palace Lord Kong’s
death. After all of that, Kong Xianglong’s personality had changed.

Based on his tone of voice, Xu Qing could tell that Kong

Xianglong’s killing intent was truly growing strong. And it was very
possible that Kong Xianglong would go so far as to violate his own
sense of morality if it meant getting close to Seventh Prince and
finding out the truth.

Xu Qing took a moment before answering. “If we get to make the

decision, I suggest not executing them.”

Kong Xianglong looked up. “Why?”

Xu Qing didn’t give an answer. He just looked Kong Xianglong in

the eye.

As he did, the coldness in Kong Xianglong’s gaze slowly

disappeared. He seemed to shrink in on himself, and then he took
another drink.

The two of them sat together drinking, just like they had the night
before.

Eventually, Kong Xianglong put the jug down, lay back, and looked
at the ceiling. “I miss the old days, Xu Qing. Remember last year
when we all went on that mission...?”

Xu Qing nodded, and thought back to when the two of them had
left on the mission with Duskspirit, Wang Chen, and Sir Mountain-
River. Their task had been to extract an agent who was fleeing
from Holytide territory. There was also an intelligence report in a
wish box. Later, they slaughtered an entire group of Black Guard
cultivators to get revenge for the young man they’d tortured to
death. Then they fled like mad into the night. Eventually, they
reached an open plain where they lay down in the grass to catch
their breaths. After that event, all of them had grown closer to each
other.

“What a pity...” Kong Xianglong said, shaking his head. He lifted

the jug, only to find it was empty, just like the wish box they’d
recovered on that mission. [3]

Xu Qing slid another jug over to him. Kong Xianglong sat up and
took it. “Oh, by the way, Seventh Prince’s people took away the
wish box we got on that mission. They said it was evidence of
Marquis Yao’s secret plan.”

Xu Qing thought back to the empty wish box. “There wasn’t

anything inside, was there? Or did the palace recover something
later on?”

“They did. But it’s top secret. I was in charge of the mission, so I
qualified to know about it. But the intelligence report still hasn’t
been declassified.... Ah, whatever. There’s no point in keeping you
in the dark.” Kong Xianglong took a drink. “Based on the aura that
remained inside, it was determined that the box previously
contained an ancient medicinal pill. Something called a fatehavoc
pill.”

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed, and he reached out to grab Kong

Xianglong’s arm.

Kong Xianglong’s eyes went wide. “What’s wrong?”

“A lightmost fatehavoc pill?”

“Yeah, exactly.” Kong Xianglong’s expression turned very serious.

All of a sudden, he was much more sober than before. “What’s
going on, Xu Qing?”

Xu Qing didn’t say anything. Thinking back to the jade slip the
palace lord had given him, he thought for a moment then said, “Big
Bro Kong, is there any chance the intelligence report you’re talking
about is Classified Dossier 19?” [4]

When Kong Xianglong heard Xu Qing mention that specific file, he

became completely sober. Eyes shining, he looked at Xu Qing.
“Okay, what’s happening here?”

Xu Qing took out the jade slip from the palace lord and handed it
to Kong Xianglong.
After returning to the county capital from Mount Daybreak, the
urgency of the war, and his mission to deal with supplies and
troops, made him too busy to check into Classified Dossier 19.
Besides, Palace Lord Kong was already familiar with the file’s
contents, and Xu Qing’s mission had simply been to confirm some
details regarding the daybreak light. When it came to the
continuation of the investigation, he had been waiting for further
instructions from the palace lord. But now, things had changed.

As Kong Xianglong studied the information on the jade slip, he

started trembling. When he finished, he gripped the jade slip tight
in his hand and looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing whispered, “I already investigated the daybreak light. And

there was indeed some that didn’t make it into the records.”

Kong Xianglong’s eyes were bloodshot as he said, “That shadowy

figure that appeared to the old man before he died! Did he kill the
governor with that pill? No wonder there wasn’t a big fight on the
day of the governor’s assassination. His death came out of
nowhere!”

Xu Qing nodded. “But it still doesn’t make sense. If that pill is really
so amazing, how did the killer manage to use it on the governor?
I’m pretty good with poisons, so I know there are a lot of ways to
poison someone. But given the high level of the governor’s
cultivation base, it seems almost impossible for someone to
secretly poison him!
“That’s even more true considering how many assassination
attempts the governor experienced in his life. He was definitely a
cautious person who wouldn’t let his guard down even around
people he trusted. For him to die so unexpectedly seems to
indicate that the killer poisoned him in a very ingenious way! It was
the perfect murder.” [5]

After speaking, Xu Qing closed his mouth to think.

Kong Xianglong also sat there, thinking. After some time passed,
Kong Xianglong stood, clasped hands, and bowed deeply to Xu
Qing.

“Xu Qing, don’t investigate this matter any further. It’s too
dangerous. I’ll handle it!”

Xu Qing didn’t respond.

Seeing Xu Qing’s facial expression, Kong Xianglong seemed to

want to say something further, but hesitated to do so. Finally, he
sighed. Given how well he knew Xu Qing, he could tell that Xu
Qing’s silence was an indication that he was refusing Kong
Xianglong’s advice.

“Fine, we do it together!” Kong Xianglong said quietly.

Xu Qing nodded.

It was nearly dawn, and they were out of alcohol. Besides, after all
of the recent revelations, Kong Xianglong wasn’t interested in
drinking. He made to leave. However, then he looked at the spot
where he had spat off to the side. Shaking his head, he cleaned
the spot with his sleeve. Then he walked to the door.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing took out a bag of holding and tossed it to

Kong Xianglong. “Big Bro Kong, this is for you. Sir Mountain-
River’s portion is in there also. As for Duskspirit and Wang Chen...
you decide what to do with their share.”

“What’s inside?” Kong Xianglong asked, looking surprised.

“Dao fruits,” Xu Qing replied softly.

1. Marquis Yao was mentioned by a Smokewight in chapter 482.

☜

2. Starting in this chapter, the author changed Honor Guard Sima’s

name, and instead started calling him Honor Guard Sinan.
Because it happened out of nowhere, I initially thought it was a
different character, which was very confusing to me later on when
it became clear that Sinan was actually Sima. I double-checked by
looking up every instance of every variation of the name, and can
say conclusively that Sima=Sinan. I personally think this happened
because, last time he was mentioned, the author called him Sima
Nan. I think the author just got his wires crossed, and started
calling him Sinan instead of Sima. Another possibility is that he
intentionally changed the name for some reason. However, there
is no explanation, and in the grand scheme of things, the name
itself isn’t important to the plot. This sort of thing isn’t something
worth bothering the author about, so going forward, I will
standardize everything to Sima, since we’ve already come to know
this character by that name. ☜

3. The wish box was recovered in chapter 419. ☜

4. Classified Dossier 19 was mentioned previously in chapter 478.

☜

5. In chapter 391 we were told the governor had survived many

assassination attempts through the years. ☜
Chapter 512: Crimson Mother of the Red
Moon!

Kong Xianglong quietly left the sword pavilion with the bag of
holding.

The first glimmer of dawn was visible outside as Xu Qing watched

him leave. Then he stood there looking into the sky and thinking
about the wish box from that mission.

“The smell of osmanthus flowers,” he murmured. He remembered

checking the wish box, and he remembered the faint scent of
osmanthus inside. [1]

Muffled thunder could be heard in the sky; it was the rainy season
in the county capital. Before long, heavy rain blocked the rays of
the sun, and everything turned gloomy. It gave early risers the
strange sensation that evening had already fallen before noon had
even come.

Xu Qing went back into his sword pavilion. Sitting down cross-
legged, he settled his thoughts and started meditating.

His cultivation base was close to the very peak of Gold Core. All
he needed was one additional heavenly palace to reach the great
circle. After everything he had experienced on the battlefield, that
heavenly palace was almost fully materialized. It wouldn’t be long
now.

As for what to put inside of it....

Xu Qing took a moment to sense The Emperor’s Sword.

If I can’t think of anything else, then I’ll use The Emperor’s Sword.

Taking a deep breath, he continued working on breathing

exercises.

In that manner, half a month flew by.

During that time, Xu Qing almost felt like he had been forgotten.

He didn’t leave his sword pavilion, and almost no one came to

visit. With Seventh Prince in charge of the county capital,
everything had changed. It was common to see warrior cultivators
from the imperial capital on the streets. The city was under military
control now, and species from all over Sea-Sealing County were
coming to pay respects.

The three palaces had been reorganized. With the three

commanders-in-chief Seventh Prince had assigned to take over
for the palace lords, they were now essentially a wing of the army.
Imperial swordsages from the swordsage headquarters in the
capital were now in charge of most of the departments. It was the
same with the other two palaces.
Military law was even more strictly enforced. There were quite a
few people who were executed publicly for breaking such laws.
And they weren’t just people from Sea-Sealing County. There
were even officers and soldiers from the imperial capital who were
punished! Kong Xianglong discussed the matter with Xu Qing, and
clearly he had mixed emotions.

Seventh Prince issued a directive to all sects and organizations in

Sea-Sealing County. It was very strictly worded and clearly was
not supposed to be questioned. It required all sects to perform
military service, and also required the sects to permanently hand
over control of their taboo treasures. The directive caused quite a
stir. However, there wasn’t anybody willing to defy the orders. The
nonhumans reacted similarly. In the end, they had no choice but to
comply; they sent half of their supplies as tribute, and joined the
allied army, which meant they had to go to war on behalf of
humankind whenever requested.

Under the leadership of Kong Xianglong, the Corrections Division

was being rebuilt. However, it wasn’t located in the same place as
before. It was now in the Swordsage Palace.

The first batch of prisoners really were the women and children
from the Yao Clan. Although there were many public demands for
their execution, Kong Xianglong didn’t do anything to them. He
chose to accept Xu Qing’s advice in that regard.
Though Honor Guard Sima had vouched for Zhang Siyun, that
didn’t mean Zhang Siyun could avoid investigation. In the end, he
chose to testify against his mother’s clan. Most people thought of it
as his expression of loyalty to humankind. As a result, he wasn’t
implicated in any of the Yao Clan’s crimes. After all, his surname
wasn’t Yao. What was more, he was allowed to remain as a
swordsage.

In the end, Seventh Prince had the final say on everything that
happened in Sea-Sealing County. His subordinates weren’t just
stationed in the county capital. They spread out to all the
Swordsage Courts in all the prefectures. Because of the fact that
they were essentially the saviors of Sea-Sealing County, they were
welcomed with open arms wherever they went.

Meanwhile, a rumor started spreading. It started in the county

capital, but before long, it reached all of the prefectures.

Forbidden by the Immortal really was going to be opened soon.

Sea-Sealing County was the first place Ancient Emperor Dark

Serenity had occupied after coming back from sea, and thus it was
home to a very special area called Forbidden by the Immortal.

In the past, it didn’t have that name, though. It was an Immortal

Estate, one of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity’s thirty-six remote
operations palaces.
The Immortal Estates were all unique worlds that contained not
only amazing and unique treasures, but also, strong immortal
energy. Immortal energy was essentially a higher level of energy
than spirit energy. The thirty-six operations palaces, or Immortal
Estates, were worlds belonging to the imperial clan back in the era
of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity. They often contained mutant
beasts, which were kept there to hunt.

After the broken face of the god arrived, everything changed.

When Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity and the other emperors and
sovereigns left, the thirty-six operations palaces were abandoned.
Most of them fell into ruin. There were others that, as humans
slowly lost one region after another, became the property of
nonhumans.

In some cases, gods entered them and turned them into personal
lairs, filling them with intense mutagen. The Immortal Estate in
Sea-Sealing County was one of those, as there was a god
sleeping inside. Īts aura filled the Immortal Estate, making it rife
with death. It was a place where the living couldn’t go, and thus it
came to be called Forbidden by the Immortal.

Throughout all the years that had passed, humans had only
opened Forbidden by the Immortal one time. Powerful experts
from the Imperial Region had attempted to extract the godsource
from inside, only to fail. Although they didn’t wake the god that
slept inside, even in sleep that god was powerful enough to create
a clone of ītself. That clone caused a massive disaster in Sea-
Sealing County. In the end, the humans suppressed the clone.
However, they couldn’t completely destroy it. Therefore, the
imperial preceptor of humankind dismembered it.

For certain reasons, it wasn’t possible to take the parts of the

clone away from the forbidden region, so they had been sealed at
its entrance. And that entrance was none other than the famous
Corrections Division in the county capital. By using a destiny
sealing technique, the clone was fooled into thinking it was a spirit
automaton. As a result, it was essentially tasked with keeping itself
sealed.

Now, years after that incident, everyone was shocked to hear

rumors about Forbidden by the Immortal being opened.

In reality, there had been talk of this happening in the past. But the
governor and lieutenant governor hadn’t approved of the idea.
Even Palace Lord Kong had been hesitant. It was simply too
dangerous. The slightest misstep could result in complete
catastrophe for Sea-Sealing County. Living beings everywhere
would be in horrific danger, and would end up as food for a god.
But imperial orders couldn’t be defied. And thus, all Sea-Sealing
County could do was try to delay the opening. [2]

Now, the person with the final say in everything was Seventh
Prince. It was shortly after the rumors started spreading like mad
that Seventh Prince actually issued the formal dharmic decree.
In half a month, Forbidden by the Immortal was to be opened. First
to enter would be the swordsages, and they would be on a special
mission. They would be laying the foundation for the second group
to enter. The dharmic decree shook the entire county, and
especially the county capital. Everyone was deeply alarmed.

However, due to public trust in Seventh Prince, and the mightiness

of his army, people calmed down quickly enough. And then the
preparations began.

Hordes of imperial troops started clearing the rubble out of the old
Corrections Division. They placed sealing marks and also used the
county capital’s taboo treasure to hew out a path leading to
Forbidden by the Immortal.

Xu Qing didn’t know much about Forbidden by the Immortal. But

being a former Corrections Division jailer, he knew a bit more than
the average person. Furthermore, after making D-132 one of his
heavenly palaces, he knew... that the finger therein was part of the
clone of the god imprisoned in the forbidden ground. Just the
finger of that clone had stupefying power. After all, the clone ītself
had been so mighty that the imperial preceptor had only been able
to dismember and seal īt. Destroying īt hadn’t been an option. It
was easy to imagine how astonishingly powerful the actual god
was.

Although there was a lot Xu Qing didn’t know, one thing he did
know thanks to his experience of sealing that finger, was that the
clone definitely feared the red moon. That much was obvious from
how īt had reacted to the essence of his violet moon.

Obviously there were different levels of gods, and the red moon
was stronger than the god in Forbidden by the Immortal! That said,
just the term ‘god’ was enough to shake any cultivator to the core.

Xu Qing was on the list of people to enter Forbidden by the

Immortal first. Kong Xianglong, the Captain, and most of the other
Sea-Sealing swordsages were also included.

At the moment, Xu Qing was walking down the street in the county
capital on the way to purchase some medicinal pills. He was also
trying to establish communication with the finger in D-132. He was
hoping to get some more information about Forbidden by the
Immortal. After all, considering there was still a war going on, it
seemed like a strange time to open the place.

Unfortunately, the god’s finger hadn’t really woken at all since īt

went to sleep, and calling out to īt didn’t usually provoke any
response. After buying the medicinal pills he wanted, Xu Qing
thought about using the violet moon to stimulate the finger.
However, before he could do anything, the finger shivered and
started to wake up voluntarily.

The reason was because Xu Qing had just spotted a certain

person.

Zhang Siyun.
Although his white swordsage uniform was inherently impressive,
he himself was sallow, with bloodshot eyes. Overall, he looked
bedraggled.

As Zhang Siyun walked down the street, he spotted Xu Qing. In

the past, his heart would have filled with hatred as a result, but this
time he just averted his gaze and walked off quickly in a different
direction. He was being followed by a few people Xu Qing didn’t
recognize. Apparently, they were keeping an eye on him.

Xu Qing didn’t react visibly to what he saw. However, inside, his

heart surged with waves of astonishment, the reason being that
the finger was shouting into his mind.

“The Crimson Mother parasitized him! That’s a doppelgänger of

the red moon! Crimson Mother isn’t awake now, but that won’t last
long. Why aren’t you running??”

The god’s finger seemed extremely nervous and alarmed, far

more so than Xu Qing was.

Xu Qing was breathing heavily, but his mind remained focused. It

was a surprise to find that the god’s finger was obviously thinking
very clearly this time. Īt wasn’t muddled like before. Suppressing
his shock, he calmly projected a message with divine will.

“Didn’t you say Crimson Mother isn’t awake?”

“It’ll happen soon! The awakening will happen soon! Er, hold on.
Somethings off here.... He has a human spell formation inside of
him? You humans are actually taking the initiative to help Crimson
Mother possess him?? In less than a month, Crimson Mother will
wake up in his body! Just what are you humans trying to
accomplish? This is High God Crimson Mother we’re talking
about!!!”

The god’s finger sent a stream of divine sense out, which helped
Xu Qing to scan the area. Upon noticing the excavation work at
the Corrections Division, īt started trembling violently.

“That’s an Immortal Estate! And it’s almost open!! A doppelgänger

of Crimson Mother? Opening an Immortal Estate? At the same
time...? Y-y-you... you humans are actually trying to feed me to
Crimson Mother!!”

1. I linked to the wish box chapter already, but here it is again in

case you’re interested in checking the osmanthus reference.
Chapter 419. ☜

2. The opening of Forbidden by the Immortal was previously

mentioned in chapters 355 and . ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to Ege03 and heldeus for the

reviews!

Thank you to Ege03 and heldeus for the reviews!

Chapter 513: What Do You Do When You’re
Not Strong Enough?

The waves of astonishment smashing at Xu Qing forced him to

stop walking. The terrified shrieking of the god’s finger was clearly
based on speculation. The finger was asleep most of the time, and
had no idea what was happening on the outside. Īt could only gain
a very cursory surface understanding.

But even when Xu Qing first arrived in the county capital a year
ago, he remembered hearing occasional rumors that Forbidden by
the Immortal would be opened. Nothing ever came of it. That was
one reason why he found it suspicious that it was actually being
opened right now, at a time of war. But the explanation provided by
the god’s finger now caused everything to click into place. In Xu
Qing’s mind, numerous puzzle pictures connected, and he came
to a very clear realization. It caused him to immediately leave the
capital city, go back to his sword pavilion, and sit down cross-
legged to get his thoughts in order. The god’s finger jabbered the
entire time, and was clearly deeply shaken by what humans were
doing.

Eventually, Xu Qing got all his thoughts in order. Gradually, a

general outline of things formed.
It all starts with Zhang Siyun.... Back at the Supreme Beginning
Netherflight Pillar, the Captain and I both climbed to 9,000 meters.
Because of the mark of the cultivator who died in a god domain,
we were both affected to different degrees by Crimson Mother, the
red moon. The Captain got the aura, but I also got... the
godsource!

These were details that he had pieced together after the fact.

Zhang Siyun also climbed to 9,000 meters, so it’s only natural that
he would also be affected. But Zhang Siyun was very seriously
injured and fell off the pillar. In fact, he nearly died. Afterward, I felt
an intense sensation of dread. [1]

From that point on, I could sense the red moon looking for me.
Back then, I didn’t realize that Zhang Siyun had changed. But
looking back, I’d say that the pillar incident must have been when
Zhang Siyun was parasitized!

Eyes glittering, he considered everything he remembered. Then

he focused on when the Grand Emperor assessed his heart.

Is it possible to hide things about yourself during the Grand

Emperor’s assessment of the heart? If Zhang Siyun really was
parasitized by the red moon at that point, why did that assessment
go normally for him? He even came here to the county capital.

After some more thought, Xu Qing realized that, based on what

the god’s finger had just said, that there were humans helping to
speed up the awakening of the red moon within Zhang Siyun, then
everything made sense.

They knew from the beginning. And I know just how to confirm
that!

He took out his command sword to send a message to the grand

elder in the Swordsage Court in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.
But then his face fell slightly.

I forgot. After the death of the palace lord, inter-prefectural

communications were restricted.

Xu Qing sighed. There was a workaround. Though he didn’t have

the authority to send inter-prefectural messages on his own, he
could purchase the right with military credits. And he had a lot of
military credits. Therefore, he paid the fee, and before much more
time passed, he had sent the message to that grand elder to ask
about Zhang Siyun.

If any other person asked the grand elder about the situation, he
wouldn’t answer their question. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even
respond to Kong Xianglong. But that grand elder thought
differently of Xu Qing. The response came quickly.

“Back during the Grand Emperor assessment, I did indeed know

that he was parasitized by a god. That said, I couldn't confirm
which exact god it was. Considering how important of a matter it
was, I reported the situation to the palace lord.
“I checked in a few times to see what was happening with the
matter. At one point, Palace Lord Kong told me that as long as
Zhang Siyun was a swordsage, he refused to allow him to be used
as bait! What’s more relevant is that the original statue of the
Grand Emperor is in the imperial capital. In other words, it’s a
given that they know about the situation there.” [2]

After providing his explanation, the grand elder’s tone turned

serious, and at the same time, caring.

“Xu Qing, things are different now in Sea-Sealing County. I heard

about Forbidden by the Immortal being opened. Back when the
idea was originally proposed, a lot of people were opposed to it,
including the governor and the lieutenant governor. But the
dharmic decree came from the imperial capital. You can’t just defy
an order like that. They tried to buy time, but that can only be done
for so long. Then war came, and nobody wanted to bring up the
subject. I’m not sure why you’re asking me about this, but... you
need to be careful in everything.”

Xu Qing could sense the concern in the voice of the grand elder,
so he responded in kind. Then he asked about the situation with
August Spirit Nethersprite, and whether her escape was going to
cause problems for the Swordsage Court in Emperor-Receiving
Prefecture.

The grand elder cleared his throat, sighed, and then went on to
say, “I take full responsibility for that. I wasn’t paying close enough
attention, and that led to Nethersprite’s escape. The first thing I
brought to the imperial prince’s attention was the potential
awakening of the Ghost Emperor. As for where Nethersprite is
now, nobody knows. The other two spiritual souls and the seven
physical souls all went missing. We’re in such great danger here in
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture that not even the imperial prince
dares to come here....”

Something about the explanation seemed strange to Xu Qing.

After thinking about it, he started to get the feeling that
Nethersprite hadn’t escaped after all. The grand elder had
probably set her free on purpose. More likely, she wasn’t ‘missing’
at all, and the grand elder had her captive somewhere else.
Having reached the conclusion that made the most sense, he
actually felt a bit better. After a few concluding messages, he
ended the conversation.

The opening of Forbidden by the Immortal is nothing to take lightly.

That’s why the governor, lieutenant governor, and Palace Lord
Kong were all opposed to it. But now the governor is dead and the
palace lord was killed in battle. The only member of the old guard
still around is the lieutenant governor.

As for Zhang Siyun, he lost the protection of Palace Lord Kong,

which likely means that he’ll be sent into Forbidden by the
Immortal to wake up the red moon within him. He’ll turn into a
doppelgänger of the red moon, which will then devour the god in
the forbidden ground. Is that what’s going on? But why? How does
the imperial prince benefit if that happens?

Xu Qing still lacked enough clues to come to a proper conclusion.

Eventually, the god’s finger finished talking, retracted īts aura, and
went into hiding. Even the fluctuations of sleep stopped emanating
out, making it seem like the finger was in a state of death. No
matter how Xu Qing called to the finger, he got no response.

Regardless of the details, if the red moon wakes up, I’m going to
be in serious trouble!

Xu Qing scowled. The only thing he could think to do was flee the
county capital so he wasn’t around when Forbidden by the
Immortal was opened. However, a moment later, another thought
entered his mind.

The best time to catch a big fish is during a big storm! Forbidden
by the Immortal is going to be full of all sorts of precious treasures.
It will be full of endless good fortune. The danger is the sleeping
god. But if the red moon devours that god, then Forbidden by the
Immortal will be completely open for exploration.

The red moon is the god of the Nightshades. If the imperial prince
really plans to wake the red moon, then he must have an idea of
what to do afterward. For one thing, he has to keep himself safe.
Plus, he has a lot of people here in Sea-Sealing County. Unless
he’s planning to do something really insane, like feeding all of
Sea-Sealing County to the red moon as a sacrifice....

In any case, if I can avoid being noticed by the red moon, then
entering Forbidden by the Immortal will actually be a destined
opportunity for me.

After some more thought, Xu Qing sent a voice message to the

Captain. After all, the Captain seemed to be an expert in matters
related to gods. Unfortunately, the Captain was still in seclusion,
and didn’t respond to the message.

Forcing his mind to still, he decided to simply focus on meditation.

He would just wait until the Captain was out of seclusion, and then
discuss the matter with him and decide what to do next.

After all, this was simply too dangerous of a situation. If the red
moon awoke, trouble wouldn’t just come for Xu Qing. The Captain
had previously stolen some of the moon’s aura. Though the moon
had never gone looking for the Captain, if the Captain suddenly
showed up in Forbidden by the Immortal, it could very well lead to
his death.

In that manner, time passed. It got closer and closer to the day
Forbidden by the Immortal would be opened.

The old Corrections Division had been almost completely

excavated. It was a dark hole in the ground, so deep its bottom
wasn’t visible. It pulsed with endless mutagen. The imperial troops
had erected special formations to dispel that mutagen, but it was
still possible to hear ghostly screams and cries coming from the
depths of the pit. It was almost as if there was hell at the bottom.
The cries echoed out into the capital city. Everyone could hear
them clearly, regardless of whether it was daytime or nighttime. It
left everyone feeling anxious and jumpy.

Xu Qing kept his attention focused on that pit. Eventually, when

there were only six days left before the opening, he finally got a
reply from the Captain.

“Little Ah Qing! Hahahahaha! I used the Righteous Bestowal Edict

to safely open one of my most important seals! This way you and I
can finally travel the world together!”

The Captain was obviously very excited, which rubbed off on Xu

Qing a bit. Xu Qing could sense how happy he was, and thus
offered his sincere congratulations. Then he went on to explain
everything he had been wrestling with lately.

The Captain’s laughter gradually turned into heavy breathing.

When Xu Qing finished, the Captain severed the jade slip
connection without saying a single word.

Xu Qing’s expression was the same as ever as he waved his

hand. The door of the sword pavilion opened, and he started
counting.

“One. Two. Three.... Seven.”

The Captain raced toward him with speed comparable to Nascent
Soul. His hair was disheveled and he was gaunt. In the blink of an
eye, he was at the door of the sword pavilion. Without any
hesitation, he rushed inside, slammed the door, and stared at Xu
Qing with a crazy look of joy in his eyes.

“Little Junior Brother, you surely know that since your Eldest
Brother just opened some seals, he’s starving. That must be why
you arranged for this special gift for me, right?”

Xu Qing looked the Captain up and down. The Captain looked

extremely thin, like the ghost of someone who had starved to
death. However, his aura was much stronger than before.

Back at the western front, the Captain had only revealed strength
comparable to seven or eight heavenly palaces. But based on
what Xu Qing could sense now, he was incomparably close to the
Nascent Soul level. All it would take would be half a step, and he
would be in that level. But there was more. He seemed to have
changed on an even deeper level. The Ancient Dao Righteous
Bestowal Edict that the Captain had longed for clearly turned out
to be very useful.

Of course, Xu Qing expected nothing less from the Captain.

Therefore, after examining the Captain, Xu Qing nodded.

“That’s right, Eldest Brother. I deduced that this breakthrough of

yours was going to be very different. Therefore, I decided to put
some thought into some of your most challenging obstacles.”

The Captain threw his head back and laughed uproariously.

Clearly, he was very pleased with Xu Qing’s wording and attitude.
It really made him feel like the Eldest Brother again. Rubbing his
hands together, he started pacing back and forth in Xu Qing’s
sword pavilion.

“Okay, little Junior Brother. This is definitely an amazing destined

opportunity bestowed by heaven. The red moon is coming. To
devour the god in Forbidden by the Immortal no less. And after
thēy go at it for a while, the two of us—”

“Can scrape Forbidden by the Immortal clean!” Xu Qing finished

with a decisive nod.

The Captain looked at Xu Qing with a very dissatisfied expression.

“Little Ah Qing, you’ve been hanging out with that sissy too much
lately. What happened to your sense of ambition? How could a
crappy place like Forbidden by the Immortal possibly befit people
like you and me, who are fathers of a heavenly dao?

“This time, we can take advantage of the moment when those two
gods are fighting... to steal a chunk of flesh from the god sleeping
in Forbidden by the Immortal! Based on what you’re telling me,
that god seems a bit weak. But a god is a god! Then, the two of us
can secretly take a bite out of that red moon. If we succeed, just
think of how goddamn badass we’ll be!!”
The Captain’s eyes were fairly glowing red.

In response, Xu Qing was breathing heavily, and his eyes were

also red. He had also considered doing something like that, but it
just seemed so unrealistic. Suppressing the pounding of his heart,
he calmly said, “Eldest Brother, there’s no way the two of us could
do that on our own. And if we mess up, it will screw up the plans of
the imperial capital, which could affect all of Sea-Sealing County.
We can’t let ourselves get too greedy.”

The Captain frowned. “I guess that makes sense. In the final

analysis, we’re just too weak. Ai. How horrible to have some lovely
meat right in front of you, but not be able to eat it....”

The Captain looked almost frantic as he plopped down in front of

Xu Qing and let loose another sigh. Then he opened his mouth to
speak, only to suddenly smack his own thigh. “I got it! Little Junior
Brother, let’s ask Master to join us! Believe you me, the old man
was the one to start this whole tradition back when he was young.
Otherwise, why else would I be like this? I mean, isn’t he the one
who took me along on a bunch of jobs to begin with? Granted, I
got impulsive a few times, but in the end, it was really the old man
who led me down this most crooked of paths!”

Xu Qing’s eyes were already glittering brightly. The Captain’s eyes

were shining with just as much brightness.

“Master?” Xu Qing said questioningly.

“Exactly!” the Captain replied. “I haven’t seen the old man in a
while. Last time I asked Sir Bloodsmelter about him, he said the
old man just made another breakthrough! Which of course doesn’t
make sense. The only way the old man could advance his
cultivation so quickly is if he’s secretly eating stuff behind our
backs!” [3]

The Captain yet again viciously slapped his own thigh, just like a
child who had discovered their parents were having a feast in
secret.

1. Xu Qing, the Captain, and Zhang Siyun climbed the pillar and
encountered the red moon in chapters 361 and . It was in 362 that
Xu Qing felt dread because of Zhang Siyun. There were further
details about the whole situation in the following chapter as well. ☜

2. Although the context doesn’t include the grand elder, it was in

chapter 413 that Palace Lord Kong said he refused to use Zhang
Siyun as bait. ☜

3. We have other confirmation that Master Seventh achieved a

breakthrough in chapter 501.2 ☜
Chapter 514: But I’m His Master!

The Captain’s words made Xu Qing think back to seeing his

Master back at Forbidden by the Zombie. He had been located in
a spell formation that indicated his cultivation level was similar to
Sir Bloodsmelter’s. Fully convinced of the Captain’s wisdom, he
nodded.

Seeing Xu Qing agree to his suggestion, the Captain’s eyebrows

danced up and down. “So, we need to go talk to Master. Of
course, we can’t send a voice message, nor can we ask the
Swordsage Court to relay a message for us....” The Captain
blinked a few times. “We need to trick Master into coming to us!
Then we can explain in person.”

“So...?” Xu Qing asked hesitantly. Something about the look in the

Captain’s eyes seemed concerning.

“So... we’re going to need to come up with a foolproof plan to

make sure Master eagerly comes charging over here at top
speed!” The Captain cleared his throat. “Consider everything, little
Junior Brother. You might think that telling him one of us is about
to die would be the perfect scam. But we need something realistic.
If we told him that I was about to die, he would probably drop
everything and speed over here immediately. All in all, Master
cherishes me the most. But... I can survive with my head alone
and no body. So all Master has to do is put some thought into it
and he’d probably realize it was a trick.”

Face completely expressionless, Xu Qing calmly said, “Couldn’t

we send him a message in code?”

“Code? Of course not! What, you think we have some secret

system of code words or something? We don’t!” The Captain
sighed, glanced at Xu Qing out of the corner of his eye, then
continued, “Sadly, you’re going to have to take one for the team,
little Junior Brother. To make things seem very realistic, you have
to agree to not fight back. Don’t worry, I won’t hit too hard. You’ll
probably recover within a week.

“The worst I’ll do is break your legs in a few places, stab you a few
times, shatter eighty or ninety of your other bones, and splatter
some of your brains out. That sort of thing. Given how many times
we’ve done this, I’m pretty good at it.

“The most important thing is that, when Master sees you, he

doesn’t get any indication it’s a scam. Afterward, we’ll explain the
whole situation in a very logical manner. Things will definitely go
very smoothly. Relax. I’ve handled this sort of thing many times in
the past.”

The Captain chuckled darkly, and was virtually dancing back and
forth. Whenever he opened seals, he felt it was necessary to
reinforce to Xu Qing his authority as the Eldest Brother. That was
especially true considering that he had been lagging behind Xu
Qing a bit in cultivation. That alone was enough to make him want
to make a very big point of establishing his dominance.

In response to the Captain, Xu Qing nodded and took out his

command sword. After paying the requisite fee, he sent a voice
message to the grand elder at the Swordsage Court in Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture.

“Sorry to bother you, Grand Elder, but I’m hoping you can pass a
message to my Master.”

Looking the Captain in the eye, he continued to send the message

with the command sword. However, this was the type of message
that someone couldn’t overhear even if they were standing there.

“Tell my Master that my Eldest Brother is dead set on marrying a

cloud troll he met here in the county capital. I’ve tried to persuade
him against it, but he won’t listen to me. The wedding is in three
days. My Eldest Brother doesn’t dare to say anything to our
Master, so I’m officially extending Master the invitation to the
wedding.”

“....” The grand elder listened to the message, then suddenly

laughed. He could obviously read between the lines. “Your Master
is definitely going to be very happy to hear the news.”

“Many thanks, Grand Elder!” Xu Qing replied solemnly. He put

away his command sword and looked at his suspicious Eldest
Brother.

“Why do I get the feeling something fishy is going on, little Junior
Brother? Did you send the message exactly according to the plan
we agreed on?”

Looking back at him solemnly, Xu Qing said, “You ought to trust

me a bit more than that, Eldest Brother.”

The Captain still wasn’t completely convinced, but he rubbed his

hands together nonetheless. Eyes glittering, he said, “Alright, fine.
I’m going to go easy on you, little Junior Brother. Remember, I just
broke through, so I’m particularly formidable right now. This is a
perfect opportunity to get in some practice.” The Captain prepared
to make a move.

But then Xu Qing shook his head. “Eldest Brother, the message I
sent indicated that I was poisoned, and that I don’t know how to
dispel the poison.”

Xu Qing produced a poisonous plant from his bag of holding and

put it in his mouth. The Captain gaped at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked back at him innocently. “There’s no way Master

would believe I was injured. That’s too... commonplace. So I said I
was poisoned. As you know, I’m skilled in the dao of poison. So if I
can’t dispel it, then it’s obviously a very dangerous poison.”
Next, Xu Qing took out some poison powders and consumed
them.

The Captain watched. He was still convinced Xu Qing was pulling

a fast one on him, but at the same time, had to admit that what Xu
Qing said was logical. Besides, Xu Qing had clearly eaten a lot of
the poison already.

But then the Captain thought back to previous situations, and he

blinked a few times. An enigmatic smile played out on his face.
“Nice try, little Junior Brother. Did you really think I would fall for
that?” He chuckled sarcastically, then stretched dramatically.
“Even using teleportation portals, it’s impossible to make the
journey from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture to here faster than
three days. Fine. I won’t beat you up. Keep eating that poison. Eat
your fill. I’ll be leaving now. I need to gather some intelligence
reports about Forbidden by the Immortal.”

With that, the Captain clasped his hands behind his back. Looking
very pleased and extremely confident, he turned to leave.

Xu Qing watched him go, all while shaking his head and
continuing to eat poison.

The Captain calmly strutted out of the sword pavilion and back to
the city. Eventually, he found an alleyway. Ducking inside, he
looked down at his right hand. In the palm of that hand was an
eyeball which projected an image of Xu Qing eating poison.
He’s still eating? Don’t tell me he realized I put an eyeball in place
there. No, that’s not possible. After releasing the most recent seal,
there’s no way little Ah Qing could sense me do something like
that. Then the Captain hesitated. I’ll just keep watching for a bit.

Two days passed. It was now the eve of the day someone could
arrive at the county capital if they rushed at top speed from
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. The Captain strolled into Xu Qing’s
sword pavilion, rubbing his belly contentedly. He sat down in front
of Xu Qing.

Xu Qing’s face was completely expressionless. He had greenish-

black blotches all over his body, and looked like he had been
seriously poisoned.

The Captain still felt suspicious. Yet for the past two days he had
observed Xu Qing and noted him continuously eating poison.
“Err... come on, little Junior Brother, there’s no need for that!”

“When Master shows up and finds out we scammed him,” Xu Qing

said loudly, “he’s definitely going to be pissed off.” Xu Qing took
out another poisonous plant and started chewing it. “Therefore, the
worse I look, the less angry he’ll be.”

The Captain was starting to feel quite nervous, and was starting to
wonder if Xu Qing’s analysis was correct. If so, then the fact that
Xu Qing was working so earnestly to sell the act would actually
show that he respected Master.
As it turned out, there really was a dao of scamming, and
apparently, Xu Qing knew all about it. Long story short, Xu Qing’s
way of doing things was going to ensure the Master was less
pissed off. If that happened, and the Captain was perfectly hale
and healthy... then Master would take that as a sign of disrespect.
After all, regardless of the reason for scamming one’s Master, one
had to do it in the proper way. If it was a single person involved,
thus providing no way to compare with someone else, then it
wouldn’t matter. But that wasn’t the case here.

Having reached this point in his train of thought, the Captain

bitterly looked at Xu Qing. Outside, the sky was already starting to
turn bright. Gritting his teeth, the Captain extended his hand in Xu
Qing’s direction.

“Give me some poison!”

Xu Qing looked back at him quizzically. “You want some too?”

Full of grief and indignation, the Captain continued, “Give it to me!”

Xu Qing silently took out some poison and handed it to the

Captain.

The Captain took it, closed his eyes, and ate. Almost instantly, his
face turned greenish-black. Seeing that Xu Qing was still eating
poison, he howled inwardly and did the same.
And thus, time passed. Two hours later, it was bright outside when
Xu Qing’s transmission jade slip vibrated. Xu Qing picked up, and
Master Seventh’s voice echoed out.

“Where are the two of you?”

Upon hearing Master Seventh’s voice, the Captain started stuffing

more poison into his mouth until he was trembling from head to toe
and gasping for breath.

Eyeing the Captain, Xu Qing sent a reply indicating they were in

his sword pavilion. Then he waved his hand to open the door.

Shortly thereafter, Master Seventh materialized without a sound

outside the sword pavilion. It almost looked like he had been
painted there by a giant, invisible paintbrush. Face completely
expressionless, he entered.

Xu Qing tried to stand, but only managed to cough up a mouthful

of poisoned blood. Bowing his head, he said, “Master....”

“Nice acting. You know scamming your Master is wrong, right?

However, it looks like you’ve been consuming poison for days to
sell the act.” Master Seventh’s gaze softened as he looked at Xu
Qing. “Hm. Yes, that’s the right attitude.”

When the Captain saw that, he struggled to rise, only to vomit.

Master Seventh smiled grimly, walked over, and kicked the

Captain. A thump rang out as the Captain flew up into the air and
then landed on his butt in a sitting position.

“Your acting skills aren’t as good. Just look at you! You hardly ate
any poison at all. Why didn’t you learn a thing or two from your
Junior Brother?”

“Master, I miss you so much!” the Captain said, ignoring his

smarting butt to look plaintively at Master Seventh.

Off to the side, Xu Qing just looked on with a pained expression,

as if he wanted to say something but didn’t dare.

Master Seventh snorted coldly. After one more glare at the

Captain, he turned to look at Xu Qing, and yet again, his gaze
softened. “Fourth Sib, you’ve never been the kind of kid who
makes a practice of lying. Given that, it’s obvious your Eldest
Brother forced you into this whole thing. It makes sense,
considering your Eldest Brother is a habitual criminal.”

Xu Qing bowed his head. “Master, Eldest Brother and I came up

with the idea together.”

“Even now you’re still trying to speak up for your Eldest Brother?”
Master Seventh’s eyes overflowed with praise. He quickly pulled
out some very expensive antidote pills and handed them to Xu
Qing. “Hurry up and eat those. Poor child. You’re just too honest.”

With that, Master Seventh turned and glared at the Captain again.
“Look at you! What kind of an Eldest Brother are you? I can’t
believe you went so far as to force your Junior Brother to do all
this. If you want me to come over here, you could just send a
message in code! Your Junior Brother became an apprentice
much later than you, so he doesn’t know all the code words. But
you know them, don’t you? Wasn’t I the one who personally taught
them to you when I took you out on all those missions years ago?
What, you released another seal so you’re all smug now? Or are
you just hoping to get a good thrashing again?”

The Captain shivered and shook his head. Then he noticed Xu

Qing looked at him silently, and he cleared his throat awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing betrayed no facial expression as he put the

antidote pills in his mouth and swallowed them. He also took out a
few medicinal plants and ate them. Moments later, the poison
within him was dispelled. During the two days in which he
constantly ate poisonous plants, he had used the principles of
mutual augmentation and suppression to carefully make the right
mix of poisons. As a result, all he had to do was consume the right
medicinal plants, and the poison would instantly be neutralized.

But the Captain had only eaten one portion of poison, which had
instantly turned his face greenish-black. When the Captain saw
that Xu Qing was already back to normal, his eyes went wide, and
he opened his mouth to speak.

“Enough!” Master Seventh said, cutting off the Captain. “Spit it out.
Why did the two of you go to this much trouble to scam your
Master over here?”

The Captain looked like he was about to launch into an

explanation, but Master Seventh shot him a glare. “You can just
shut up. Simply hearing your voice is going to piss me off!”

Looking hurt, and somewhat depressed, the Captain thought, All I

did was open a seal! I was just trying to establish some authority
with little Ah Qing. How did things end up like this...?

“You explain, Fourth Sib.”

Looking very respectful, Xu Qing explained everything in detail. He

even told his Master about the god’s finger, and how īt had
transformed him.

It was the Captain’s first time hearing such details, and his eyes
went wide.

Master Seventh glared at the Captain again. Though Master

Seventh didn’t seem surprised by what Xu Qing was telling him, if
you looked at him very closely, you would notice that his eyelids
had twitched a few times. When Xu Qing finished, Master Seventh
gave a cold harrumph.

“The two of you have really done some daring things in Gold Core.
And you’re even plotting against gods! Thankfully, Fourth Sib, you
cleverly thought to tell your Master about all this. I understand the
situation now. Going forward, don’t put any more thought into it.
Just go into Forbidden by the Immortal and act normal.”

With that, Master Seventh turned to walk out. After giving the
Captain one more glare on the way, he faded into nothing.

***

When Master Seventh materialized in the county capital, his aura

was masked, and he was struggling to control his breathing.
Massive waves of shock battered at his mind and heart.

I recruited a real monster as my apprentice....

Then, he started laughing complacently. A proud expression filled

his face.

But I’m his Master!

***

Back in the sword pavilion, the Captain looked at Xu Qing, his

eyes bleary. “Little Junior Brother, what message did you send to
Master? He seemed pissed off the moment he saw me.”

“So, Eldest Brother, as it turns out there are code words,” Xu Qing
said calmly.

“Heyyy, it’s all good,” the Captain said, getting to his feet. Giving
Xu Qing a hug, he produced a very familiar-looking crystal. He
pressed it into Xu Qing’s hand. Flashing a very sincere smile full of
familial love, he said, “Little Junior Brother, I was just joking around
with you! Don’t you feel the bitterness and pain of the battlefield
easing away? Ever since we got back, I’ve been worried about
you!”

Xu Qing looked at the Captain, stunned.

The Captain smiled back, his eyes full of warmth and kindness.
“Oh, you! You take everything so seriously! Your face is always so
expressionless! And that’s especially the case when you’re hurting
inside. That’s really not the way to do things.

“You’re not alone, little Ah Qing. You have the patriarch. You have
Master. You have me. You have Second Elder Sister and Third
Sib! We all care about you. We’re a family! Therefore, you don’t
need to keep everything inside all the time. You can talk to us!

“I said before that we should travel the world together. I was

serious about that. And not just you and me. All of us, as a family!
Together, traveling the world!”

In that moment, the Captain truly seemed like a big brother. Xu

Qing’s heart swelled with warmth. He was truly moved.

Then the Captain cleared his throat. “And that’s why I was
wondering if you could get rid of this poison for me!”
Chapter 515: Broken Sword Life Lamp

Xu Qing finally gave some antidote pills to the Captain, which

successfully purged the poison.

Afterward, the Captain happily produced a peach, took a bite, and

patted Xu Qing on the shoulder. “We don’t have a thing to worry
about now that Master’s here. The old man is a lot more
experienced and knowledgeable than the two of us. And he’s even
better at knowing the ins and outs of society in general. All we
have to do now is just wait until he figures everything out for us.
Oh, by the way, little Ah Qing, do you mind asking Ol’ Kong to do
me a favor? I’m bringing a good friend to see him later today.”

Xu Qing looked pensively at the peach in the Captain’s hand. “If

you’re going to see him, what do you need me to message him
for? And who are you taking to see him?”

The Captain cleared his throat, looked left and right, and then
lowered his voice. “I went yesterday... and boy is Ol’ Kong stingy.
Thankfully, I helped him save Sir Mountain-River. Hmmmphh! He’s
obviously just jealous that I’m your Eldest Brother; that’s why he
doesn’t like me. Ai. I really have the short end of the stick here. If
he’s such hot stuff, why doesn’t he go see if Master will accept him
as an apprentice, huh?
“As for who I’m taking to see him, who else do you think it could
possibly be other than my most beloved and amazing Lady
Peachy?” The Captain was trying to look very casual and relaxed,
but was obviously very pleased with himself. [1]

“You two know each other?” Xu Qing looked at the Captain.

“Of course! I just happened to notice Lady Peachy outside Yao

Mansion the other day. When I saw her big boo... ahem, I mean,
her depressed and despondent facial expression, I realized there
wasn’t even an ounce of happiness in that little face of hers. My
heart literally hurt, little Ah Qing! So I went over to comfort her a
bit. And I ended up promising to take her to see the Yao Clan
people.” Looking anxiously at Xu Qing, the Captain took a big bite
out of the peach. “Big talk isn’t going to help me at this point, little
Junior Brother.... Look, this is really important. It relates to what
could well be the biggest day of your Eldest Brother’s life!”

Xu Qing took out his command sword and sent a voice message
to Kong Xianglong. Upon getting a reply, he gave the Captain an
expressionless nod.

The Captain laughed heartily, then hurried away looking very

excited.

Xu Qing watched him until he’d vanished. The weight he’d been
feeling in his heart thanks to the war was finally starting to lessen.
Eldest Brother was right. Getting stronger is the foundation for
everything.

He closed his eyes, then opened them a moment later. This time,
they looked just as calm and peaceful as they had in the past.
Walking out of his sword pavilion, he headed in the direction of the
Swordsage Palace.

His plan: buy a new life lamp.

As far as he was concerned, the fastest way to improve his

cultivation base and battle prowess was by using a life lamp.

I currently have ten heavenly palaces. I got seven of them through

raw cultivation. Three of them were made from life lamps. For
cultivators concerned about heavenly palaces, life flames form the
foundation for life lamps. Before, I had five life flames, which
means I can actually have a maximum of five life lamps.

With such thoughts on his mind, he reached the Treasure Hall of

the Swordsage Palace. This was the location where you could
exchange military credits for rewards. A lot of military credits had
been passed out as rewards for war efforts, and thus, many of the
surviving swordsages had come to buy new things at the Treasure
Hall. When Xu Qing arrived, he spotted a few familiar faces in the
crowd.

There were even some officers and soldiers from the Imperial
Region. Though they weren’t swordsages, they qualified to
purchase items from the three palaces, although there was a limit
to how much they were allowed to take away. That was the result
of a petition sent to Seventh Prince by the deputy palace lord.

The Swordsage Palace’s Treasure Hall didn’t just sell goods. They
also bought goods. In other words, swordsages could trade in
spoils of war to get military credits.

As a result, the Treasure Hall was in some ways a self-

propagating market. Going there, you could find everything from
fragments of ancient scrolls to high-tier magical devices and
cultivation techniques. They also had... life lamps! Previously,
there had been two life lamps for sale.

There was no such thing as high-level and low-level life lamps.

That said, they differed in their functions. Upon arriving, Xu Qing
found that one of the life lamps had already been purchased,
meaning there was only one for sale now. The price listed wasn’t
in military credits. Instead, it required grade-two battle credits. Xu
Qing had enough battle credits to buy one lamp, so he did.

Then he cautiously made his way back to his sword pavilion

without incident. It made Xu Qing recall what Kong Xianglong had
said about Seventh Prince enforcing military law. It was the same
across the board, whether Xu Qing and the Captain handing in the
dao fruits, or other people handing over spoils of war. Neither Xu
Qing nor Kong Xianglong nor any other swordsage was being
treated badly. And no one dared to try to rob them.
Any exchange of military or battle credits, and any sale or
purchase, was a personal matter. Just like before, the Swordsage
Palace didn’t try to take advantage of anyone. The people who
came to exchange their credits had all earned them through blood,
sweat, and tears on the field of battle. There was no way that the
Swordsage Palace, whether the old version or the new, would
allow such people to be treated poorly. That was what Seventh
Prince had said.

“It’s the old balance of kindness and severity. This Seventh Prince
is quite formidable. He’s obviously not interested in piddling
financial profit. He has bigger ambitions.” That’s what Kong
Xianglong said on the subject. Clearly he had mixed feelings about
the situation.

When Xu Qing thought about everything that had played out since
Seventh Prince arrived, he sighed inwardly. On a personal level,
he didn’t like the imperial prince. But when you considered the
bigger picture, it was true that everything he was doing was for the
public interest. As for whether he was ultimately doing the right
thing, opinions differed.

Xu Qing shook his head. Stowing such thoughts for now, he took
out his new life lamp.

It looked like a black, broken sword. The aggressive energy it

emanated contained an astonishing baleful aura. Clearly, whoever
had originally created this life lamp had been a prolific killer. When
they made the life lamp from their own blood, it contained raw
killing intent that made it different from all of Xu Qing’s other life
lamps.

One difference between getting a life lamp in the Swordsage

Palace and taking one by force on the outside was that the former
came with a record of the lamp’s history. When purchasing the
lamp, Xu Qing had also acquired a jade slip with all the details of
the lamp.

“This is an immortal-shredding god-devouring lamp. The bloodline

of the lamp traces back to the ninth heavenly marshal of the
Epoch of Profound Serenity. However, it wasn’t the lamp of the
heavenly marshal. Instead, it belonged to one of his descendants,
a general who lived during the Dark Serenity Epoch and died in
battle. It focuses on killing, destroying magics, and drinking blood.
Because of the evil will that has converged in it, those who use it
risk being gradually turned into psychopathic killers. Anyone not
accustomed to killing should be very cautious with it.

Xu Qing reviewed the information, then looked at the black, broken

sword. After some thought, he decided to do an experiment, and
used the violet crystal to try to suppress the sword just like he had
the shadow. After suppressing it well over a hundred times, he felt
a bit less worried. The shadow looked on, trembling. Xu Qing
ignored it.
Taking the black, broken sword, he spent a bit more time to think
before turning his hand semitransparent, grabbing the sword, and
inserting it into his sea of consciousness, very close to his D-132
heavenly palace.

He hesitated briefly, then put it into D-132.

The god’s finger was asleep, but Xu Qing put the sword next to īt
anyway. He poked the finger gently a few times, and īt didn’t react,
which made him feel a bit less nervous. Though he had already
attempted to purge the sword, he figured that just in case it wasn’t
as clean as he thought it was, placing it next to the god’s finger
could serve as a warning. Whatever evil will existed in the sword
should know to behave, otherwise it would be in trouble.

Having accomplished that, Xu Qing next tapped into his heavenly

dao bluegreen dragon. After it appeared, it gobbled up the broken
sword. Then the bluegreen dragon used its heavenly dao nature to
assimilate the sword. After that, Xu Qing placed it next to the violet
crystal as if it were a food offering. After all of that, Xu Qing was
fairly certain he heard something like a very faint and distant
shriek of agony.

He blinked a few times and ignored it. Now he felt a lot better.
Taking the broken sword, he absorbed it. An instant later, the life
mist above his sea of consciousness vibrated and rumbled as a
sword-shaped heavenly palace took shape.
It materialized rapidly, taking no longer than the time it takes an
incense stick to burn.

As of that point, Xu Qing had eleven heavenly palaces.

The moment it appeared, powerful fluctuations rolled out in all

directions, filling his sword pavilion. His aura became even fiercer,
like that of a sharp, unsheathed sword, full of baleful intent that
could slaughter heaven and eradicate earth.

If a Nascent Soul cultivator were present to feel the fluctuations

coming off Xu Qing, they would be absolutely shocked. Xu Qing’s
eleven heavenly palaces were completely and utterly stupefying.

The objects people would use for their heavenly palaces were all
different, and worked together in different ways. Because of that,
there could be vast differences in Gold Core cultivators, even
those with the same number of palaces.

As for Xu Qing, whether it was the number or the quality of his

palaces, although it was possible there might be someone else in
the Revered Ancient who was similar, they would only be
outstanding figures with access to destiny aura, and who were the
most famous in their species.

Right now I don’t need to worry about my last life lamp. For all
intents and purposes I’m already in the great circle!
Xu Qing’s sea of consciousness now contained eleven complete
heavenly palaces. However, he still had one that wasn’t yet fully
materialized.

Hopefully this trip into Forbidden by the Immortal will be just what I
need to finish my final non-life-lamp heavenly palace!

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered brightly before he closed them to focus on

stabilizing and powering his new heavenly palace.

In that matter, time slipped by slowly but surely.

***

It was now the very day that Forbidden by the Immortal was to be
opened.

When Xu Qing’s command sword vibrated, he opened his eyes.

They glittered with an aggressive light, which he subsequently
reined in. Face expressionless, he got to his feet and left his sword
pavilion. Kong Xianglong was waiting for him outside.

Their eyes met, and then they looked in the direction of where the
Corrections Division used to exist.

The entire area had been excavated. Mutagen pulsed out of it,
along with what sounded like the wail of ghosts and howl of
wolves. The sounds were very unsettling. Timid people who heard
the screams coming from the depths of that pit would feel an
eruption of cowardice within them, and wouldn’t dare to get very
close.

However, the first wave of cultivators who would be entering

Forbidden by the Immortal were Sea-Sealing County swordsages
who had lived through hundreds of battles. Some had severe
injuries that weren’t yet fully healed. However, all of them were
extraordinary in terms of character. They had experienced the
baptism of war, and had been tempered in the fires of hell....

Every single one had towering baleful auras, and had slaughtered
countless foes. Every single one had faced death over and over
again, yet weren’t afraid. Their temperaments had been refined to
the ultimate level.

Other cultivators from the county capital had gathered to watch the
proceedings, and compared to them, the group about to enter
Forbidden by the Immortal was completely different. Although
there weren’t very many of them, they were all people who would
stand out in a crowd. Now, gathered together in a unified fighting
force, they were even more impressive. The officers and soldiers
from the Imperial Region, who had not gone through such intense
wartime events, only served as foils to them.

As they stood there, they attracted the attention of everyone in the

area.

Then Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong arrived.

Both were tall and somewhat thin, and their white swordsage
uniforms rippled in the wind, making them seem cold and austere.
One had crude facial features and the stubble of a beard on his
face. The other had features as fine as jade, and eyes that were
tranquil and calm.

When the other swordsages saw them, their eyes glittered.

Offering a military salute, they parted to make a path for them. It
was the first unified action those swordsages had taken since
gathering.

Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong didn’t pause for a moment. They

walked through the crowd to the front, where they stood alongside
the dozens of Spirit Trove swordsages there. They didn’t match up
to those swordsages in terms of cultivation base, but in terms of
the services they had rendered, they definitely could stand
shoulder to shoulder with them. Their auras combined perfectly
with those of the other veterans.

The observers were all shaken, including the soldiers and officers
from the imperial capital, as well as various nonhuman cultivators.

A moment later, Seventh Prince arrived. As he hovered in the air

above, the people who stood out to him first were Xu Qing and
Kong Xianglong.

“That’s the Xu Qing I’ve heard so much about?” Seventh Prince

asked.
The lieutenant governor nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. Xu Qing was
previously serving as the palace lord’s secretary-general. During
the Grand Emperor’s assessment of the heart, he earned a
30,000-meter pillar of light, making him the top figure in Sea-
Sealing County. When we urgently needed supplies on the front
lines, he got them to us. He was also the one who arranged for the
forces of two prefectures to arrive at the western front to provide
critical relief. He’s performed amazing services for our Sea-
Sealing County. He was one of the few people to earn grade-two
battle credits during the war.”

Seventh Prince didn’t seem to care about the other services Xu

Qing had performed. Upon hearing the lieutenant governor’s
introduction, he only said four words.

“A 30,000-meter heart assessment?”

“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant governor replied with a faint smile.

1. He’s obviously referring to Li Shitao, who was introduced in

chapter 428. Remember that the “tao” in her name means “peach.”
She was mentioned or appeared “on screen” a few other times,
the most relevant to this chapter being in chapter 439. Previously,
the Captain called her Taotao a few times. This nickname is a
slight variation on that. I’m taking a bit of a liberty in translating the
nickname, for one, to capture the feeling of cute intimacy it
conveys, and also to hammer home the wordplay element with the
peaches, which really pops visually in Chinese, and is what the
author is trying to emphasize here. ☜
Chapter 516: Forbidden by the Immortal

The people standing in front of the crowd of roughly a hundred

swordsages were all Spirit Trove experts. They were middle-
ranking cultivators in the Swordsage Palace, and had been
officers in the various battalions during the war. Because of
surviving countless battles, they were all extraordinary cultivators.
During the war, even if they were taken out of their unit and
assigned somewhere else, they would quickly gain approval
because of their ferocity and bravery.

However, that led to a unique state of affairs. There were many

people who approved of them, but few people they approved of.
Being a comrade wasn’t enough for them. They would only
respect people who had accomplished great things and had
respectable statuses. Xu Qing had accomplished great things. And
Kong Xianglong had a respectable status. That was why those two
had the tacit approval to stand among the Spirit Trove cultivators.

When they arrived, the other cultivators exchanged glances, then

quietly looked at the huge pit in front of them. The depths were
pitch black, and it was impossible to see the bottom. The mutagen
was clearly very strong. However, when that mutagen got close to
Xu Qing, he actually felt comfortable, as if he could absorb it.

That made his pupils constrict slightly, and he could only assume it
had to do with his body being remolded by the god’s finger.
However, now wasn’t the time to study the situation. He didn’t
want to reveal his secrets publicly.

Therefore, he held back from absorbing it. However, he did

release a bit of the power of his D-132 heavenly palace, creating
something of a barrier around himself.

The sound of howling and weeping was more intense, and it

battered at their minds and hearts like attacks. More swordsages
were gathering. Qing Qiu and Ning Yan were among them. The
Captain was, too. The other swordsages didn’t part to make way
for them. Qing Qiu and Ning Yan simply lined up in the back.

The Captain didn’t care about formalities, so he shouldered his

way through the crowd, calling out greetings to people he knew
along the way. The surrounding swordsages were all a grave and
expressionless lot, but even they had a hard time maintaining their
composure with the Captain around, and quite a few wry smiles
could be seen. All of them were very familiar with this Chen Erniu.
Chen Erniu’s name had spread far and wide on the front lines.
After all, he was the type of person who liked to make friends.
Therefore, just about every survivor of the war had at least met
him. That was especially true considering that the Captain had, for
at least a time, been assigned to go back to the battlefield during
lulls in the fighting, to retrieve corpses. Quite a few heavily
wounded and unconscious swordsages had actually been saved
by him.
“Coming through, Brother! I’ve got to get past you!

“Well, if it isn’t Ol’ Cao! Don’t think you can block my path just
because you have a higher cultivation base. Remember, I’m the
one who dragged you out of that pile of corpses. I even stuffed
your intestines back into your gut!

“Hey, Little Apricot! Your arm is certainly taking its time growing
back. Once we’re back from this mission I’ll give you some
medicine that will help. Trust me, I have experience with that sort
of thing.”

The Captain didn’t have much trouble carving a path through the
crowd until he was eventually standing next to Xu Qing and Kong
Xianglong. He even called out greetings to some of the Spirit
Trove cultivators he knew. The Spirit Trove cultivators had odd
expressions on their faces when they glanced at the Captain. A
few of them had also been saved by Chen Erniu, and some had
eaten meat that he gifted to them.

Kong Xianglong’s eyelids twitched. Though his attitude toward the

Captain had changed now that they were fellow war veterans, he
still hadn’t completely shaken his original negative impression.

The Captain didn’t notice Kong Xianglong’s reaction. After calling

out greetings, he threw his arm over Kong Xianglong’s shoulder.
Kong Xianglong tried to brush the Captain’s arm off, but it didn’t
work. The Captain chuckled darkly.
“Now now, Ol’ Kong. Your facial expression seems to indicate
you’re annoyed with me. Don’t forget that I carried Sir Mountain-
River to safety on my own back!”

Kong Xianglong didn’t say anything in response.

Seeing that, the Captain felt very pleased. Turning to Xu Qing, he

gave him a manly hug, then winked and lowered his voice. “Have
you seen the old man? He hasn’t shown up at all for the past few
days. I guarantee you he didn’t leave, though. Maybe since we
scammed him, he’s planning to return the favor?”

The Captain looked around at the cultivators present, hoping to

spot Master Seventh.

Xu Qing was secretly surprised. Along the way, he’d been looking
around as well, but hadn’t spotted any signs of his Master’s
presence.

Around the time that the Captain arrived, a faint ripple of

conversation swept through the group of about a hundred
cultivators, as Seventh Prince appeared overhead along with
notable leaders from the county capital.

Seventh Prince wore a yellow robe and had long, flowing hair. He
was unusually handsome, with slender eyes and a noble aura that
surrounded him. Flanking him were the lieutenant governor, the
three commanders-in-chief of the three palaces, the deputy palace
lords, and other generals and officers.
One person among the group wore blood-red armor and had a
vicious helmet that made his facial features impossible to discern.
The only thing visible through the mask were cold eyes. As he
stood there, he pulsed with a bloody, baleful aura.

With the arrival of this group, the swordsages all stood at attention.
The mutagen coming from the old Corrections Division was stifled,
and the howling from inside ceased temporarily.

All eyes were on Seventh Prince as he landed on the ground.

There weren’t just swordsages gathered by the huge pit. There

were also officers and soldiers from the imperial capital. All of
them were in the first wave to enter the forbidden ground.

After looking over the group, Seventh Prince said, “Forbidden by

the Immortal is deeply connected to the war currently being
waged.

“You, the first wave to enter the place, are the most outstanding
talents in our species. Your task is to clear out any vile fiends you
find so that the second wave can enter safely. You have four days.
After the second wave enters, you’ll be free to leave. That is your
mission.

“Generalissimo Bloodhorror.”

In response to Seventh Prince’s words, the figure in the blood-red

armor stepped forward and knelt.
“Here, sir!”

Seventh Prince took the sword from his side and handed it to the
kneeling figure. “I hope you win a quick victory.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Bloodhorror said, reaching up with

both hands to formally accept the sword. Then he stood, turned,
and spoke in a voice as cold as winter. “Let Forbidden by the
Immortal be opened!”

An intense rumbling sound echoed out from the depths of the old
Corrections Division. The sound drifted far and wide, and
shockwaves spread out in all directions. The ground quaked, and
it was even possible to see distant mountains shifting. Some
collapsed as though subterranean dragons were on the move.
Crevices opened up in the ground, and green smoke billowed out.
The sun and moon were obscured, and all heaven and earth was
cast into darkness.

The reason was that opening the depths of the old Corrections
Division was like opening the doors of hell itself. The mutagen
levels skyrocketed instantly. Although spell formations had been
prepared to mitigate the effects, and immediately kicked into effect
to cleanse the surroundings, it wasn’t possible to instantly drive
away the mutagen that had been building up for years and years.

That said, Seventh Prince had clearly prepared well in advance for
this event. Troops poured into the area, and all of them carried fist-
sized cages. When they opened the cages, figures flew out from
inside that rapidly grew larger until they were the size of people.

These were Holytide prisoners of war, and all of them had been
specially implanted with unique devices designed for this specific
situation. Looks of terror appeared on their faces as they became
like black holes, sucking in all of the surrounding mutagen.

A moment later, the Holytide cultivators’ screams filled the area.

Thanks to the devices implanted in them, they didn’t explode from

the mutagen. Instead, they mutated, turning into mindless mutant
beasts that the surrounding imperial cultivators then chained up
and dragged away to be put into new cages. When the first round
of prisoners was exhausted, more were brought. The scene
playing out was shocking to all the onlookers.

From beginning to end, Seventh Prince simply stood there, his

face completely expressionless. Eventually, more than two million
prisoners of war had been turned into mutant beasts. Only then
did the mutagen levels finally drop to about eighty or ninety
percent.

Voice cool, Seventh Prince said, “Take the two million mutant
beast soldiers and send them to the front lines. Give them to the
Holytides as a little gift. In the coming days, bring the rest of the
prisoners of war here and have them continue absorbing the
mutagen. Do not let the mutagen here affect Sea-Sealing County
in any way!” With that, Seventh Prince turned to look at the
assembled cultivators. “Suitable, no?”

The lieutenant governor nodded. The three deputy palace lords

bowed their heads. Everyone else offered tacit agreement by
maintaining respectful silence.

“In that case, the first wave shall now enter.” As he turned and left,
everyone present offered respectful salutes.

The lieutenant governor and the three commanders-in-chief

floated up into the air, but didn’t leave with the imperial prince.
Instead, they stayed behind to oversee the proceedings and
ensure nothing dangerous happened.

Meanwhile, the person responsible for leading the event,

Generalissimo Bloodhorror, made the final arrangements to enter
the forbidden ground.

The four honor guards of the Swordsage Palace would also be

going along. They included Daoist Sima and Honor Guard Sun,
plus two imperial swordsages who had come with Seventh Prince,
both of whom were in the second stage of Void Returning. Honor
guards from the Justice Palace and Administration Palace were
also coming.

After they flew into the pit, the rest of the cultivators entered,
including the officers and soldiers from the imperial capital.
Xu Qing moved with the Swordsage Palace group.

It didn’t take long for hundreds of thousands of cultivators to follow

Generalissimo Bloodhorror into the pit. After, spell formations
flared to life to completely seal the area, including many that had
been set up by the imperial forces. Down in the pit, cultivators flew
along at top speed. The vanguard was responsible for checking
the area ahead thoroughly. Those in the rear followed in a very
orderly fashion.

The lower they got, the colder it became. The mutagen levels rose
as well.

When they reached the bottom, Xu Qing caught sight of a massive

stone spell formation that looked extremely ancient. It was made
of numerous stone obelisks covered with complicated magical
symbols. The middle of the formation had collapsed, and was now
nothing but a gaping hole surrounded by rubble. Inside of that hole
was what appeared to be another world.

That was Forbidden by the Immortal, which of course was once an

operations palace of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity. Long ago, it
hadn’t been located under the ground. But in later years, after the
humans sealed it, it was buried in the bottom of a huge pit.

As Xu Qing examined the area, the Captain stood next to him

doing the same. Further back, Qing Qiu and Ning Yan were
among the forces that were still arriving and getting into formation.
When the Captain noticed Ning Yan, his face lit up. Hurrying over,
he threw his arm around Ning Yan’s neck and dragged him over to
where Xu Qing was. Trying to look very sincere, the Captain said,
“Do you know how much I missed you, Little Ningning? Did you
miss me too?”

Ning Yan smiled enigmatically. “No, I didn’t.”

***

Back in the capital city, in a certain mansion, Ning Yan slowly

opened his eyes. He looked around blankly for a moment. Then
his eyes snapped open even wider, and he raced out of the
mansion.

Moving at top speed, he soon reached the edge of the capital city.
Looking down, he saw the spell formations around the old
Corrections Division, and noted the lack of any people in the area.
He immediately started howling inwardly.

I’m finished! How could I have overslept? This is impossible! I

want to go into Forbidden by the Immortal too! W-w-what... what
do I do now?

Scowling on the verge of tears, he looked around and then hurried

back toward the mansion, worried that he might be spotted and
branded as a deserter. However, along the way, he came to a very
terrifying realization.
And that was... he had apparently lost his identity, his name, and
even any sense of existence. It was a very strange feeling. Simply
put, everyone he knew seemed to have forgotten his name and
who he was. They treated him like a complete stranger. It was as if
his identity and name had been taken away from him!

A god magic!

The realization caused Ning Yan to shiver. Then he vaguely

remembered someone telling him to go find a place to hole up for
a few days, after which everything would go back to normal.
Chapter 517: It’s Not Easy To Disobey
Master

Deep in the old Corrections Division, cultivators were gathering

around the stone obelisks.

Xu Qing was among the first to arrive, but he didn’t get close to the
hole in the middle of the formation. He kept his distance, and took
time to warily assess his surroundings.

Within that hole was Forbidden by the Immortal, and it was dark
and full of mist. Obviously that was a result of the mutagen. Within
the swirling mists, it was just barely possible to see palaces and
other buildings. There were howls and shrieks that floated about
as well, making it seem as if they were standing in front of the
gates to the Yellow Springs.

As Xu Qing looked around, the Captain looked in surprise at Ning

Yan.

His response from moments ago left the Captain with the distinct
impression that Ning Yan could use a good biting. Smiling
mysteriously, he tousled Ning Yan’s hair and licked his lips.

“How very naughty of you, little Ninging!”

Ning Yan smiled back just as mysteriously. Then he lifted his right
hand, and it was hard to tell if he intended to strike a blow or
struggle free from the Captain’s arm. Then he looked around and
seemed to get himself under control. Turning his head, he ignored
the Captain.

The Captain seemed pleased with his behavior. Naturally, he didn’t

think Ning Yan would ever dare to hit him, which in turn meant that
he’d been thinking of struggling free. But then he’d come to the
conclusion that it was in his best interests to abandon such
thoughts.

“That’s much better, little Ningning. You see, I really, really missed
you. Really!”

Chuckling darkly, the Captain dragged Ning Yan in front of Xu

Qing. There, the Captain winked. Though few people would
understand what he meant by such a facial expression, Xu Qing
understood instantly. He was telling Xu Qing that their tool was
ready to use.

Xu Qing glanced at Ning Yan and was about to speak when a

group of cultivators arrived wearing black robes with deep hoods,
and who pulsed with strange fluctuations. Most of them seemed
cold and sinister in a way that was very different from ordinary
cultivators. It was as if they all cultivated unique techniques that,
though different from each other, merged together perfectly.
Anyone who looked at them would feel a strange sensation that
would prompt them to keep as much distance as possible.

It was very telling that most of the imperial cultivators in the area
backed away to give them space. What was most noteworthy was
that there was one cultivator in this group whose aura was
different from the others. The others clustered around him, almost
as if they were guarding him, but at the same time, were keeping
him prisoner.

This figure stumbled a bit as he walked. His cultivation base was

in the Gold Core level, and as he neared the huge hole in the spell
formation, the wind created by the mutagen lifted the corner of his
hood to reveal part of his face.

It was none other than Zhang Siyun. He looked a lot different than
he had half a month ago. Before, he had been wan, sallow, and
dispirited. Now, though, his face was covered with a shocking
display of red veins, almost like a spider web. He seemed very
gruish, but at the same time, appeared to be in a lot of pain.

Xu Qing quickly looked away. At the same time, he thought back

to what the god’s finger had told him.

The red moon is about to awaken.

He quietly took a few steps backward.

When the Captain saw all that, his smile vanished, and he also
backed up, dragging Ning Yan with him. It was hard to tell if Ning
Yan did it on purpose, but when he backed up, he made sure to
stand in a way that blocked the line of sight between the black-
robed group and Xu Qing and the Captain.

After arriving, the black-robed cultivators scanned the area, then

took up a position off to the side.

Eventually, Generalissimo Bloodhorror flew out to hover above the

giant hole. As his baleful, bloody aura spread to fill the area, he
glanced at the hole and then said, “Void Returning will go in first.
Then Spirit Trove.”

The honor guards from the three palaces as well as the generals
from the imperial capital unhesitatingly stepped forward and
entered the hole. The mists within seethed, and howling sounds
echoed out briefly. Then everything went quiet, and a glittering
white light could be seen inside the hole.

“Now, all other forces will enter!” he barked. Stepping forward, he

entered the hole. The other cultivators followed.

Xu Qing and the Captain were among them, as were Qing Qiu and
Kong Xianglong.

After dropping into the hole, a new world opened up in front of Xu

Qing. Everything was so hazy it wasn’t possible to see how far the
world stretched out. Structures were visible in the mists, but
because they were high in the sky, it wasn’t possible to make out
many details. That said, they seemed old. Mutagen levels were
high, and faint shrieks and howls could be heard in the distance.
There was no natural sky. Rather, the dome of heaven was the
work of human hands.

It looked almost like a huge mirror. However, it wasn’t flat. Instead,

it was distorted in an odd way. And those distortions were even
more pronounced in the spot where they had just entered. There,
the canopy of heaven looked almost like a funnel leading into a
passage. In fact, it resembled the inside of a bottle.

As Xu Qing noted all these things, he realized he suddenly felt an

intense discomfort, like a longing to absorb his surroundings. Now
wasn’t the time to do something rash, so he suppressed the
sensation.

Keeping his arm locked tight around Ning Yan, the Captain looked
around and projected a message to Xu Qing.

“Little Junior Brother, do you think we’re actually inside of a

bottle?”

As Xu Qing considered that, he looked to the side as the black-

robed cultivators whisked Zhang Siyun off into the distance. They
obviously had a specific destination in mind, as they quickly
disappeared into the mists.
Seeing that, Xu Qing and the Captain exchanged an anxious
glance.

“What gives, little Junior Brother. Where’s Master?”

Xu Qing considered the question, then replied, “Maybe he’s using

a special technique to come here. Or perhaps he’s in such a good
disguise that we have no way of identifying him.”

The Captain nodded. “That would make sense. The old man has
always been a shady character. He probably used some unknown
method to sneak in. Based on what I know of him, the moment he
heard the word ‘god’ he probably started drooling like a waterfall.
In other words, the two of us should head inside and help
ourselves to some initial refreshments.”

The Captain’s eyes glittered as he looked down at the swirling

mists.

Xu Qing thought about it for a moment, then nodded.

During their conversation, the Captain kept a tight grip on Ning

Yan, as if he were worried about him fleeing. When the nearby
mist seemed to flow past Ning Yan’s face as if to avoid it, Ning Yan
looked at the Captain out of the corner of his eye. Neither Xu Qing
nor the Captain noticed that. After finishing their conversation, they
dropped down with the rest of the cultivators.
The Captain kept a firm grip on Ning Yan, leading the way, with Xu
Qing following. Before long, they were down within the mists,
along with the rest of the cultivators. Almost immediately, the
rumble of combat started echoing out.

It was possible to see huge mutant beasts in the mists, which were
already attacking the Void Returning and Spirit Trove cultivators.

This far down, they were able to see the surrounding buildings
more clearly. It was a very large location that resembled a palace
complex. Palace halls, temples, and other structures created a
huge city. Everything seemed very ancient and gruish.

The reason for that was that the structures were all covered with
wriggling, purplish-black flesh. In fact, it wasn’t just the buildings
that were covered with that horrendous flesh. It was the ground
too.

Then a cold voice echoed out through the mists. “Everyone, purge
this area and create a safe landing zone!”

It was an order from Generalissimo Bloodhorror. Instantly, the

hundreds of thousands of cultivators who had come on the
mission got to work. There were many tasks at hand. Some piloted
war puppets to kill the enemies in the mists. Others started setting
up spell formations. Still others focused on purging the mutagen
and the flesh from the area. Most operated in small teams.
Xu Qing and the Captain were among them. Qing Qiu, Kong
Xianglong, and the others had been pulled into other teams, and
were nowhere to be seen.

Things went according to plan. Before long, a small area had been
completely cleared. Then they started expanding that area
outward. Whenever a team ran into a situation they couldn’t
handle, they would report the matter. It would go up the chain of
command, and then a powerful expert would arrive to help. Under
Generalissimo Bloodhorror’s leadership, everything went
smoothly.

Xu Qing and the Captain finally got a good look at the mutant
beasts. They had blackish-violet skin, and weren’t intelligent at all.
However, they pulsed with mutagen, and had extraordinary battle
prowess. Furthermore, they were huge.

Sometime after arriving, when they had established a rather large

area of safety, they stopped to rest. For one thing, the strong
mutagen meant that everyone had to take time to purge
themselves, lest they risk mutation.

During the rest period, Xu Qing and the Captain accepted a

reconnaissance mission so they could leave. They took Ning Yan
with them.

“There’s no point in sticking around here,” the Captain said. “We

don’t have to worry about mutagen, so we need to go find some
refreshments. Otherwise this whole trip will be a waste. With Ning
Yan here, things should go very smoothly.”

Xu Qing glanced at Ning Yan and felt a bit sorry for him. For this
entire time, the Captain hadn’t relaxed his grip on Ning Yan one
bit. He was obviously worried about their ‘tool’ escaping. Ning Yan
seemed to have simply accepted his fate, and mostly maintained
silence.

Seeing how Ning Yan was acting, Xu Qing eventually said, “Eldest
Brother, isn’t your arm getting tired? Maybe you should let Ning
Yan go for a bit.”

“Tired?” the Captain said solemnly. “Are you kidding? I’m just
trying to keep Little Ningning safe!” He looked at Ning Yan with a
very sincere expression. “Don’t worry, Little Ningning. Since you’re
coming along, I’ll make sure you get some nice meat to eat!”

The Captain suddenly reached out and tousled Ning Yan’s hair
again. He wasn’t sure why, but after tousling Ning Yan’s hair that
first time, he’d fallen in love with the action. It felt strangely good.

Ning Yan struggled to control his breathing as he stared fixedly at

the Captain. “You’re here to get some good loot, right? Before
coming in, I got my hands on some intelligence reports, so I know
the exact direction to go. There should be some nice stuff there.
Why don’t you let me lead the way?”
The Captain blinked a few times, then smiled happily. At the same
time, he secretly projected a message to Xu Qing. “Little Junior
Brother, there’s something suspicious about Ning Yan, isn’t there?”

Xu Qing’s facial expression remained the same, but he was

indeed starting to feel a bit suspicious. The truth was that Ning
Yan’s reaction right now seemed very unusual. After all, upon
returning from Daybreak Prefecture, he had seen to it that Ning
Yan was assigned to his Secretariat Division. He was quite familiar
with Ning Yan’s manner of speaking. And there was indeed
something very unusual about the way Ning Yan was talking. It
didn’t seem like Ning Yan.

He was just about to project a message back to the Captain when

he heard a very cold snort in his mind.

It was a cold snort that contained a warning. Hearing it, Xu Qing

shivered, then somberly projected a different message to the
Captain.

“Eldest Brother, I spent some time with Ning Yan when I brought
him back from Daybreak Prefecture. I know him pretty well. He
was sort of traumatized by what happened in Daybreak
Prefecture, and thus, his personality changed a bit. Right now...
he’s acting completely normal!”

After saying that, Xu Qing heard a very familiar, and very pleased,
sound of approval in his mind.
Chapter 518: Crazed Taboo Poison

Xu Qing bowed his head and sighed inwardly. Never could he

have imagined that their Master had actually been with them the
entire time. And that cold warning snort from moments ago had
made it clear that their Master wanted to teach a lesson to Eldest
Brother. Xu Qing looked sympathetically at the Captain, and was
tempted to somehow warn him. However, that cold snort from his
Master brooked no such interference.

In response to Xu Qing’s explanation, the Captain looked

suspiciously at Ning Yan.

‘Ning Yan’ looked back with a cordial smile. “Captain, I did my

research before coming here. Besides, as you know, I have a
unique bloodline, and as such, I’m able to sense that there’s
something really amazing not too far away.”

The Captain blinked a few times and then looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing cleared his throat and was about to secretly signal the
Captain that something was going on, only to notice ‘Ning Yan’
smiling enigmatically in his direction.

Looking very serious, Xu Qing said, “Eldest Brother, we should get

moving. I trust Ning Yan!”
The Captain was starting to get even more suspicious. Tousling
Ning Yan’s hair again, he said, “Little Ningning, you—”

“Eldest Brother!” Xu Qing interrupted, his heart pounding as he

watched his Eldest Brother continue to court death. “Eldest
Brother, you should really give poor, poor Ning Yan a break.
There’s no need to keep your hands on him all the time. Let him
go for a bit. I know you’re treating him like this because of the
mean things Ning Yan said about our Master a while back. You
feel the need to punish him, right?”

“Huh?” the Captain said. However, his surprise only lasted a

moment. Being as shrewd as he was, his eyes quickly went wide,
and his hand, which had been in the middle of tousling ‘Ning
Yan’s’ hair, suddenly stopped moving. He was now starting to
suspect something was going on with Xu Qing also. Looking
cautiously at ‘Ning Yan,’ he pulled his hand back. Then his gaze
shifted to ‘Ning Yan’s’ belly. Not able to take the suspense, he
decided to make a final check. Without any further warning, he
smacked ‘Ning Yan’s’ belly.

WHACK!

Xu Qing closed his eyes.

‘Ning Yan’ did absolutely nothing to stop the Captain from striking
him. No vine appeared.
The Captain gasped, and despite how cold it was, beads of sweat
broke out on his forehead.

As ‘Ning Yan’ stared, the Captain shivered and backed up a few

steps until he was standing next to Xu Qing.

“Little Ah Qing, why have you always made me hit Ning Yan’s belly
on missions like this?” the Captain said loudly. “It’s so impolite! Is
that how Master taught us to act? Have you forgotten what I told
you before? Master treats us so well! Like a father! In fact, we’ll
never be able to repay him for that, not in our entire lives!
Therefore, we have to solemnly abide by everything our Master
tells us. Remember that. Whenever we make some bad decisions,
just think back to what Master taught us. That’s the best way to
pick the right path in life!”

Xu Qing looked at the Captain, gave a sarcastic chuckle, and then

looked away. He had already acted with extreme humanity and
utmost virtue. If his Eldest Brother wanted to court death, then Xu
Qing would let him.

“Want to smack me again?” ‘Ning Yan’ asked coolly.

The Captain cleared his throat and shook his head. He looked
quizzically at Ning Yan. Then he started worrying about Ning Yan
noticing him staring at his belly. Shivering, he shifted his gaze to
Ning Yan’s face. But then he worried that doing so wasn’t the best
move, considering he had just been tousling Ning Yan’s hair.
When ‘Ning Yan’ noticed the Captain’s shifting gaze, he calmly
said, “Want to do a bit more hair tousling?”

The Captain shook his head as vigorously as a rattle drum. He

was already howling inwardly with anguish, especially when he
thought back to that wonderful sensation from earlier. Shivering
violently, he turned to Xu Qing.

“Little Junior Brother!” he berated. “I have to offer you some

constructive criticism. Last time when Ning Yan said those very
mean things about our Master, I was planning to beat him black
and blue, but you stopped me! Ah, whatever. This time, Ning Yan,
I won’t go very hard on you. But I have to warn you. If you ever
say bad things about our Master again, I won’t show you a scrap
of mercy!

“I, Chen Erniu, am the type of person who, if someone disrespects

my Master, I will track them down no matter how far away they are
to deliver severe punishment!

“Therefore, little Junior Brother, in the future, you’d better not

interfere like you did in the past. Otherwise you and I are going to
have a very big problem. I, Chen Erniu, will put my life on the line
for the sake of our Master!”

‘Ning Yan’s’ expression softened a bit.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing expressionlessly pointed off into the mists.

“Eldest Brother, see that mist over there? Isn’t that the cloud troll
you ran into a while back?”

The Captain looked in that direction and blurted, “Cloud troll? I

didn’t realize this place was so dangerous!”

He then lunged in front of ‘Ning Yan’ protectively, making it seem

like, if even the slightest bit of danger cropped up, he would throw
caution to the wind to provide a defense.

However, the Captain's words actually provoked a cold snort from

‘Ning Yan,’ who then glared at the Captain.

The Captain looked back at ‘Ning Yan’ with a fawning expression.

“You two, come with me,” ‘Ning Yan’ said, and then he shot into
the mists.

Xu Qing followed, ignoring the Captain.

The Captain gritted his teeth and went after them. When he caught
up to Xu Qing, he looked over innocently, produced a green stone,
and tossed it over.

Xu Qing’s expression eased a bit.

And thus, the three of them traveled through the palaces covered
with flesh. ‘Ning Yan’ led the way. They encountered occasional
grues and mutant beasts, but they were easy to deal with. They
were all roughly in the Gold Core level, so it was only a question of
who could kill them first, Xu Qing or the Captain. Occasionally
mutant beasts would appear with battle prowess so terrifying the
two of them couldn’t handle them. But such beasts would almost
instantly start to wither as if aging, and within moments would
crumble into ashes.

When Xu Qing and the Captain saw that, they were deeply
shocked.

There was one mutant beast they encountered which was 300
meters long and pulsed with the aura of the great circle of first-
stage Void Returning. Even that one quickly collapsed into dust.
Xu Qing was stunned.

The Captain blinked madly. Then the two of them exchanged a

look.

Although both of them now realized that they were with their
Master in disguise, neither of them were aware of his true battle
prowess. The fact that he could so casually destroy a first-stage
Void Returning enemy went to indicate that his cultivation base
was at least in second-stage Void Returning.

“He’s probably beyond that level!” the Captain projected.

Fully convinced of that, Xu Qing nodded. Up ahead, ‘Ning Yan’

looked over his shoulder and smiled at them proudly. The Captain
grinned back flatteringly, while Xu Qing blinked a few times and
tried to look as charming as possible.
The further they traveled, the stronger the mutagen got. Xu Qing
was already shivering from the effort of keeping himself under
control. A sensation of longing now filled every fiber of his being.
He knew full well it was because his body had been remolded by
the god’s finger.

Before, he had been in front of too many eyes to try to absorb

anything from his surroundings. But now he was in a much safer
position. After one more brief moment of hesitation, he relaxed his
control slightly and started absorbing some of the surrounding
mutagen. As it flowed into him, a tremor passed through him, and
then an unbelievably pleasant sensation filled him. His pores
opened, and mutagen flowed into him, nourishing him and
strengthening him!

The tiny golden threads within him began to flow, becoming more
active. As they did, they began to take the form of something like a
thread of golden spirit energy. It seemed like spirit energy, yet
wasn’t. Xu Qing scanned it with divine sense, and could sense
something like the aura of a god.

“This...” he murmured, feeling deeply shaken.

There was only one single such golden thread. But the moment it
came into existence, his poison core, violet moon, and Ghost
Emperor mountain all trembled and unleashed forces of
absorption. That was especially true of the taboo poison core,
which seemed like parched lands longing for sweet dew, or a
starving person who had encountered delicious food. It
immediately pulsed with a terrifying aura. That aura caused the
violet moon and the Ghost Emperor mountain to tremble.

The taboo poison core absorbed the largest portion. It got about
fifty percent, while the violet moon got thirty, and the Ghost
Emperor got about ten. After the taboo poison core finished the
absorption process, it seemed more than ever like it might
awaken. The violet moon glittered with more intense violet light, as
if it had finally received some powerful nourishment. The Ghost
Emperor mountain reacted similarly, as its eyes glowed.

Xu Qing was shocked. At the same time, the sensation of longing

within him grew stronger. Gritting his teeth, he loosened his control
a bit more, and a vortex sprang up around him as mutagen rushed
in his direction. At the same time, all the howling and shrieking in
the area suddenly ceased.

Xu Qing’s heart leaped in his chest, and he quickly tightened up

his control.

At the same time, the Captain turned to look at him, visibly

surprised. ‘Ning Yan’ stopped in place and looked at Xu Qing in
delight.

Xu Qing blinked a few times and prepared to offer an explanation.

Before he could, the ground shook, and the surrounding mists
seethed as a host of mutant beasts charged in their direction.
They contained tremors of greed and were filled with madness. It
was as if they had sensed something indescribably delicious, and
were determined to devour it.

A sensation of intense crisis erupted in Xu Qing’s heart.

‘Ning Yan’ shot toward Xu Qing and the Captain, grabbed them,
and then leaped up into the air. All of them disappeared.

A moment later, the spot they had just occupied became filled with
snarling mutant beasts. The beasts began searching the area, but
it didn’t do them any good. Before long, they calmed down and
dispersed.

Meanwhile, about 50 kilometers away, ‘Ning Yan’ appeared with

Xu Qing and the Captain.

The Captain immediately turned to Xu Qing. “Little Junior Brother,

y-y-you—”

“Shut up!” ‘Ning Yan’ said, glaring.

The Captain shrank in on himself.

‘Ning Yan’ then snorted coldly and turned to look at Xu Qing.

Looking very pleased, and even admiring, he softly said, “Fourth
Sib, was it that body of yours which caused that scene just now?”

Xu Qing had been scared witless by the sensation of all those

mutant beasts wanting to devour him. And he saw no reason to try
to fool his Master.

“Yes, Master. As I mentioned to you before, this body was

remolded by that god’s finger.” Back when Master Seventh had
first arrived, Xu Qing explained everything in detail. After all, it was
all related to how he knew about the red moon wanting to devour
the god in Forbidden by the Immortal. “Master, I can keep it under
control. I won’t attract the attention of any more mutant beasts.”

Xu Qing still felt lingering fear based on what had just happened.

“Well done, Fourth Sib. But those mutant beasts weren’t there to
devour you. They were driven by instinct to allow you to devour
them. The reason is that they’re manifestations of the very same
aura that your body is formed from. That said, now is definitely not
an appropriate time. Because... the source of that finger is a
sleeping god. Not a dead one.

“When hē’s dead, then you can eat to your heart’s content.
Otherwise, you’ll be creating potential calamities because of that
god’s will. By the way, have you produced any god vitality yet?”
Master Seventh’s eyes glittered brightly. “It’s something golden
that looks like spirit energy.” He waved his right hand, and a
golden power appeared in his palm. “Like this.”

Master Seventh looked at Xu Qing with keen anticipation.

Xu Qing waved his hand, tapped into his heavenly palaces, and
produced a golden power that looked very much like that held by
Master Seventh, except smaller.

Master Seventh looked at Xu Qing. Xu Qing looked at Master

Seventh. A moment later, Master Seventh let loose a stream of
unsurpassably contented laughter.

“Amazing. Amazing! Just what I would expect of an apprentice of

mine. Later on, the two of us can rebuke heaven and earth
together, as Master and apprentice! Hahahahaha!”

Off to the side, the Captain waved his hand a bit, hoping to do the
same thing, but nothing happened. He cleared his throat. “Master,
what about me? Remember, sir, I’m your highest-ranking
apprentice....”

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to happycustomer for the

review!

Many thanks to happycustomer for the review!

Chapter 519: Human Immortal Skills

“You? If you don’t work harder, then you’ll become Fourth Sib and
Xu Qing will become Eldest Brother!” Master Seventh snorted
coldly. The sound of it resounded like millions upon millions of
bolts of heavenly lightning, crashing into the Captain’s mind and
causing his eyes to go wide. The mere thought of something like
that happening....

The Captain shivered, and his countenance became very serious.

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ll definitely work very hard. Henceforth, I,
Chen Erniu, will forget all about girls. I will focus solely on
cultivation, and on working hard to accomplish big things!”

Pleased, Master Seventh nodded. Then he turned to look at Xu

Qing.

Xu Qing blinked a few times, then plastered a look of surprise on

his face as he looked at the golden power in his Master’s hand.
Although his reaction came a bit too slowly, it was always better to
be late than never.

Seeing Xu Qing’s attitude caused Master Seventh to look even

more pleased.

“This is god vitality, Fourth Sib. I managed to extract it after

studying Master Shengyun’s body, and also after gaining
enlightenment from numerous gruish plants from both Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture and South Phoenix. Needless to say, the
techniques Torchlight have gained mastery of are shocking.

“So-called gods are really nothing more than beings who exist on
the same cultivation paradigm as us. Thēy’re just on a vastly
higher level, and are much stronger. What’s more, thēy’re not
invincible. In fact, I have a very daring speculation that I will
confirm later when I track down certain long-lost ancient records.

“What a pity that most ancient records have disappeared over the
countless years that have passed. In some cases, our only hope
of getting such information is finding it in the random and varied
wish boxes that have been scattered through heaven and earth. In
any case, once I find evidence confirming my theory, I’ll let the two
of you know.”

In that moment, Master Seventh looked truly mysterious and

enigmatic.

Xu Qing, moved with admiration for his Master, quickly bowed.

The Captain rushed to do the same.

Seeing his apprentices act so obediently filled Master Seventh’s

heart with incomparable contentment.

“Let’s go,” he said. “We need to keep moving. I’m planning to take
you to a very amazing place. You see, I had a chance to explore
another of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity’s operations palaces
one time, and I happen to know that they all have this very unique
place in them.”

Master Seventh led the way.

After about an hour of constant travel, they were deep within the
palace complex. The palace complex was so huge that they were
still within its east district. In fact, they were still in the central part
of the east district. Thankfully, the place Master Seventh was
leading them to was just ahead.

It was a very special palace. Although it was covered with flesh,

the shape of that flesh was unique. It looked like a huge face. The
face seemed neither male nor female. It had no hair, and it was
magenta in color, as if it were filled with blood vessels. It pulsed
with a very strong mutagen that had the power to influence
emotions. Any living being who saw this face would be unable to
control the emotions that rose within them. They would influence
the mind and drive a person mad.

Even the Captain, who had such an extraordinary body, felt the
influence. He started breathing heavily as mouths appeared all
over his body, shifting position constantly in a very gruish display.

Xu Qing had it a bit better off. The god’s finger inside of him was
part of the clone of the god that dwelt in this place. And since that
finger had remolded Xu Qing’s body, not only could he absorb the
local mutagen and turn it into god vitality, but also, he had the
ability to disregard some of the powers present in this place.

“This is the place,” Master Seventh said, stopping outside the hall
with the face of flesh. “This is the location of great good fortune. In
a moment, you’ll understand why.”

Master Seventh’s entire person suddenly flared with golden light,

making him seem extremely holy. However, not a scrap of aura
emerged from him. It remained completely hidden. In fact, just
looking at him with the naked eye, it seemed impossible to commit
his features to memory. That caused waves of shock to rise in the
hearts of the Captain and Xu Qing.

Xu Qing had seen a few gods, and knew full well that gods had
such a power. Being able to make people forget about you was
one of the best ways to stay hidden.

This was actually more shocking to Xu Qing than when his Master
had casually destroyed a first-stage Void Returning beast. “Master,
you—”

“The god vitality I extracted in my research has the power of

ancient time in it,” Master Seventh said calmly as he walked
forward. “As well as concealment functions.”

As he neared the palace hall, the face undulated as if it were alive.

Its expression of pain became more pronounced, and the flesh
almost looked like it was aging. In the blink of an eye, wrinkles
appeared on it and began spreading out. This face seemed to be
acting differently than the mutant beasts and grues Xu Qing had
encountered so far. It seemed to be struggling to resist.

But as Master Seventh advanced, it grew weaker and weaker, until

it began to collapse, starting at the edges.

Xu Qing was completely astonished, and the Captain even rubbed

his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

“Little Ah Qing,” the Captain whispered, “how can our Master be

so strong? In fact, given this, why are we working so hard? Why
not just stay in Seven Blood Eyes and have everything handed to
us? Little Junior Brother, as of this moment, I have such a sense of
safety....”

Before Xu Qing could say anything in response, Master Seventh

snorted coldly.

“Sense of safety my ass! If this place was safe, I wouldn’t have

been forced to sneak in here. This Seventh Prince is no simple
person. And all of his subordinates are exceptional. I even suspect
Generalissimo Bloodhorror might have even realized who I really
am! By the way, I sense the auras of other interlopers here. We’re
not the only group who came to this place.

“We need to get this job done quickly, then I’ll find a place for us to
lie low until the fuss dies down. You two are mere Gold Core
cultivators, yet you’re plotting against a god. That’s pushing things
almost too far. Once we’re finished, you two need to think of a way
to get out of the county capital for a while. Then you can go back
to Seven Blood Eyes and wait for me.”

Xu Qing looked very serious. Meanwhile, the Captain obviously

wanted to take advantage of the moment to curry some favor, so
he said, “You’re so mighty, Master! It’s only because we have you,
oh venerable Master, that we dared to hatch a plot like this!”

“All you know how to do is brown nose!” Master Seventh said

coolly.

The Captain didn’t take that as a rebuke, and in fact, looked very
pleased with himself.

As Master Seventh walked onward, the face struggled with even

more intensity. A moment later, Master Seventh was right in front
of it. A wave of frigid energy swept across the face, which howled
begrudgingly. Then, as the three of them looked on, it collapsed
into ashes, revealing that it had been covering a bright red temple.
The temple exuded an ancient aura, and its main gates were
tightly closed. No noise came from within. There was something
gloomy and sinister about the place, but at the same time, it
almost seemed alive. The red color didn’t look like fresh blood, but
rather, like high-quality wine.

It was somewhat contradictory. However, it somehow created a

sense of hunger in Xu Qing, and he even felt his stomach
rumbling. The Captain’s eyes went wide, and he started salivating.

“Back up, both of you,” Master Seventh said.

Xu Qing flew backward. Then, seeing that the Captain was

hesitating a bit, Xu Qing grabbed him and dragged him 300 meters
back. Master Seventh approached the main door of the red
temple, his expression very serious. Extending his right hand, he
pushed on the door.

Rumbling echoed out as the door opened. Red light erupted from
within, transforming into a huge illusory face that lunged toward
Master Seventh to devour him.

Master Seventh snorted coldly, and golden light surged out from
him. Pushing forward with his right hand, he hit the illusory face,
which shattered into countless blood-colored butterflies. Wherever
the butterflies flew, they caused corrosion to spread. The aura that
reached Xu Qing and the Captain filled them with shock.

“Okay, come on over,” Master Seventh said coolly as he stepped

into the temple.

Xu Qing and the Captain hurried over and entered. It was

magnificent. There was an amazing statue inside. It didn’t depict
Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, but rather, some unfamiliar
person, apparently someone whose name hadn’t been recorded in
the annals of human history. He wore a blood-colored daoist robe,
and stood with both hands raised high as if to embrace the entire
temple.

Filling the rest of the temple were hundreds and hundreds of

masks. There were large masks and small masks, and they
depicted a wide variety of people. Old and young, men and
women were all represented. And their expressions included
happiness, anger, sorrow, and joy. They were affixed to the walls
everywhere, and if you looked closely, you would find that they
were all made from human skin.

The fact that so much skin had been used to make the masks
filled the area with a very gruish atmosphere. When Master
Seventh, Xu Qing, and the Captain entered, the faces all looked at
them, their vacant eyes glowing with faint light.

Xu Qing’s expression flickered, and the Captain inhaled sharply.

“This place is called the Immortal Skills Hall,” Master Seventh said.
“Every one of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity’s palaces had a
place like this. Stored here are large numbers of very unusual
immortal skills. Immortal skills are not as wonderful as you might
imagine them to be. In fact, they’re not beautiful at all. Instead,
they’re terrifying.

“Each of these skin masks is an immortal skill. You don’t need to

gain enlightenment or cultivate them. You just put on the mask to
use it.
“Magic like this naturally comes with a price. Whenever you use an
immortal skill, it absorbs some of your life force. And every time
you put one of the masks on, it sticks on tighter than before, until
eventually you can’t take it off. And after it’s sucked out all of your
blood and life force... it turns you into a new skin mask.”

Master Seventh spoke calmly, but his words filled Xu Qing’s heart
with waves of shock.

Apparently, the Captain already knew a bit about immortal skills,

as he wasn’t very surprised. However, a complex look appeared
briefly on his face before he suppressed it.

“There’s no need to feel nervous,” Master Seventh continued.

“Generally speaking, immortal skills are all very impressive. They
contain mysterious daos, so as long as you use them carefully,
they can be beneficial. Any given person can only take one
immortal skill. Try to take more, and you’ll be cursed. What’s more,
after you take one, you can’t go to other Immortal Skill Halls to get
more.” Master Seventh looked at the statue in the hall, and he
seemed to sigh inwardly. “This statue is one of the human
emperors who has been forgotten in the histories, who created
many immortal skills in his life.

“Based on some of the clues I dug up in various ancient records, it

seems that this person was stricken from the histories by Ancient
Emperor Dark Serenity in an attempt to make humankind, and
immortal skills, seem more palatable.
“The immortal skills were gathered and stored in his thirty-six
operations palaces, where they were branded as forbidden
magics. That said, the ancient records indicate that, even then, the
immortal skills created by this emperor were considered a boon to
humankind, and they saved countless human nations from
destruction. Any species that rises to prominence will have bright
aspects and dark aspects. It’s only natural.”

With that, Master Seventh turned to look meaningfully at his two

apprentices, especially Xu Qing.
Chapter 520: The Truth About the Opening
of Forbidden by the Immortal (1)

Looking at the statue, Master Seventh said, “Big Sib. Fourth Sib.
Hurry up and offer respects.”

Xu Qing was just about to clasp hands and bow when the Captain
suddenly said, “I don’t need to offer respects.”

Xu Qing blinked a few times and stopped to look over at the

Captain. Master Seventh did the same, his eyebrows raised.

“What bull crap are you up to now?”

Eyes gleaming fanatically, the Captain looked at Master Seventh.

“Master, you are the only existence in my world. You are the most
paragonic being, surpassing anything and everything else. When I
encountered that Grand Emperor before, I had no choice but to
bow. But when I encounter you, Master, I also bow. And I’ve
bowed to you so many times that, in my most deepest of hearts,
you have long since surpassed any Grand Emperor. Therefore,
any sincerity I show to other Grand Emperors nowadays is a
sham. That’s why I say that I don’t need to pay respects. Only you
exist in my heart, Master. Bowing to other people is literally
pointless!”
The words flowed out of the Captain’s mouth very naturally, and
didn’t betray any hint of insincerity. Apparently, these words came
straight from his heart. And as he spoke to them, his face was lit
with reverence. It seemed that, to him, his Master was the same
as a Grand Emperor, or even a god.

The veneration on his face even seemed to contain a very healthy

and appropriate dosage of admiration, the type a child would feel
for a parent. In fact, his facial expression had reached the pinnacle
of perfection.

Hearing the Captain’s words caused Master Seventh to snort

coldly. And his eyes seemed as cold as ever. However, someone
who examined him closely would notice that his eyebrows had
twitched slightly, and he seemed to be very pleased. What was
more, his gaze had softened slightly as he looked at the Captain.
Apparently, he knew that this apprentice of his had some faults.
But when all was said and done, he had a good attitude. He knew
how to respect his Master, which was one of the most important
qualities and merits. It was a case of blemishes not obscuring the
jade’s luster.

With such thoughts on his mind, Master Seventh coolly said,

“You’ve grown up, haven’t you? You have a smooth tongue and
like to jabber, but overall you behave well. Fine. I understand what
you mean. If you don’t want to offer respects, then just forget
about it.”
With that, Master Seventh turned to start looking for a specific skin
mask.

Trembling with excitement, the Captain bowed deeply to Master

Seventh, then flashed a pleased grin in Xu Qing’s direction.

Seeing this scene play out, Xu Qing felt his admiration for the
Captain growing even deeper. He also realized that before he
joined as an apprentice, the Captain must have been their
Master’s favorite. After all, who wouldn’t approve of someone who
could deliver such endless flattery at any time and place?

Considering that, Xu Qing clasped hands and bowed to the statue

of the Grand Emperor, and then turned and bowed three times to
Master Seventh. The solitary bow was one of respect toward an
outsider. The three bows were a display of deep familial love.

Upon seeing that, the Captain chuckled.

The corner of Master Seventh’s mouth lifted slightly. Then he

made a grasping gesture, and one of the skin masks flew off the
wall and into his hand. It resembled a young man with a vicious
facial expression. The mask emanated a deep longing to devour
flesh, and seemed like it wanted to start eating Master Seventh’s
hand.

“Big Sib, this one is perfect for you.”

Master Seventh tossed the mask into the air, and it flew toward the
Captain.

The Captain grabbed it.

The mask immediately flipped around and wrapped up the

Captain’s right hand. A moment later chewing sounds could be
heard, as if the mask were trying to eat the Captain’s hand. The
Captain flicked his hand, but the mask wouldn’t come off. At this
point, most people would look horrified as they realized the mask
was trying to eat them. But the Captain didn’t seem worried at all.
In fact, he looked curious, and just let the mask do what it wanted.

“What a surprise. It wants to bite me?” The Captain seemed very

amused, so much so that he lifted his hand to bring the mask
closer to his face.

Noticing that, the mask unwrapped itself, revealing a hand covered

in bite marks and blood. Pulsing with vicious greed, the mask
lunged toward the Captain’s face. In the blink of an eye, it wrapped
around the Captain’s face, becoming a true mask that covered his
facial features. The Captain’s aura immediately skyrocketed, and
his features changed to resemble a stranger. And he pulsed with
something sinister and cold that made him seem like a different
person. A tremor passed through him and he closed his eyes.

Seeing all this, Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with curiosity, and he cast
his senses out to try to learn more about what was happening. He
quickly discovered that, based on how deeply he knew the
Captain, after putting that mask on, he didn’t seem familiar at all.
In fact, if Xu Qing hadn’t witnessed the transformation himself, he
would have no way of identifying him. With the mask on, the
Captain’s aura had changed, but even more significant, his soul
fluctuations were totally different.

“These skin masks with their immortal skills are inherently useful
as disguises,” Master Seventh said to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing nodded. At this point, the Captain’s eyes opened, and he

looked coldly at Xu Qing. Then he shifted his gaze to Master
Seventh.

Xu Qing’s facial expression didn’t change, but Master Seventh

snorted coldly.

“Aren’t you done playing around? Or should I give you a good

thrashing?”

The Captain chuckled, and as he did, his aura transformed again.

Although it still seemed different, there were some familiar
elements to it.

“Master. Little Junior Brother. This mask is really interesting. I can

tell that it wants to fully fuse with my face. And it contains deep
malice. I can also hear the sound of many men and women all
speaking together, uttering two words that echo in my mind.”
“That’s the name of the immortal skill,” Master Seventh explained.
“Speak the words, and you’ll be able to use the immortal skill. That
said, the results will differ based on the level of cultivation base of
whoever uses it.”

After a moment of thought, the Captain spoke the words.

“Heavenly Dog!”

The Captain shivered as the mask exuded a red mist that pulsed
with incredible grandeur. The mist swirled out around him until he
disappeared, then converged into the shape of a huge crimson
dog. It salivated greedily, its eyes bright red, and its coarse
breathing something that would strike fear into the heart of anyone
who heard it. It looked like it was starving and was looking for
someone to devour. [1]

Xu Qing instinctively took a few steps back. The heavenly dog

threw its head back and howled, causing the surrounding temple
to shake. Then the dog faded from view, and the Captain became
visible again. He reached up to take the mask off. There seemed
to be no special process involved in taking it off, though there were
thin red tendrils that stretched out between the mask and the
Captain’s face as he pulled it away. It took some effort, but he
managed to pull it off.

The Captain didn’t seem worried at all about the mask, and in fact,
looked excited and happy.
“Master, this immortal skill is amazing! It even has a dimensional
space inside. If there’s something it can’t digest, it’ll store it inside.
This is perfect for me!”

Hearing that, Xu Qing nodded, fully convinced of how amazing the

mask was.

Master Seventh laughed. “Yes, it’s indeed perfect for you.”

Master Seventh reached in a different direction and made another

grasping gesture, causing another mask to fly toward him.

This one looked like an old man with a wrinkled face and a bitter
expression. It was obviously completely different from the
heavenly dog mask, as it didn’t show any signs of struggle or
malice when it landed in Master Seventh’s hand. It just sat there
quietly and let loose a soft sigh. Sensing that, Master Seventh
shook his head slightly.

“Fourth Sib, your Elder Brother’s heavenly dog mask is the best
one in this place. Sadly, this mask here isn’t suitable for you. Well,
I’ll have to pick another one for you. What a pity none of the others
are as good as these two.”

Xu Qing looked more closely at the mask. “Master, what kind of

immortal skill is it?”

“Mercy.” Master Seventh sighed as he looked around at the other

masks. He really didn’t like the idea of Big Sib getting such a nice
mask while Fourth Sib got something inferior.

Meanwhile, the Captain offered the heavenly dog mask to Xu

Qing. “Take it, little Junior Brother. It’s a nice immortal skill, but
honestly, it’s not going to help me much.”

Xu Qing knew that the Captain was just trying to be nice, and it
brought some warmth to his heart. After politely refusing, he
looked at Master Seventh.

“Master, what does the immortal skill of mercy do?”

“It allows you to share half of the injury and pain of whoever you
look at.” As Master Seventh provided the explanation, he
continued to study the masks in the hopes of finding one better-
suited to Xu Qing.

Meanwhile, the Captain chuckled. “Master, what are you wasting

time for? Mercy is perfect for me! I’m very merciful.”

Master Seventh ignored the Captain’s gibberish. He knew that his

senior apprentice specialized in fleshly body recovery. And he also
knew that although his apprentices were always messing with
each other, they actually had a very good relationship.

Just as he was about to say something, Xu Qing spoke. “Master,

that skill is actually very suitable for me.”

“Since when are you merciful, little Ah Qing?” the Captain asked,
sounding surprised.
Master Seventh’s eyes also glittered with curiosity.

“I have a friend who’s very merciful,” Xu Qing explained earnestly.

“That mask looks ideal for that friend.”

His D-132 heavenly palace vibrated, and the extremely bored and
despondent head vanished from inside, then plopped onto the
ground in front of Xu Qing. The head rolled over a few times, then
looked around blankly.

“What’s going on?”

Before the head could gain its bearings, Xu Qing stomped it,
causing it to explode.

Both the Captain and Master Seventh were stunned.

“That’s your friend?” the Captain asked, looking at the bloody

sludge on the ground.

Xu Qing nodded. Meanwhile, the sludge slid back into the shape
of the head. Scowling on the verge of tears, the head looked at Xu
Qing.

“What did I do wrong, exalted one?” the head wailed. “I didn’t even
curse you today!”

Face completely expressionless, Xu Qing waved his hand,

sending the head back into the heavenly palace. Then he looked
at the Captain and Master Seventh, both of whom had very
strange expressions on their faces.

“That’s my friend,” Xu Qing said solemnly, “who is very merciful.”

The Captain blinked a few times and Master Seventh cleared his
throat. Then Master Seventh handed the mask of mercy to Xu
Qing.

“Since Fourth Sib’s friend is so merciful, this mask should be a

perfect fit!”

Xu Qing accepted the mask, thought for a moment, then said,

“Master, I have some other friends who are also very merciful.
Since an individual can only get one mask, is there any chance
there are other immortal skills of mercy in this place that they
could use?”

Xu Qing’s suggestion caused the Captain’s eyes to glitter. Master

Seventh mulled the matter over, then looked around at the masks.
Finally, he shook his head.

“Based on all of the things I’ve experienced through the years, I’ve
learned that it’s worse to push things too far than to not push them
far enough. That’s especially true of immortal skills. Each one
contains significant karma, and their strange creation method
contains mysterious cursing magics. You really shouldn’t casually
take too many of them.
“If all of those friends of yours take a mask, then in the final
analysis, they’ll be bringing all of that karma onto you.

“That’s even more the case if they’re not human. There’s really no
way to know what would happen if all that karma came to rest on
you, or what hidden curses might be within the immortal skills.

“My suggestion is that you wait for the next time you find a place
like this. Then get someone you don’t like to try something out like
you’re suggesting. If they survive, and don’t suffer any
repercussions, then you’ll know it’s safe, and you can just steal the
immortal skills from them.

“Or if you don’t feel like stealing them, then at least you know it’s
generally safe. Remember, immortal skills can’t run away, and this
isn’t the only operations palace out there.”

Xu Qing had learned quite a while ago that Master Seventh always
liked to do things the safe way. Therefore, he completely agreed
with the advice, and realized he could learn a thing or two from his
Master in that regard.

On the other hand, the Captain didn’t agree at all, but didn’t dare
to say anything out loud. Master is getting a lot more cowardly as
he gets older.

After taking the immortal skills, they didn’t waste any time. Master
Seventh led Xu Qing and the Captain out of the hall. Once they
were outside, the mutagen caused the flesh to start growing back
over the entrance. In the blink of an eye, that distorted face was
back, and it opened its mouth and started howling. Master
Seventh looked at the face, then glanced up at the black, mirror-
like sky above them.

“It won’t be long before the red moon awakens. I have the feeling
the two of you won’t obediently go back to the camp, will you? Ah,
whatever. There’s plenty more good fortune to be had in
Forbidden by the Immortal. Be careful and don’t do anything too
rash.

“In a moment, I’ll go ahead by myself to make some preparations.

After you explained the situation to me, I did some of my own
research, and have a good idea of what’s coming.”

1. The heavenly dog is an actual creature from Chinese

mythology. It’s mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
It’s sometimes said to be white, other times red. There are some
common idioms associated with it, such as “heavenly dog eating
the moon” or “the heavenly dog can’t eat the sun.” ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to xxpointblanqxx for the

review!

Many thanks to xxpointblanqxx for the review!

Chapter 520: The Truth About the Opening
of Forbidden by the Immortal (2)

Xu Qing and the Captain were paying very close attention to

Master Seventh’s every word.

That was especially true of Xu Qing. He really wanted to know the

truth behind the opening of Forbidden by the Immortal. He didn’t
understand why it was being opened now, and why the sleeping
god was being given to the red moon to eat. What did it all mean?
The red moon was the god of the Nightshades, who were currently
at war with humankind. As far as Xu Qing could guess, the only
reason to give a sacrifice to the red moon right now would be to
curry favor.

But what was the ultimate reason? Given his limitations, he felt like
he wasn’t able to get to the bottom of the matter, as if his vision
were obscured by fog.

“What do you think is going on, Master?” Xu Qing asked.

Master Seventh stared off toward the central part of the temple
complex. “I don’t think Seventh Prince is doing this on his own.
True, he’s an imperial prince with countless powerful experts
working for him and an entire army under his command. He seems
impressive, but the reality is that the emperor still sits on the
throne, and is hale and healthy. According to the rumors, he’s
extremely decisive and has great ambitions. Granted, those are
just rumors, but rumors don’t spring up out of nowhere.
Regardless, the point is that we’re not in a time period in which
imperial heirs could even think about trying to usurp the throne.”

Master Seventh’s gaze grew more intense. “That said, this

Seventh Prince is obviously ruthless and decisive. However he did
it, he managed to break through the blockade set up by the
Nightshades and the crony species helping them. That alone
eased some of the tension weighing down on the imperial capital.

“In other words, his actions have benefited both the emperor and
humankind in general. Forget what sacrifices were made or
whatever other clues are at play. The important thing to consider is
the big picture.

“The bottom line is that what’s going on right now in Forbidden by

the Immortal is a matter related to gods. And that’s not something
Seventh Prince has the authority to deal with on his own. Long
story short, the opening of Forbidden by the Immortal had to be
ordered by the emperor. Seventh Prince is simply carrying out the
orders! With that knowledge, the fog begins to lift a bit.”

Both the Captain and Xu Qing were now starting to understand

things a bit better.

“If you look at things from the perspective of the emperor,” Master
Seventh continued, “you’ll realize that he’s obviously trying to
accomplish something that relates to the war. Maybe it’s to just
end the war, or maybe it’s to win it. It doesn’t matter. What could
you do that would either end the war or win it?” Master Seventh’s
eyes glittered with profound light. “It would be to use the most
dangerous and majestic weapon of war humankind could ever
have. A domain treasure!”

Master Seventh’s voice rang with decisiveness that could sever

nails and chop iron.

“Of course, things aren’t as simply stated as that. The Nightshades

have the red moon god on their side. All their high priests have to
do is make the right sacrifices and employ the right god magics,
and they can summon a projection of that red moon. Therefore,
thinking of a way to get a domain treasure is only one element.
The second is thinking of a way to prevent that red moon from
being summoned.

“And how could that be accomplished? Well, humans can’t control

the red moon. Nor could we trust the fate of our species to some
sort of business transaction with the red moon. Therefore, since a
deal is out of the question, how could we prevent hēr from coming,
or at least, ensure shē comes too late to matter?”

Master Seventh looked at Xu Qing and the Captain.

“Create a situation the Nightshades couldn’t predict,” Xu Qing

said. “For instance, put the red moon to sleep.”
“Whenever I’m stuffed,” the Captain said, “I instinctively want to
slumber....”

Both Xu Qing and the Captain inhaled sharply as the implications

hit them.

Master Seventh chuckled in a way that made him seem especially

wise. “This is only one line of reasoning that leads us to this
conclusion. We can also analyze things from a different angle.

“For example, consider why the emperor would open Forbidden by

the Immortal just as the situation with the war seemed to be
easing up? Why would he intentionally rouse the red moon in
Zhang Siyun? Before, that didn’t seem to make much sense. But
everything became clear thanks to that god’s finger outright stating
that īts true form was going to be devoured. Xu Qing, you’re still
young, so no matter how carefully you think about a matter, it’s
normal for you to overlook certain things.”

Master Seventh looked at Xu Qing and clearly hoped that he

would come to the correct conclusion.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing’s mind was in high gear as he thought back to

what the god’s finger told him.

“Master,” he said, “do you mean that it’s important that the god’s
finger immediately realized that the red moon wanted to devour īts
true form?”
Master Seventh’s eyes glittered with praise as he nodded.
“Exactly. That level of certainty provides the explanation. Clearly, īt
was absolutely confident that the red moon would devour īts true
self. That bit of knowledge itself contains deeper elements to
consider. Obviously, it’s not uncommon for powerful gods to
devour weaker gods.

“Couple that with the fact that the god in Forbidden by the
Immortal is in a state of sleep, then the chances our conclusion is
correct rise to over eighty percent. As I mentioned to you before,
my research has led me to the conclusion that gods are nothing
more than higher versions of people like you and me.

“When mortals stuff themselves with food, they get tired and lazy.
They don’t want to do anything. It’s the same with cultivators.
When Big Sib gets stuffed, he instinctively wants to sleep. That
goes for both me and you as well. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily
require sleep; going into secluded meditation might also work. And
the length of time spent in seclusion or sleep depends on the type
of food.”

Xu Qing was mentally reeling, while the Captain was licking his
lips. One thing was clear, both lines of reasoning led to the same
conclusion.

“So, does everything make sense now?” Master Seventh asked

quietly. “The emperor is taking the initiative to awaken the red
moon, place it in Forbidden by the Immortal, and devour the god
here. Then, the moon will be forced to enter a digestion period!

“During that time period, the red moon won’t pay any attention to
the Nightshades, even if something goes wrong for them. To the
moon, the Nightshades are nothing but servants. And there’s no
way shē’ll forgo food or sleep for servants!

“What’s more, the digestion period will last for a while. During that
time... the Nightshades won’t have any protection from their god!”

“The emperor must have been waiting for an opportunity just like
this!” Xu Qing said. He felt like he had experienced a sudden
revelation, as if the clouds had parted, making everything
incredibly bright. In fact, as his thoughts coalesced, his twelfth
heavenly palace began to materialize even faster, and got very
close to the great circle!

With Master Seventh’s guidance, Xu Qing suddenly came to a

much deeper understanding of the big picture. No longer were his
thoughts limited to what was right in front of him.

Master Seventh could have refrained from helping out in this way.
But thanks to his help, Xu Qing’s powers of cognition improved.
Having Xu Qing logically think through the situation had been an
instance of immense good fortune. Moral and practical instruction
could really be given at any time.
Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with reverence as he clasped hands and
bowed deeply to Master Seventh.

Master Seventh smiled faintly. The truth was that he was very
proud of Xu Qing.

The Captain was also shaken. Looking reverently toward his

Master, he said, “Okay, well what about the domain treasure?
What do you think about that, Master? Should we steal it?”

Master Seventh’s smile wavered. The Captain had actually asked

about something Master Seventh hadn’t considered. Then he
realized that Xu Qing was looking at him with keen expectation,
and he suddenly felt a headache coming on. Considering how
hard he had worked to build up his image just now, he obviously
couldn’t say that he hadn’t thought of stealing the domain
treasure....

“How could you be so short-sighted, Big Sib?” Master Seventh

said, doing nothing to show his displeasure. “I already made a
decision about that. That said, I can’t just go around explaining
every little thing to you all the time. Therefore... let’s consider that
the homework assignment for this class. Take some time to think
about it on your own, and see which of you can figure it out first.
Whoever does will be rewarded.”

Xu Qing nodded, feeling more admiration for his Master than ever.

The Captain, however, looked suspiciously at Master Seventh.

Seeing that Chen Erniu was about to say something, Master
Seventh gave a cold harrumph and decided that he wasn’t going
to forget this. Quickly taking out a special semitransparent skin
mask, he handed it to Xu Qing.

“This item is the immortal skill that I got years ago. It has one use:
concealment. Extreme concealment.

“Fourth Sib, when the red moon awakens, you need to put that
mask on. That’s your first layer of concealment, but not the only
one. You also need to find a place with a lot of flesh built up, and
dig your way inside. That will hide the god’s aura that you carry
with you. That’s your second layer of concealment.

“Whatever other assets you have will be the third layer. And finally,
I’ll bolster you with a god magic of concealment. That’s the fourth
layer. That way, unless the red moon specifically starts looking for
you, you should be fine. The awakened moon is definitely going to
be attracted to the sleeping god, so be cautious and you’ll be okay.

“Remember, after you put that mask on, you can’t move. Your
cultivation base isn’t high enough, so if you move, it will break the
concealment effect.”

Xu Qing was touched by his Master’s concern, and quickly

clasped hands and bowed his head. “Master, make sure to take
care of yourself as well.”
Master Seventh smiled warmly. He really did like this fourth
apprentice of his. Clasping Xu Qing’s shoulder, he bolstered him
with the god magic, then turned to leave.

“What about me, Master?” the Captain said. “What about me?”

Master Seventh didn’t bother looking at the Captain. “Compared to

the aura of that sleeping god, yours is like nothing. Who would
even notice you?”

Despite his words, Master Seventh waved his hand and sent a
god magic of concealment to the Captain. Then he turned and
vanished.

With Master Seventh gone, the Captain shivered and looked at Xu

Qing, his eyes shining brightly.

“Little Ah Qing, I saw something really amazing on the way here.

The old man was moving too quickly, so I didn’t say anything.
Come on, let’s go check it out!”
Chapter 521: A Hand To Create All Things
(1)

When Xu Qing saw how bright the Captain’s eyes were shining, he
was just about to nod in agreement when a cold snort suddenly
swept over them.

“Check what out? And since when did I become ‘the old man’?”

Xu Qing inhaled sharply, and the Captain’s face fell. Both of them
turned to look in the direction of the familiar voice.

The air there rippled as Master Seventh suddenly appeared.

“This is today’s second lesson,” Master Seventh said coolly.

“Sometimes, what you can see with your eyes isn’t real. Going
forward, you should move a good distance away before discussing
business.”

Xu Qing bowed his head and said nothing. The Captain appeared
to be on the verge of tears. How could he ever have guessed that
his Master, who had very obviously left, would actually be hiding
nearby?

“Anyway,” Master Seventh continued, “I was thinking about how

Fourth Sib’s cultivation base is on the verge of a breakthrough, so
I came back to provide a reminder. Fourth Sib, it shouldn’t be hard
for you to break through from Gold Core to Nascent Soul.
However, in the Heavenfate Nascent Soul level, cultivation
involves provoking five instances of heavenfate tribulation. Each
one will make you a lot stronger.”

Xu Qing nodded. This information conformed to what he had

already learned in the past.

“However, the increase of battle prowess in the Nascent Soul level

is of secondary importance. Of more importance is using those
tribulations to build up heavenfate for use later in the Spirit Trove
level. Based on my experience, if you deploy multiple nascent
souls in each tribulation, then despite the fact that tribulation will
be more powerful than normal, the resulting success will bring in
more heavenfate. If you encounter good fortune in Forbidden by
the Immortal, that’s fine, but don’t provoke any tribulation. I’ll
explain more about the details later on.”

At that point, Master Seventh gave one final glare at the Captain,
then turned and vanished.

Xu Qing, meanwhile, considered the advice, which contained

some new information.

As he did that, the Captain blinked a few times, grabbed his arm,
and pulled him a good distance away.

There, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Master really does treat us

well, wouldn’t you say, little Ah Qing? I definitely received some
enlightenment during today’s lesson.”

“Me too,” Xu Qing said convincingly.

The Captain nodded. “We’ll probably never be able to pay back

Master’s love. Not in this life anyway!”

“The two of us need to work as hard as possible,” Xu Qing said

solemnly, “so that one day in the future, we can keep Master safe!”

The Captain’s face lit up. “That’s right, little Junior Brother! We
definitely need to make that our goal!”

The Captain and Xu Qing continued walking along, all the while
exchanging such words. A few hours later, they looked at each
other.

“He’s probably gone, right?” the Captain said.

“Most likely...” replied Xu Qing, looking around.

“The old man really does pop in and out randomly!” the Captain
said with a wry smile. Lowering his voice, he continued, “Let’s get
out of here and go back to that spot I mentioned before. There’s
definitely some good stuff there!”

The two of them flew off at top speed.

Time slipped by slowly but surely.

Three days had passed since the opening of Forbidden by the
Immortal. During that time, the first wave of hundreds of thousands
of cultivators had already carved out a safe space of roughly five
hundred kilometers. That was like a drop of water in the ocean
compared to Forbidden by the Immortal as a whole. In fact, even
when just considering the eastern district, it barely counted for one
percent of the area. The place was just that large.

Considering Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity had thirty-six

operations palaces in the past, it made sense that they were all
considered minor worlds. What was more, because this one had a
god sleeping inside of it, it had never been fully explored. Despite
the invasion of mutagen, there were countless unique treasures,
ancient records, and reserve powers to be found.

That was especially true given that, in Revered Ancient, great

efforts had been made to study and research mutagen. As a
result, there were many methods that could be used to disperse
mutagen, such as those used to purify taboo treasures.

That was why the imperial capital highly valued Forbidden by the
Immortal, and didn’t intend for it to be opened for only a short time.
The plan was for the exploration to last for several months, and
gradually get closer and closer to the imperial hall in the very
center of the forbidden ground.

Of course, that was all based on the presumption that there

wouldn’t always be a god inside.
Right now, the Captain and Xu Qing were about 50 kilometers
away from the safe zone, resting atop the roof of a palace hall.

During the days that had passed, they had explored quite a few
locations and made some significant gains. They had seen a lot of
buildings that were fading from existence, presumably because of
the seal on the forbidden ground having been broken.

They had run into a few dangerous situations. For example, the
place the Captain had originally gone to had been so infused with
mutagen that the only thing left behind was the head of a huge
statue. When the two of them got close to the statue, it rushed
toward them. It turned out to be a very hazardous incident that
they barely escaped from. Thankfully, the concealment blessing
from Master Seventh turned out to be very effective, and facilitated
their escape. It left the Captain sighing repeatedly. The feeling of
being able to see a juicy piece of meat right in front of him, but
being unable to eat it, left him with increasingly bloodshot eyes.

They experienced a lot of ups and downs until they eventually

reached this very promising-looking palace hall. Unfortunately,
they couldn’t get inside.

After multiple failed attempts, they went about five kilometers away
to a safer palace hall, where they rested on the roof to try to come
up with another plan.
The Captain was grinding his teeth as he discarded plan after
plan. “This place is just too big, little Ah Qing. And we don’t have
enough in the way of intelligence reports. I’m convinced there’s
some treasure in that palace hall, otherwise, why would those four
flesh-covered statues be standing guard over it?”

As the Captain spoke, Xu Qing was looking off in the direction of

the safe zone. That area had mostly been cleared of mutagen,
thanks to the spell formations that had been set up. And it caused
light to shine up into the dark sky from that spot. The surrounding
mutagen constantly tried to work its way back in, and eventually it
would succeed, but not at the moment. On the inside of the
glimmering shield created by the spell formations were numerous
strange-looking buildings. They were towering pyramids made
from spirit stones, and they emanated shocking fluctuations that
linked all of them into one huge formation. Small squads of people
came in and out constantly; they were groups who, like Xu Qing
and the Captain, were on exploratory missions. All of the palaces
within the 500-kilometer safe zone had already been cleared out,
and had been integrated into the spell formation.

Even more shocking than all of that were the nine 30,000-meter
white crystals that hung in the air like floating mountains.
Generalissimo Bloodhorror had brought those huge crystals, and
originally they hadn’t been that big. They had grown over the three
days into that shocking size. They floated in midair like black holes
sucking in all the surrounding mutagen. More precisely put, they
were filtering the mutagen. In other words, they sucked in mutagen
then dispersed it. It was an endless cycle that, as it propagated,
left tiny golden markings on the crystals.

Xu Qing thought about it for a moment. It must be taking the god

vitality out of the mutagen.

Based on the expanded knowledge and sense of judgment

imparted by his Master, Xu Qing’s conclusion was that the crystals
were being prepared for use on the front lines of the war.

“Forget those things,” the Captain said, sitting up suddenly.

“They’re not important to us right now. I just got a new idea, little
Ah Qing!”

Xu Qing looked away from the crystals and at the Captain. “You’re
still thinking about that palace?”

“Of course! We’ve seen a lot of palaces over the past few days,
and the ones that aren’t guarded are complete trash. The ones
that have a single guardian statue are better. But this is the only
one we’ve found with four guardian statues! Compared to a
sleeping god, it probably doesn’t count for much. But since we’re
here, we need to do our best to get some good stuff!”

The Captain licked his lips as his eyes glittered with a crazy look.

Xu Qing thought back to the palace and the four flesh-covered

statues that guarded each of its sides. The statues were alive, and
only small portions of them had dissipated. The fluctuations they
released were completely terrifying. The palace they were
guarding was unusual in appearance because of its square shape.
Also, Xu Qing remembered that the roof had countless finger-
width ventilation holes in it. The strange thing about those holes
was that the encroaching flesh clearly avoided them. Xu Qing had
no idea what might be inside the palace. His shadow couldn’t get
inside; he’d tried, and something inside the palace prevented
surveillance.

“After the red moon awakens and devours the sleeping god, it
should be a lot easier to get inside. Does it have to be now?” Xu
Qing looked at the Captain.

“When that happens, a lot more people are going to be inside

exploring,” the Captain replied. “At that point, even if we get what’s
inside, we might not be able to keep our hands on it. And once the
palace starts crumbling, we’ll be out of time. Besides, little Ah
Qing, my intuition is telling me that the treasure inside there is
incredible!”

The Captain licked his lips.

“My plan is simple, little Ah Qing. In a moment, we’ll head over

there again. Just like last time, you absorb the surrounding
mutagen and get the attention of the statues. Once the four of
them are chasing after you, I’ll go in and loot the place!”
“Last time you couldn’t even get the door open,” Xu Qing pointed
out. On the previous attempt Xu Qing had put himself in danger to
create the distraction, except the Captain didn’t work hard enough
to get inside.

Eyes bloodshot, the Captain gritted his teeth and said, “It’ll be
different this time. I have a new way to open that door!”

Seeing how determined the Captain was, Xu Qing finally nodded.

“I’ll give you thirty breaths of time.”

“No problem!” Grabbing Xu Qing by the arm, he dragged Xu Qing

in the direction of the palace hall.

Making sure to stay concealed, they headed toward the square-

shaped palace hall. After the time it takes an incense stick to burn,
they arrived. Seeing the four, flesh-covered statues, and sensing
their terrifying fluctuations, caused both Xu Qing and the Captain
to breathe a bit more heavily. After exchanging a glance, they split
up.

Xu Qing quickly loosened the restrictions on his absorption

powers, causing the surrounding mutagen to rush toward him.
When it entered him, it created a pleasant, even intoxicating
sensation. His soul felt like it was floating, and his fleshly body was
getting stronger. On an instinctive level, he wanted that mutagen
to just keep pouring into him. People without great willpower would
find it hard to avoid becoming lost in the sensation. Thankfully, Xu
Qing had the perseverance to remain cool and collected. As he
absorbed the mutagen, the golden threads within him trembled
with longing. Slowly but surely, Xu Qing felt himself transforming.

Meanwhile, the four statues outside the palace hall slowly looked
up. The flesh-covered faces’ features flickered, and their eyes
glowed red. Then they all started moving at the same time.

Xu Qing quickly took out the mask from his Master. Speeding
along, he kept absorbing mutagen, all the while counting down in
his head. After a bit more than ten breaths of time had passed, he
felt a sudden sensation of critical catastrophe from above. Without
any hesitation, he put the mask on his face, then threw himself
down onto the flesh-covered ground and burrowed inside. There,
he remained unmoving. The mask covered all traces of his
existence.

Intense rumbling sounds echoed out, and terrifying fluctuations

spread everywhere. The statues were clearly searching for him.

However, Xu Qing had the mask on and he wasn’t moving. In that

state of concealment, the four statutes didn’t even recognize his
existence. He and the Captain had tested out how the mask
worked with the statues. As long as they were a distance from the
hall, it worked normally. But if they were close to the hall, they
would eventually sense him. That was a big difference from the
other guardian statues they had encountered at other palaces.
And it was one way that this palace hall was very unique.
Hopefully the Captain makes it work.
Chapter 521: A Hand To Create All Things
(2)

After the statues were lured away, the Captain ran pell-mell toward
the entrance of the huge palace. This time, he didn’t waste time
trying to open the door. Instead, he rushed to the roof with the
countless holes. Upon arriving, he madly threw himself toward the
holes. Bizarrely, his flesh split apart, forming into countless finger-
width strips that shot right through the holes.

Of course, those holes weren’t just simple ventilation shafts. They

had terrifying warding spells within them that instantly erupted,
destroying many of the strips of flesh.

Those left over wriggled like worms. As they struggled, faces

appeared on them that resembled the Captain, and they gnashed
their teeth as they tried to break through the warding spells.
Unfortunately, the warding spells were very strong, and before
long, about ninety percent of the Captain’s strips of flesh were
gone, and there were only about thirty left.

Within the mouth of each worm was an ancient and damaged

command medallion. Those medallions were none other than
Ancient Dao Righteous Bestowal Edicts. As they glowed with
amber light, the wriggling worms began to transform. They
glittered with crystalline light, and though more than half crumbled,
in the end, four managed to wriggle to the end.

After popping out of the ventilation hole and dropping into the hall
beyond, they looked around.

There was only one thing in the hall, and it was right in the middle.
Emptiness surrounded it. It was a severed hand with a bit of the
forearm attached, fully 300 meters in size. The spot where it had
been severed featured a large fleshy growth that ended with
countless swaying tentacles. The five fingers were outstretched,
and in the palm was a huge mouth filled with countless razor-
sharp teeth.

“What’s this thing?”

The Captain’s voice emanated from the mouths of the four

crystalline worms as they clumped together and then transformed
into a tiny crystalline imp. The imp was, of course, the Captain.
However, his face didn’t resemble the Captain’s, as he was
wearing a vicious and greedy mask. Without any hesitation, he
opened his mouth and unleashed the heavenly dog immortal skill.

A massive dog appeared in the middle of the palace hall. Pulsing

with greed, it lunged toward the severed hand and gobbled it up.

The crystalline imp then broke back up into four wriggling worms,
which shot back through the ventilation holes. Of course, this
entire process took a lot longer than thirty breaths of time, so the
four statues had already returned from chasing Xu Qing. As a
result, the warding spells in the ventilation holes were even
stronger.

The Captain struggled to fight his way through them, but

eventually ended up stuck. As the destructive power of the
warding spells surged, he started getting very nervous. However,
right then, the mutagen in the area suddenly started flowing away
rapidly, causing the statues to burst into motion again. The
Captain took advantage of that moment to burst free. The four
crystalline worms turned into an imp again, and the imp fled at top
speed.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the palace area
returned to normal, and the four statues returned to take up their
guard positions.

Xu Qing was already at the rendezvous spot. He squatted there,

spitting blood out of his mouth and looking frightened. When he’d
realized the Captain wasn’t coming back, he’d assumed
something unexpected happened. Gritting his teeth, he’d once
again drawn away the statues. Though he’d managed to hide
successfully, the statues were enraged from being repeatedly
fooled, and had unleashed random attacks.

Xu Qing’s hiding spot was never revealed, but he still suffered the
effects of the attacks. As his heart pounded with lingering fear, he
turned his head to see a crystalline imp running toward him that
bore the face of the Captain.

Before Xu Qing could ask any questions, the Captain shivered and
started to grow larger. Moments later, he was back to normal size,
although his face was pale and he looked very weak. Dropping
onto the ground, he gasped for breath, all the while looking very
excited.

“Thankfully I had that Righteous Bestowal Edict. Otherwise, I

would have been done for. In the end... it was worth it!”

Seeing that the Captain was fine, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of

relief. “What was inside?”

“I have no idea. But I think it’s a precious treasure.” Looking very

pleased with himself, the Captain took out the skin mask and put it
on to summon the heavenly dog. The heavenly dog’s throat
wriggled as it coughed up a 300-meter severed hand onto the
ground along with a shower of saliva.

Before Xu Qing could even take time to examine it, the huge
mouth on the hand lunged toward the Captain. In the blink of an
eye, the Captain was gobbled up.

It happened too quickly.

Face falling, Xu Qing took out a dagger and slashed it toward the
severed hand. The dagger had absolutely no effect on the hand.
What was more, the backlash attack from it caused Xu Qing to
shiver and stagger backward. Eyes grim, he unleashed his poison
to try to invade the hand. However, before he could actually send
the poison into the hand, its five fingers glittered with multicolored
light accompanied by loud cracking sounds. It was a five-colored
light that flowed out of the fingers and back to the severed part of
the arm. The light gathered at the fleshy growth there, grew
stronger, and then went back to the fingers. From there, the light
floated into the air and began to converge into the shape of a
heart.

Xu Qing’s pupils constricted.

Things weren’t over yet, though. As the five-colored light stitched

together, Xu Qing’s eyes went wide as he realized it was taking
the shape of a peach.

The light then faded, and a moment later, the Captain was vomited
out of the mouth.

“Precious treasure! Eat, little Ah Qing!”

Looking very excited, the Captain lunged toward the peach with
his mouth wide open.

Xu Qing hesitated.

When the Captain bit into the peach, it collapsed, turning into a
noxious black sludge that splashed into the Captain’s mouth.
The Captain immediately started retching. Dazed, he said, “How
could this be happening? Dammit. I got scammed by that thing! It
asked what I wanted, and I said I wanted to eat a peach that would
turn me into a Smoldering God!”

Xu Qing looked quizzically at the black sludge, and then the hand.
Finally, he looked at the bedraggled Captain.

“Captain, what’s going on?”

“I got scammed, little Ah Qing!” The Captain ground his teeth.

“After that thing ate me, I heard a voice asking me what I wanted it
to create. It said it could use life force power to create anything.
But after I told it what I wanted, it created nothing but a lump of
trash.”

Looking angry, the Captain walked over and kicked the hand. That
wasn’t enough though, as next, he leaned over and bit into it.

He instantly let out a shriek. Pupils constricting, Xu Qing looked

over and saw that the Captain’s teeth had shattered.

“How could it be so hard??” The Captain’s eyes were wide as he

looked at the hand, which had a faint bite mark on it. However, the
bite didn’t come close to penetrating the skin. “It actually broke my
teeth! This thing is incredible. Maybe I didn’t use it right. Little Ah
Qing, you try it out.”
After some thought, Xu Qing walked over toward the huge hand’s
mouth. The mouth opened, and a powerful gravitational force
latched onto Xu Qing. He didn’t resist, but rather, allowed it to suck
him inside. Afterward, the same five-colored light started to swirl,
and eventually it took the shape of a mirror. It was the Seven
Blood Eyes taboo treasure. Whether in the appearance or the
aura, it seemed completely genuine.

The Captain looked on, his eyes shining with anticipation.

Shortly after, the hand’s mouth opened and spat Xu Qing out. The
instant he appeared, he looked up at the mirror. Moments ago, he
had found himself in a blood-colored world, with a calm voice
speaking into his ear. It had said that it could use the power of life
force to create anything. Xu Qing had then created the mirror. At
the same time, he noticed that his life force hadn’t been absorbed.
Perhaps it was because the severed hand had been hurt too
badly, and didn’t have all of its powers.

Xu Qing reached out to grab the mirror, but the moment he

touched it, it turned into black sludge that splashed onto the
ground.

Xu Qing frowned and the Captain sighed.

“A scam,” the Captain said. “I really lost out this time!”

“Eldest Brother, maybe the hand has just been in that palace hall
for too long. Maybe back in the days of Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity it... really could create anything.”

The Captain pondered that for a moment, then nodded. “I guess

too much time has passed. The mutagen invasion probably broke
it. But if that were the case, could this thing really be called a
precious treasure? No. No! I’m going to give it one more try.”

He walked toward the hand and let himself be swallowed up again.

And he did that again. And again. He created a wide assortment of
things, even things from the mortal world. But all of them collapsed
into black sludge.

Xu Qing also tried a few more times, with the same result.

However, their repeated tests revealed another function of the

hand: if you entered the hand but didn’t use it to create anything,
you had a very secure location to stay safe. After some specific
tests, they were even able to determine how tough the exterior of
the hand was.

“It’s as strong as the Void Returning level!” the Captain said

through gritted teeth.

Xu Qing nodded. “It almost doesn’t seem like it’s made from flesh.
It’s more like some special tool, crafted to be like a shield.”

After that, the Captain’s eyes glittered brightly, and he felt a bit
better.
“Hahaha! The two of us can use it like a shield, and Ning Yan like
a meteor hammer! Perfect! Let’s go, little Junior Brother. We can
use this hand to check out some other locations.” [1]

Xu Qing figured using the hand as a shield would be a perfect

complement to their concealment abilities.

Before long, it was possible to see a 300-meter hand flying

through the mists in Forbidden by the Immortal. By lifting the hand
up and smashing it down into the ground, Xu Qing and the Captain
had managed to curl the five fingers until it formed a fist. Once
inside, they felt a lot safer.

Time passed. As the two of them continued their exploration, the

fourth day arrived. The passage to the outside had been opened,
and everyone was free to leave if they wanted. Some did, while
others stayed behind to explore.

On the evening of the fourth day, the second wave of cultivators

arrived. Most of them were made up of imperial troops. Many of
them wore black robes, and the moment they arrived, they flew off
into the depths of Forbidden by the Immortal.

Xu Qing, who was already about 250 kilometers away from the
safe zone, didn’t see any of that. Though they weren’t incredibly
far away, it was too far to see things back at the safe zone with the
naked eye. However, a transmissions tower had been erected in
the safe zone, which meant that their command swords could
again be used to send messages.

Both Xu Qing and the Captain felt their command swords vibrate,
and checked them to find that in three days, the third wave of
cultivators would arrive.

That evening, a gruish red color appeared in the sky, spreading

rapidly.

A strange sense of fear rose up in Xu Qing’s heart. What was

more, he could tell that his heavenly dao was sending him a
warning.

“We need to hurry up, Eldest Brother. I have the feeling that the
red moon... is about to wake up. I think it will probably happen in
three days, when that third wave arrives.” Xu Qing squatted in the
severed hand, and the Captain squatted next to him. Nodding, he
pointed to the path ahead.

“Look over there, little Junior Brother. I wasn’t paying close

attention before, so I didn’t realize this forbidden ground had a
palace complex like that.”

Xu Qing turned to look in the direction he was pointing and saw a

flesh-covered palace complex surrounded by a high wall.

“Look at how intact the outer wall is. That’s different from anything
we’ve encountered before. It hasn’t even started to crumble yet.
And even with the flesh covering the buildings, you can see that
the complex generally resembles the shape of a phoenix. I wonder
if one of the concubines from Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity’s
harem used to live there.

“Female cultivators generally love cleanliness. You know, taking

baths and stuff. If that’s a harem palace, then do you think there
might be something like an immortal hot spring there? And if so, I
wonder if there might be some clothes like Nethersprite had?
Maybe even jewelry and ornaments.... Female cultivators always
have lots of fun stuff where they live. I mean, that’s what it was like
with Nethersprite, right? She had all sorts of treasures.”

The Captain’s eyes were shining brightly. “By the way, we’re in the
east district. You know, I’ve read a lot of books that make it very
clear the girls in the East Palace are extra special!”

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed with interest. But then, he heard

Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior clearing his throat.

“Milord, um... based on the palace intrigue novels I’ve read, the
East Palace is usually occupied by the empress dowager, the
crown prince, and the young princesses....” [2]

1. Presumably most of you know that a meteor hammer is a

weapon in traditional Chinese martial arts that features some sort
of weighted object at the end of a rope. Here’s a short YouTube
video demonstrating its use. ☜
2. The patriarch is right. Historically, the “East Palace” of the
imperial palace complex would be where the empress dowager
and/or the crown prince lived (in some ancient dynasties). There
were even some readers who commented about this in Chinese.
There are some more complexities, but I won’t get into them
because they’re not relevant. ☜
Chapter 522: Plumdark and a Green Lamp
(1)

Upon hearing Patriarch Golden Vajra Warrior’s words, Xu Qing

looked thoughtfully at the distant palace complex. Then he looked
at the Captain, noting his excited expression, and the fact that he
seemed just on the verge of rushing toward the palace. The crazy
look in his eye seemed different from how he looked when going
after ordinary treasure.

This is how Eldest Brother looked back during the Nethersprite

heist. Apparently, he’s really obsessed with stealing things from
female cultivators.

Surprised, Xu Qing couldn’t hold back from asking the Captain for
more details.

The Captain smiled proudly. “You don’t understand. Let me tell

you, little Ah Qing, based on my experience, female cultivators
always have a lot of treasures. Especially the really pretty girls. It’s
the result of countless men competing to give them the best gifts. I
saw this thing over and over again in my previous lives. Think
back to Nethersprite. She was just like that, right? She had tons of
treasures.”

Xu Qing thought back to Nethersprite’s mansion grotto and all of

the countless items she had there.
“In the past,” the Captain continued in a very meaningful and
heartfelt tone, “I would shamelessly give all sorts of gifts to girls to
get them to like me. Later on, I made a promise to myself to help
female cultivators share the burden of having so many gifts
around. Do you know what the most important quality of a good
person is, little Ah Qing? It’s being helpful! Kind and helpful! And
that’s what we’re doing now. Being very helpful.”

Xu Qing was somewhat taken aback. Although the explanation

seemed strange, the Captain’s facial expression and manner of
speaking were very confident. And thus, what he said made a lot
of sense.

“Oh, you!” the Captain said. “You’re just too young! That’s why you
don’t understand. Trust me, I’m right about this. As your Eldest
Brother, do you think I would try to scam you or something?” The
Captain patted Xu Qing’s shoulder. “Let’s go. As you mentioned,
we have no more than three days until the third wave is all here
and the red moon awakens. We need to make the most of those
three days. And we’re going to start by finding whatever treasures
are in this palace.”

Licking his lips, he sent the severed hand flying toward the
phoenix-shaped palace complex.

Because of the impending awakening of the red moon, Xu Qing

decided not to ask any more questions.
Thus, the severed hand flew over the ground of flesh, getting
closer and closer to the palace. At a certain point, a tremor passed
through the hand.

At the same time, Xu Qing and the Captain sensed something

dangerous up ahead. Through the cracks between the fingers,
they could see the huge wall of flesh circling around the palace,
creating a barrier to entry. Beyond that wall of flesh was the palace
complex, which was made of nine palace buildings. There were no
guardian statues, and the roaring of mutant beasts was actually
less loud here than in other places.

“It’s too quiet,” Xu Qing whispered.

The Captain nodded. “Something’s off here.”

They exchanged a glance, and then Xu Qing gave orders to his

shadow, causing it to stretch out to gather information. The
Captain bit off one of his fingers. When he spat it out of his mouth,
it turned into a crystalline worm that sped in roughly the same
direction as the shadow. Xu Qing wasn’t surprised by this ability,
as the Captain had already used it numerous times during their
explorations.

By combining their surveillance abilities, they could usually identify

dangers and avoid them.

As the seconds ticked by, Xu Qing’s shadow neared the wall

surrounding the palaces, while the Captain’s finger, now a worm,
veered in a slightly different direction. Eventually, the finger
reached the wall and tried to fly over it.

As it did, violet light flickered, and the crystalline worm lurched to a

halt midair. Then, it was sliced into ribbons, almost as if invisible
blades had slashed at it. The crystalline worm had very strong life
force, though, as the ribbons just became smaller individual worms
that continued onward. However, there wasn’t just a single line of
defense to deal with. Powerful warding spells erupted, and the
ribbons were shredded into ash. Then a powerful force of
expulsion sent the ashes back to the area outside the wall. And
yet, there was more. After the worms were turned into ashes, a
sealing power erupted from inside the wall, which clamped down
on the area where the ashes had scattered.

The air there rippled and distorted, and an eye which had
previously been invisible was suddenly revealed, then squashed
out of existence.

The Captain grunted and coughed up some blood.

Frowning, he said, “I can’t believe this place has the power to

resist the Ancient Dao Righteous Bestowal Edict. Little Ah Qing,
this place is no simple palace complex!”

Meanwhile, Xu Qing was also having trouble. When his shadow

reached the wall, it screamed as it was severed by some powerful
force. Of course, the shadow was inherently vicious. The portion
that had been severed quickly self-detonated, breaking itself into
countless smaller fragments that raced in all directions.

Unfortunately, that action elicited a response from an even more

powerful set of warding spells. A terrifying shockwave burst out of
the wall of flesh, along with violet light. As it swept over the
countless tiny fragments of the shadow, they screamed as they
were wiped out of existence. And the shockwave continued
onward, apparently looking for the source of the shadow
fragments.

From a distance, Xu Qing and the Captain saw dazzling violet light
and an icy will rushing toward them. As the violet light spread out,
it became so dense it started to turn black, until everything in front
of them was completely dark.

The two of them were about to flee when, all of a sudden, the
violet light tumbled backward, so that the area in front of them
turned bright and radiant again.

The surviving portion of the shadow by the wall hastened back to

Xu Qing, where it trembled and sent him emotional fluctuations of
embarrassment and terror.

“Scared... can’t get... in.”

Surprised, Xu Qing looked at the area beyond the wall of flesh, his
heart pounding.
Off to the side, the Captain was panting for breath. “Well, this is
annoying, little Junior Brother. I wonder who lived here back in the
day. That was really tough, especially the violet light which—”

“Eldest Brother,” Xu Qing interrupted, “I feel like this place... is

familiar. Did you hear that just now?”

Stunned, the Captain looked at Xu Qing. “Familiar? Hear

something?”

“A sigh came from that violet light just now,” Xu Qing said softly.

The Captain reached out and grabbed Xu Qing’s arm. “Little Junior
Brother,” he said in a serious tone, “we don’t have a complete
understanding of all the species that exist in this world. After the
broken face of the god came, a vast number of grues and other
terrifying creatures came to exist. That includes gods, plus other
indescribable entities. You might think I act like a crazy person, but
the truth is that every single job I’ve taken you on was something I
spent a lot of time preparing for, taking into account all sorts of
intelligence reports and other clues. But Forbidden by the Immortal
is different.

“I actually don’t know much about this place. If we’ve run into
something that you can hear, but others can’t hear... well, that
seems to indicate this thing is extremely dangerous. That’s
especially true considering how unique I am. If I can’t hear
something, then... it means we need to be very careful.
“I think we should forget about getting into this place. Let’s wait
until the sleeping god is dead, and then we can decide if it’s worth
it to come back and try again.”

It was rare to hear the Captain talking like this. In fact, Xu Qing
couldn’t remember any other time in which the Captain would hold
back from trying to gobble up a juicy morsel. That went to show
how unusual the situation was.

Xu Qing nodded. However, just as they were about to leave, he

noticed that, beyond the wall of flesh, inside the palace complex,
there was a person standing amidst the violet light.

It was a woman.

She wore a violet gown, and the light around her almost looked
like a plum flower. She was spectacularly beautiful as she stood
there alone, looking straight at him. There was something so
familiar about her gaze that Xu Qing’s mind was battered by
waves of shock.

“Little Junior Brother!” the Captain said. Noting Xu Qing’s vacant

expression, he shook him.

Xu Qing shivered and looked at the Captain. Then he looked back

at the palace complex, except the woman was gone. What was
more, the entire area surrounded by the flesh wall was turning
blurry, almost as if it were about to decompose into nothing.
This wasn’t a unique occurrence. The same thing had happened in
other places that Xu Qing and the Captain had visited on their
journey so far. Apparently, when the ancient seals were broken,
and outside energy entered, it had a huge effect. Items which
normally wouldn’t have survived for so long would finally return to
the state they should have reached long ago, and simply
disappeared.

Looking somewhat dazed, Xu Qing murmured, “Did you see her,

Eldest Brother?”

Seeing Xu Qing in that state got the Captain even more nervous,
especially since he hadn’t seen a thing.

“Let’s get out of here, little Junior Brother. We need to go back,

right now. There’s something really strange going on here!”

“I’m fine, Eldest Brother,” Xu Qing said softly. He was still looking
at the decaying area beyond the wall, and thinking back to what
just happened. He also thought about how his heavenly dao didn’t
give him any warning about this place being dangerous. “Eldest
Brother, can you help me out with something?”

“What are you planning to do?” the Captain said. He suddenly had
an idea of what was about to happen.

“Given how fast that area is decaying,” Xu Qing said, “by the time
the sleeping god dies, it’ll be gone. Therefore... I’m going inside to
take a look around. You wait for me here.”
“Absolutely not!” the Captain said, shaking his head. “I refuse!”

Xu Qing looked at the Captain. “If I don’t go in to look around, I’m

going to regret it. Besides, my heavenly dao isn’t giving me any
warnings. It should be safe.”

A long moment passed, and then the Captain sighed. “We’ll go in

together!”

“Captain, the power in there is dangerous to you. It’s dissipating,

but it will still affect you. If we stick together, I won’t be able to go
in.”

They went back and forth a bit before the Captain reluctantly
agreed. At that point, Xu Qing took a deep breath and had the
severed hand swallow him.

Because of the warding spells, it wasn’t possible to just walk into

the palace complex, so Xu Qing’s idea was to enter the hand and
then have the Captain throw the hand over the wall. If the area
beyond the wall wasn’t decomposing, then he would have waited
to find a safer means of entry. But right now, he was running out of
time.

And the reason was that the figure he had seen was none other
than Arch-Immortal Plumdark, who absolutely, positively should
not be in this place.
Chapter 522: Plumdark and a Green Lamp
(2)

After Xu Qing entered the hand, the Captain gritted his teeth.
Grabbing the hand, he swung it around as hard as he could and
then hurled it over the wall.

The hand became a streak of light that shot into the palace
complex. The moment it entered the complex, the warding spells
activated again. However, the hand was extremely tough, so its
flesh ended up lacerated and cut down to the bone, but it made it
into the courtyard intact.

Before long, the hand’s mouth opened and Xu Qing stepped out.
He looked around.

Of the nine palaces that made the phoenix-shaped complex, the

middle one was glowing with violet light. Simultaneously, a
similarly colored light was shining in Xu Qing’s bag of holding. A
jade slip flew out of the bag of holding, moving of its own accord to
hover in front of him. It was the same jade slip Arch-Immortal
Plumdark had given him, which contained protective power from
her. The moment it was out in the open, it pulsed with light.

The light in the palace flickered in response. A blurry figure

appeared within the violet light in the palace, floating there and
looking at him.
Xu Qing’s heart flip-flopped.

It was none other than Plumdark!

But now that he was closer, Xu Qing could see that she wasn’t
exactly like the Plumdark he remembered. It wasn’t in terms of her
looks, but rather, her bearing. This person seemed desolate, even
emotionless.

Xu Qing stood there for a moment before walking forward. As he

approached, the warding spells seemed to make a path for him,
allowing him to walk right up to the center most palace. Taking a
deep breath, he pushed open the ancient doors.

They opened noiselessly, revealing a pitch black hall.

There were no lamps in the hall, making it very dark and gloomy.
In fact, it was so dark the light from outside couldn’t enter.

Xu Qing stood there for a while getting used to the darkness, until
he was finally able to see the interior. The hall was almost
completely empty. There were no chairs or anything else.
However, there was a lonely statue in the middle of the hall. It was
easy to imagine how, when the door was closed and the hall was
sealed, it would feel very much like a cage. There was only that
statue there, standing eternally alone.

The statue was of a woman, but she was not Plumdark. However,
she was beautiful. And within that beauty was a gracefulness that
came with age. The statue didn’t seem to want to hide that age, as
there were some wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. She had a
warm smile on her face, and her eyes had been sculpted in a way
that made them seem warm and merciful.

In her hand was a lamp that she held as if it were the most
precious object in the world. It was a very unique lamp. It was
carved from purple stone, and it resembled a blooming bauhinia
flower. On the surface of the flower rested a violet phoenix with its
wings outstretched. It looked very lifelike.

Upon seeing that lamp, Xu Qing struggled to control his breathing.

It was a life lamp, or more precisely, it was a sculpture of a life
lamp. Xu Qing had never seen it before, yet it seemed very
familiar to him. And the reason was because of a dream Arch-
Immortal Plumdark had related to him.

“There’s a dream I have occasionally.... In the dream, the world is

pitch dark. I can’t see anything except for a lamp, which is right in
front of me.... The lamp is extinguished. It has no light. That makes
it almost impossible to see. Nor can I touch it. It’s as if it’s too far
away, but at the same time, incredibly close to me.

“In my imagination, it looks like a blooming bauhinia flower. And

living on it is a little violet phoenix with its wings spread.

“That lamp has always appeared in my dreams, and it’s always

extinguished. And there is never any light in that world.” [1]
Xu Qing was visibly stunned.

In the past, he’d assumed the story was just a random dream
Arch-Immortal Plumdark had. But then he saw Plumdark outside
this hall. And then he saw this carving of a lamp. He had no idea
where the real version of the lamp was. In the holy lands?
Vanished in time?

Why would Plumdark dream about this lamp? And why did she
appear in the violet light outside? What karma connects her to this
lamp?

Within the darkness of the hall, the image of Plumdark appeared in

front of the statue. She was looking at the statue, her eyes
glittering with something like familial admiration, and also extreme
bitterness. She looked over her shoulder at Xu Qing, and
something flashed through her desolate eyes. She opened her
mouth and spoke.

Xu Qing heard nothing. But after she finished speaking, her

expression changed. It became sorrowful. All of a sudden, another
figure entered the hall, walking forward and through Xu Qing.

Shivering, Xu Qing looked over his shoulder, then back at the

figure that had just walked through him.

It was a tall young man wearing an imperial robe with a four-

clawed golden dragon on it. He had a nine-tasseled imperial
crown, and though he emanated no aura, a mere glance at him
gave the impression of mighty strength. [2]

Standing with his back to Xu Qing, he spoke to Plumdark,

although Xu Qing couldn’t hear what he was saying.

Plumdark wept as she looked outside of the hall. She seemed

overwhelmed with sorrow. That was when Xu Qing realized that,
reflected in her pupils was a shattered sky, and an enormous
broken face looming there.

Xu Qing suddenly realized that what he was seeing wasn’t real,

but rather, was like a recorded image!

Earlier, Plumdark hadn’t been looking at him. She had just been
looking in the direction where he was standing.

As he watched, Plumdark shook her head and spoke. She

seemed to be saying something critical. The figure in the imperial
robe eventually extended his hand, as if asking Plumdark to leave
with him. Plumdark decisively shook her head. The young man in
the imperial robe stood there for a long moment. Then he took a
small violet bottle out of his robe. Walking up to the statue, he
poured a few drops of liquid from the bottle onto the violet lamp.

The liquid was transparent, like lamp oil.

Having done that, he put the nearly empty bottle down to the side.
Then he turned, revealing a face full of grief and bitterness. When
Xu Qing saw his face, he was shocked to find that the young man
looked very similar to Plumdark. Apparently they were brother and
sister.

The young man left, walking through Xu Qing and out of the hall....
After he was gone, the doors of the hall slowly closed.

Plumdark knelt in front of the statue, her face a mask of sorrow.

Gradually, the hall started to turn dark again. The lamp carving
had oil in it, but the darkness continued to gather until everything
disappeared.

Everything turned very cold. When darkness and gloom filled the
hall, the only thing that remained was a sigh that echoed out
before fading into nothing. A moment later, the darkness vanished.
It turned into a violet light that swept back toward the distant wall
of flesh.

When the violet light was gone, the coldness disappeared.

Everything returned to normal for Xu Qing.

The Captain stood next to him, panting for breath.

“Well this is annoying, little Junior Brother. I wonder who lived here
back in the day. That was really tough, especially the violet light
which—”

The shadow by the wall hastened back to Xu Qing, where it

trembled and sent him emotional fluctuations of embarrassment
and terror.

“Scared... can’t get... in.”

Xu Qing frowned and looked at the courtyard beyond the wall.

“Eldest Brother,” Xu Qing interrupted, “I feel like this place is

familiar. Did you hear that just now?”

“Familiar? Hear something?” The Captain looked stunned.

“It was like a sigh came from that violet light just now,” Xu Qing
said solemnly.

The Captain’s expression flickered, and he was about to say

something when a rumbling sound echoed out from the safety
zone about 250 kilometers away. Despite the great distance
involved, the sound was very clear, and they even felt the ground
tremble. Then their command swords vibrated as a notification
came in.

“The third wave has arrived. Furthermore, Seventh Prince has new
orders for those who came in the first wave. For seven days, you
have been working hard here in Forbidden by the Immortal.
Dramatic events may be unfolding, so you may all leave over the
course of the next three hours. Those who came in the second
wave may leave after they have been here for seven days. The
same pattern holds for the third wave.”
Xu Qing and the Captain looked at each other. There was no way
they were going to leave, so they put their command swords away
and looked back at the wall of flesh.

The Captain had been about to ask Xu Qing about the sigh he
mentioned, but before he could, something occurred to him. Eyes
widening, he looked at Xu Qing. Xu Qing apparently had thought
of the same thing, as he also turned to look at the Captain.

“The third wave is already here?”

“Last I remember, the second wave had just shown up....”

Their pupils constricted simultaneously as they took out their

command swords again to review the contents of the notification.
Both of them focused on the same thing, and it caused waves of
shock to roll through them.

“Seven days?” The Captain’s eyes narrowed.

“When we arrived at this palace complex, it was the fourth day,

and the second wave had just arrived.” Xu Qing’s expression
became incomparably serious.

“As far as I can tell,” the Captain said, “we’ve only been here for
about the time it takes an incense stick to burn. But based on the
information from the command sword, it’s been three days!” His
eyes glittered. “What were we actually doing during those three
days?”
Xu Qing’s expression was very unsightly as he looked past the
wall of flesh at the nine palaces. He suddenly got the sensation
that he had forgotten something. At the same time, he felt like this
area seemed very familiar. It was a feeling very much like what he
had experienced back in D-132. Without any hesitation, he tapped
into the power of his D-132 heavenly palace and sent it throughout
his body.

The Captain’s expression was grim. The image of a face appeared

in his pupils and his aura turned very cold as he looked in the
same direction as Xu Qing, at the wall of flesh.

A long moment passed, and they slowly backed away from the
area. As they did, the nine palaces began to crumble and
disappear. Seeing that, Xu Qing and the Captain stopped in place.
The moment they did, the crumbling stopped. Eyes blank, they
took a few steps forward, which caused the crumbling to reverse.
Then they backed up, and it started again. After they had backed
up about 3,000 meters, the palace complex had crumbled into
nothing, as it would have thanks to the ravages of time. However,
there was one thing that didn’t crumble. An old statue.

It was in such bad shape it was impossible to tell much about it. Its
facial features weren’t visible. It wasn’t possible to tell if it was
male or female. It didn’t even have arms. The only thing visible
was a lamp.
And next to the lamp was a violet bottle, right there in the middle of
the ruins.

1. Plumdark explained her dream in chapter 380. ☜

2. The robes with the four-clawed dragon would be for princes or

other royalty, as opposed to the emperor himself. And the crown
with nine tassels would also be worn by high-ranking people other
than the emperor (with the emperor having a twelve-tasseled
crown). ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsAuthor note translated from Chinese:I was

drinking as I was writing, and before I knew it, I’d had a lot to
drink....Well crap... now I feel great. What should I do now?

Author note translated from Chinese:

I was drinking as I was writing, and before I knew it, I’d had a lot to
drink....

Well crap... now I feel great. What should I do now?

Chapter 523: Heavenfate Dao Soul (1)

The Captain hesitated. Xu Qing frowned.

Their experiments had confirmed that the phoenix-like palace

complex with its nine buildings would crumble when they moved
away from them, and then be restored as they got closer. The
transformation occurred based on the behavior of whoever came
to explore the place. And if they got close enough, even stranger
things would happen. They would enter a bizarre, distorted state of
reality in which time passed without them realizing it.

“Little Ah Qing,” the Captain said, “remember how you said the
place seemed familiar? Was that a really strong feeling?”

Xu Qing nodded. “Very strong.”

“In that case, do you think it’s possible that, during the three days
that passed, we actually went in and explored the place? Maybe
more than once? I have a similar feeling, but it’s not very strong.
So maybe I stayed on the perimeter while you went further inside.
That would explain why you have such a strong feeling.”

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed. “If you’re right, then had we not

received that notification from the command sword, we wouldn’t
have realized time was passing. In which case, the next thing that
would have happened would be me thinking to use the severed
hand as a protection. And I would have asked you to throw me
over the wall. Apparently that method works. Once inside the wall,
I would step out of the hand and explore the palace complex.”

With that, Xu Qing looked over at the hand hoping to find evidence
to prove his theory. Unfortunately, the regenerative properties of
the hand were so impressive that it looked exactly as it always
had. That said, upon looking very closely, it was possible to find
evidence of newly regrown flesh.

The Captain’s eyes glittered. “So, you have explored the place a
few times. Except, you don’t remember what happened inside....
Little Junior Brother, think carefully. Are you able to remember
even the slightest thing?”

Xu Qing closed his eyes and searched his memories.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember anything at all. His
recollection of the events with the palace complex seemed to
make perfect sense, without any discrepancies in the timeline. He
frowned. This was indeed very much like his early experience with
D-132, although there were some differences.

D-132 had two levels of reality, a superficial one, and a deeper

one. Because of the effects of destiny aura, there was balance
between the two, leaving most ordinary people to only be able to
see the superficial reality. That said, the deeper reality still existed
at all times, and its influence still existed. People just didn’t notice
it. That was why other guards had died because of the misfortune
in D-132. There were also other people who, for a variety of
different reasons, woke up and saw past the superficial reality. But
when they left D-132, they would forget everything. Because of
that cycle, Xu Qing would wake up every day, and then forget
everything every day. However, that led to a subconscious cyclical
sensation.

In contrast, the phoenix-like temple complex didn’t have a

superficial and deeper reality. It only had one level of reality that
was part of the endless cycle.

After analyzing the situation for a time, Xu Qing decided to activate

his taboo poison core, his Ghost Emperor mountain, his heavenly
dao, and the power of D-132, all at the same time. In the blink of
an eye, he rose to a higher level of existence.

As winds screamed in the area, the Captain looked over. This was
the Captain’s first time seeing Xu Qing in such a state. Eyes
shining, he smacked his lips.

Xu Qing ignored the Captain. As he continued to power up, he

looked over at the palace complex. Everything seemed normal.
But then Xu Qing’s jaw nearly dropped. Tapping into his god body,
he forced the golden threads within him to stir. Then his eyes
glittered with golden light as he looked more closely at the temple
complex.
This time, he saw something different. The nine palaces were
clearly still there. But they seemed blurry. And they were covered
by a shimmering layer of violet, a light that seemed illusory, and
gave off the sensation of existing somewhere between reality and
falsehood. What was more, it contained a sense of flowing time.
The sensation was difficult to describe.

A moment later, Xu Qing retracted all his powers. Sighing, he

turned to the Captain and shook his head.

“I can’t remember.”

The Captain sighed.

“Although,” Xu Qing suddenly added, “I think I have a way to get

that little violet bottle.”

The Captain’s eyes narrowed.

Xu Qing waved his right hand, causing the stone lion and head to
fly out of his D-132 heavenly palace. The head was a quick
learner, so the moment it appeared, it plastered a fawning
expression onto its face.

“Greetings, my most great, esteemed, paramount, and exalted

jailer!”

The stone lion had no head, and thus couldn’t speak, but it
wagged its tail vigorously and put its chest on the ground like a
dog.
The Captain had seen the head before, but not the stone lion, so
his eyes glittered as he examined it.

“Is this another friend of yours, little Junior Brother? I remember

seeing the head before, and was very intrigued. As for this stone
lion, I’d say it looks amazing. It smells a lot like a cloud troll,
though. Also... these two friends of yours are very fantastic. Not
only do they have destiny aura, but also, they’ve been cursed. And
those two powers exist in a perfect state of balance.

“For a curse to exist in a state of balance with destiny seems to

indicate that the curse is from a god.... Little Junior Brother, have
you ever heard of the idiom a ghost helping a tiger? In that idiom,
the ghost is none other than a tiger-assisting ghost. According to
the stories, if a tiger kills someone, they’ll become a special kind of
ghost that stays by the tiger’s side forever. These two friends of
yours are basically tiger-assisting ghosts!” [1]

When the stone lion heard that, it shivered. The head’s eyes went
wide, and it looked suspiciously at the Captain. This was the
second time the two had encountered someone who could quickly
see how unique they were.

The first was Xu Qing. The second was this person. [2]

He called the Fiendish Xu ‘little Junior Brother.’ That means they’re

fellow disciples! Anyone who has such a close relationship with
the Fiendish Xu must also be a freakish hellion! The terrified head
thought back to when Xu Qing recently summoned it, stomped it,
and then put it away after it recovered. In that brief moment, the
head’s attention had been focused on the terrifying Xu Qing, so it
hadn’t paid much attention to the other two individuals present. But
now, it looked over and examined the Captain closely.

The moment it did, its eyes nearly exploded, and it screamed,

“Mouths. Infinite mouths! Chains! Chains from the Nine
Serenities.... Sealing marks. Unending seals! Dear lord! What am I
looking at? The bones of gods? Innumerable bones of gods!”

All of a sudden, the head exploded.

Xu Qing looked at the Captain. The Captain looked back

innocently.

The stone lion shivered, even more terrified than before.

Shortly after, the head was back to normal. Trembling, it inclined

itself into a bow, looking incomparably obedient. It didn’t dare to
look at the Captain or Xu Qing, and was inwardly howling in grief.
After all, it was just now realizing that, back when Xu Qing
summoned it recently, there had been a third person present.

Xu Qing had quickly whisked it back into D-132. But even back in
D-132, it had trembled fearfully for a long time. That group of three
people was just too terrifying, so much so that the head was too
scared to use any of its powers.
All three of them are completely terrifying!

Xu Qing’s curiosity was piqued. Though he knew the Captain had

a lot of secrets, the head’s reaction was really pushing the
boundaries of melodrama. Now wasn’t the time to delve into the
details, though, so he just looked coldly at the head.

“I want the two of you to go get that violet bottle. If you do well, I’ll
consider reducing your sentence.”

“Oh great and wonderful jailer, the reality is we don’t care if our
sentence is reduced or not. As long as we—”

Before the head could finish speaking, the stone lion planted its
forepaws onto the ground, then burst into motion toward the
temple complex. Seeing that, the head instantly got nervous and
started rolling along after the stone lion. After picking up some
speed, it flew into the air and landed on the lion’s neck. Together,
they dashed toward the area beyond the wall of flesh.

Xu Qing watched carefully, as did the Captain.

“You think they can do it?” the Captain asked.

“They’re prisoners from D-132. Considering how long they were in

that cell block, they should be able to do it.” Xu Qing went on to
explain a bit about how D-132 worked.

The Captain’s eyes glittered. “I had no idea the Corrections

Division had such an amazing location!”
The Captain noted the look in Xu Qing’s eyes, and realized how
much he missed life in the Corrections Division. That made the
Captain think about Palace Lord Kong, and how nice things had
once been. Sighing inwardly, he clasped Xu Qing’s shoulder then
pointed toward the temple complex.

“Very impressive!”

The stone lion, carrying the head, shot toward the wall of flesh and
then leaped over it. Because of their unique nature, the warding
spells weren’t effective at all against them.

As Xu Qing watched, the stone lion landed in the courtyard and

started circling around as if searching for something.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that the violet bottle was very close,
they didn’t seem capable of finding it.

Xu Qing frowned slightly.

Then things changed. Apparently at the urging of the head, the

two of them backed away from each other, then rushed toward
each other, slammed into each other, and exploded. They were
quickly resurrected. Trembling in excitement, they flew a short
distance away, then killed each other again. That cycle continued
to play out, getting them closer and closer to the violet bottle.

The Captain chuckled. “Those two are actually pretty smart!

Whenever they’re resurrected, the interaction between the destiny
aura and the curse gives them a brief moment in which they can
see their surroundings clearly.”

Xu Qing nodded.

As the two of them watched, the head and the stone lion died a
good dozen times or so. Eventually, they reached the violet bottle.
Without the slightest hesitation, the head stuffed the bottle into its
mouth, then flew back to the stone lion. As they fled, the area of
decomposition reached the remnants of the statue, which started
blurring, and eventually crumbled into dust. At the same time, the
wall of flesh extended to cover the entire complex.

During the process, the stone lion and the head managed to race
back to Xu Qing. The head released the violet bottle, then
continued to jabber fawning words. However, Xu Qing just waved
his hand and sucked them back into D-132.

The Captain squatted and picked up the bottle. The moment he

touched it, he shivered visibly. He recovered a moment later, and
then looked at Xu Qing with an expression of complete incredulity.

“This is... a timescape bottle!”

1. I’ve directly translated the entire passage regarding ghosts and

tigers. The idiom the Captain cites, a ghost helping a tiger, is not
usually translated into English that way, primarily because the
character for “ghost” is not the general one for ghost, but rather,
that of the “tiger-assisting ghost.” Such ghosts, which were
mentioned previously in chapter 241, are “the ghost of someone
who was killed by a tiger, yet helps the tiger to devour others.”
Usually, the idiom in question is translated in ways such as:
playing the jackal to the tiger; helping a rascal commit villainy;
abetting an evildoer. ☜

2. Don’t forget that, as initially revealed in chapter 412, Xu Qing

figured out the secret of D-132 on his second day there. ☜
Chapter 523: Heavenfate Dao Soul (2)

The Captain instinctively looked left and right, then grabbed Xu

Qing and directed the severed hand to leave the area.

Xu Qing already had a lot of questions, but given the Captain’s

behavior, he held his tongue. Eventually, when they were far away
in a safe location, the two of them squatted across from each other
in the severed hand. The Captain was breathing heavily, and his
eyes shone with brilliant light.

“Eldest Brother,” Xu Qing asked, “what exactly is a timescape

bottle?”

The Captain exhaled slowly, then once again looked around. Upon
confirming they were alone, he performed an incantation gesture
to seal the surroundings.

Seemingly overwhelmed with excitement, he said, “This is a major

windfall, little Ah Qing!! A timescape bottle! I’ve seen them
described in certain ancient records. Back in the era of Ancient
Emperor Dark Serenity, only the imperial clan had these things.
Even then, they were very rare. If a new one popped up, it would
become the sole focus of the imperial clan. And any group outside
of the imperial clan who got one and hid it would eventually be
exterminated. Doing so was considered a major crime.
“Supposedly, when Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity took the
imperial clan and various other humans out of this world, they took
all the timescape bottles with them. Yet right here we have one. An
actual timescape bottle!”

Lowering his voice, the Captain continued, “Nobody really knows

where timescape bottles come from. From ancient times until now,
not one person has been able to identify their true history.
However, one known fact is that whenever Ancient Emperors
conquered Revered Ancient in the past, they always collected
them. According to one legend, and it’s just a legend, mind you,
the timescape bottles contain the biggest secret of the Revered
Ancient mainland. Other people say that they contain the method
that lets Ancient Emperors and Imperial Sovereigns break their
inner shackles. Yet others say that timescape bottles contain the
most supreme and paramount legacy imaginable.

“There’s just about every sort of rumor imaginable regarding them.

But in the end, only one timescape bottle can come to exist in a
given epoch. They’re mysteries that belonged only to the imperial
clans. Although no one has ever unraveled the secrets of the
timescape bottles, not even after all these years, they aren’t
useless by any stretch of the imagination. They have the power to
preserve time itself. You see, they’re receptacles, and anything
you put inside them is spared the ravaging effects of time.

“Little Junior Brother, now it makes sense why that area was so
strange. There was a section of time that was preserved in the
timescape bottle, and it was slowly spreading out in the area,
creating an endless cycle.”

This was Xu Qing’s first time hearing about timescape bottles, and
the information was quite surprising. However, it also made him
think about wish boxes and recording bottles. Therefore, he asked
the Captain if they were connected.

“Wish boxes and recording bottles? Both of those things are

basically imitations of timescape bottles. One of them copies the
timescape bottles’ preserving powers, the other imitates their
powers of time preservation!”

The Captain lifted the timescape bottle and shook it back and forth
gently. “There’s something inside. It sounds like a liquid!” Eyes
shining, he sniffed the bottle, causing an intoxicated expression to
fill his face. “Smells lovely! I wonder what it is. Seems
consumable. Little Junior Brother, do you think we should drink it?”
Licking his lips, the Captain passed the bottle to Xu Qing. “You
smell it.”

Xu Qing accepted the bottle, put it under his nose, and inhaled. A
strange aroma entered him, becoming an energy flow that swept
through him. It didn’t provoke any reaction from his god body, but it
did cause the four life lamps in his sea of consciousness to flicker.
They seemed to surge with boundless longing, as if the contents
of the bottle would be an extraordinary boon to life lamps. And
then there was his incomplete twelfth heavenly palace, which
rocked back and forth. Apparently, the contents of the bottle would
be a big help in the process of materializing a heavenly palace.

Xu Qing was visibly moved, but was also hesitant. After all, he had
no idea what that liquid was, and it was a relic of ancient time.
That said, as for whether or not it could be consumed, Xu Qing
decided to trust the Captain.

He nodded decisively. “Let’s drink it!”

The Captain chuckled, took the bottle, shook it, then lifted it to his
mouth and let a single drop of the viscous fluid flow out. There was
another drop left in the bottle. The Captain handed the bottle to Xu
Qing.

Xu Qing opened his mouth and poured the second drop inside.
Then he closed his eyes to focus on absorbing the liquid. He
immediately felt like his insides were about to explode. A heaven-
shaking, earth-shattering aura erupted in his mouth, shot down his
throat, spread through his body, and converged in his sea of
consciousness.

The four life lamp heavenly palaces trembled violently, much as

the taboo poison core had reacted to god vitality, except that the
longing was even more intense. It was as if their long existence
had resulted in them being incredibly withered, and only now did
they encounter true nourishment. After all, though they existed
inside Xu Qing, and were thus bolstered by him, they hadn’t been
created using his blood.

After absorbing the liquid, the life flames that burned on the lamps
became unprecedentedly brighter. The fire burned incredibly
brightly, such that it pierced the mist that hung over the sea of
consciousness. As that fire climbed higher and higher, it was
possible to see that atop each of the four life lamps sat a small,
illusory figure, right in the middle of the flame.

When Xu Qing saw that, he was rocked with astonishment. He

knew exactly what those small figures were.

They were nascent souls!

Though they were currently illusory, they were already getting very
close to a state of full materialization.

Thanks to the incitement of the liquid from the timescape bottle,

the life flames burning on Xu Qing’s four life lamps grew vastly
brighter. What was more, the small figures sitting in the fire all bore
the exact same face as Xu Qing.

After ten breaths of time passed, the first of Xu Qing’s life lamps,
the black umbrella, started burning so brightly that the figure atop
it materialized! It became completely clear to see. Then its eyes
opened, and it seemed to be looking right at Xu Qing via divine
sense, through the life flame. Xu Qing’s mind spun as his
cultivation base fluctuations grew even more intense.
At the same time, an umbrella appeared over Xu Qing’s head. It
looked different than before. It was more lustrous, and seemed
even more real. What was more, as it hovered above the cross-
legged Xu Qing, he seemed like a young Ancient Emperor. He
abounded with majesty.

Things weren’t over yet. Next, as the seven-colored wind-chanting

lamp emanated deafening sounds, the figure in its flame opened
its eyes.

A second umbrella appeared!

Next, a nascent soul formed in the hellspirit bloodwing lamp, and

then in the immortal-shredding god-devouring lamp.

Xu Qing sat cross-legged underneath four umbrellas, all of which

flowed with dazzling light. There was the black umbrella, the
seven-colored umbrella, then the blood wing. After that, his aura
became fiendish and deadly. All of that combined with his
spectacularly beautiful good looks would ensure that, if anyone
was able to see him right now, and didn’t know who he was, would
assume that he was an imperial prince of humankind.

Four nascent souls appeared, one after another, causing Xu

Qing’s cultivation base to rise dramatically. His fluctuations
reached an astonishing level, and terrifying power flowed through
him. Next, his golden crow nascent soul erupted.
At the same time, a sensation of impending heavenly tribulation
filled Xu Qing’s mind. However, it hadn’t reached the point of
becoming a reality; the sensation needed to intensify before he
could summon the tribulation.

There was still a bit of power left from the liquid in the timescape
bottle. Therefore, Xu Qing directed it toward his twelfth heavenly
palace. It was close to being materialized, but not all the way. As it
absorbed the power, it rapidly materialized, reaching an eighty
percent level of completion. Then ninety percent. Then ninety-nine
percent!

His twelfth heavenly palace glittered brightly as it rocked back and

forth.

All it needed was an item to fill it, and it would be complete!

Xu Qing opened his eyes to see the Captain looking regretfully at

the umbrellas.

The Captain’s aura was obviously dramatically higher than before.

Similar to Xu Qing, he emanated the fluctuations of the Nascent
Soul level. However, it was hard to tell exactly how many nascent
souls he had.

Upon seeing Xu Qing awaken, the Captain inhaled sharply, his

face a mask of regret. “Little Ah Qing, the nascent souls your life
lamps have formed are almost on the verge of summoning the first
tribulation!
“Life lamps really are precious treasures. What a pity I don’t have
the blood of any Ancient Emperors or Imperial Sovereigns, so I
can’t make my own life lamp. And external life lamps can’t be
integrated into my blood. Nor can I do as the descendants of the
Ancient Emperors and Imperial Sovereigns, and use a life lamp as
one of the Spirit Trove ovens, in other words, as the foundation for
one of the five secret troves.

“That’s why a lot of almighty cultivators don’t care much about life
lamps when they reach Spirit Trove. It’s not that life lamps aren’t
good, but rather, we eventually just can’t use them. Ai.”

Xu Qing hadn’t heard about life lamps being converted into ovens
in Spirit Trove. But he had sensed that, as his cultivation base
climbed, the life lamps were reaching the point of being obsolete.

“There’s no way you can integrate them with your blood?” Xu Qing
asked.

The Captain shook his head. “From ancient times until now there
have been plenty of people who tried. But sadly, it’s not possible.
The only people who can do that are descendants of Ancient
Emperors and Imperial Sovereigns who used their own blood to
make the life lamp.”

Xu Qing nodded. That said, he wasn’t going to cry about the

situation. His life lamps were still helping out when it came to the
Nascent Soul level, and he got the sense that they would enable
him to reach a peak level of strength.

The Captain patted Xu Qing’s shoulder. “It’s not a big deal. I’ll
keep thinking about it, and who knows, maybe I’ll come up with a
way to make it happen. Let’s not worry about that now. I doubt
Master had any clue that we would benefit from the good fortune
of a timescape bottle. Therefore, he didn’t bother giving us much
detailed information about nascent souls. I guess I’ll have to pick
up the slack.

“The Nascent Soul level is called different things by different

species. For instance the Heavenfate level, or the Dao Soul level.
And of course, the Heavenfate Nascent Soul level. All of the
different names trace back to times when various conquering
Ancient Emperors decreed that the name be changed.

“When Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity conquered Revered

Ancient, he stipulated that it be called the Heavenfate Dao Soul
level. But the reality is that they all mean the same thing. The ‘dao’
was added to unify the understandings of all of the various
species. As for ‘heavenfate,’ it refers to a specific type of heavenly
tribulation.”

Xu Qing took things he had already heard about the Heavenfate

Dao Soul level and combined it with what the Captain had just told
him to get an even clearer understanding.
The way humans understood it was that the level required a ‘dao
soul’ that had experienced the baptism of heavenly tribulation.
After that, it was called a heavenfate dao soul. Truly stepping into
that level required experiencing heavenly tribulation. Before you
did, it didn’t matter how many dao souls you had, you were still
considered to be in the pseudo-Nascent Soul level.

That was how it was in the era of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.
Though humans no longer controlled the entire mainland, their
understanding of the level hadn’t changed. Of course, different
species had different beliefs and customs. There were even many
species who didn’t believe that heavenly tribulation was important,
so as soon as someone had a dao soul, they were considered to
be in a higher cultivation realm.

Humans considered the heavenly tribulation to be a way to deal

with the shackles limiting nascent souls. With every new nascent
soul that appeared, they would have it face heavenly tribulation,
the baptism of which would break that shackle.

The world of Revered Ancient was huge and filled with countless
species that had varying beliefs. For instance there were the
Demi-Immortals, who looked at things very differently than
humans. And there were plenty others like them. As a result, there
was no way there would be one unified understanding.

What was more, there were different ways of achieving

breakthroughs, depending on the species. As a result, there were
plenty of variations within the level, and also some that were
stronger than others.

In the final analysis, though, there were basically two main types.
In one type, the baptism of heavenly tribulation came starting with
the second nascent soul. In the second, which was the rarer type,
the cultivator would form nascent souls in all of their heavenly
palaces, and then experience all of the tribulations at one time.
The latter was the more difficult version, but those who succeeded
would have stronger heavenfate, which would be of great
assistance in the Spirit Trove level.

Once in the Heavenfate Dao Soul level, rising higher was a

different process than in the Gold Core level with its heavenly
palaces. It required passing the heaven-fate tribulations. With
each nascent soul that experienced that baptism, one rose to a
higher level.

Doing so five times was considered the great circle.

There were dangers involved, and thus, it was required to

strengthen the nascent souls as much as possible before
attempting the tribulation. Otherwise, a failure would involve the
permanent destruction of the nascent soul.

That was where life lamps showed their true advantage in this
level. That was because if a life lamp failed a tribulation, the lamp
wouldn’t be destroyed. In turn, that meant that multiple attempts
were possible with them.

As he contemplated those things, Xu Qing examined his twelfth

heavenly palace and tried to decide what to do with it. That was
when the Captain unexpectedly tossed him the timescape bottle.

“Put this thing into your twelfth heavenly palace!”

Xu Qing looked up at the Captain.

“It’s a real treasure, and I can’t use it. My cultivation involves

undoing seals.” The Captain chuckled and winked.

“Thank you, Eldest Brother.” Xu Qing felt warmth in his heart. Over
the years that had passed, the Captain and Master Seventh had
become like a family he couldn’t do without.

His experiences as a youth had resulted in him developing a cold

personality, but deep inside, he had always longed to have family.
He and the Captain had gone through a lot together. They had
risked their lives together. And unconsciously, Xu Qing had started
to think of him as a big brother.

Without any hesitation, Xu Qing put the timescape bottle into his
twelfth heavenly palace.

The palace rumbled as it became complete. It was very different

from his other heavenly palaces; the twelfth palace pulsed with the
power of time. As it did, Xu Qing could just barely make out
something like a sigh coming from the ancient past. That sigh
caused his eyes to widen.

It was... Arch-Immortal Plumdark’s voice.

He was just about to try to figure out what was going on when, all
of a sudden, a deafening rumbling sound filled the dome of
heaven. Cracking sounds rang out, and rifts opened up overhead,
filling the sky. The canopy of heaven suddenly resembled a spider
web. Bright red light began to spread out everywhere.

Both Xu Qing and the Captain looked visibly surprised.

Chapter 524: Crimson Mother Arrives (1)

The canopy of heaven in Forbidden by the Immortal was lit with

crimson light, making it seem like a world of blood. What was
more, it was full of rifts. Thanks to the bright red sky, it was
possible to see that the rifts were very deep. And they didn’t look
like they’d formed naturally. They looked constructed, such that
they resembled a massive magical symbol! A mere glance at that
symbol would cause feelings of uncontrollable terror to rise up in a
person, something instinctual and from the depths of one’s life
force.

It wasn’t just Xu Qing and the Captain who were shaken. All of the
cultivators in the safety zone were also affected. Everyone felt
deeply moved, and sensed as if a great catastrophe was looming.
The army of cultivators was made mostly of people from the
second and third wave. Most of those who’d made up the first
wave had already left.

The source of the dramatic scene in the canopy of heaven was the
central region of Forbidden by the Immortal. At that location was
the main imperial palace hall of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity for
this particular operations palace.

What had once been a magnificent and incomparable palace hall

was now very different. It was now covered in a gigantic,
cancerous growth of flesh. From a distance, it looked like a
massive ball of flesh some tens of thousands of meters in size,
covered with thick blood veins that stretched all over it. What was
more, it pulsed, almost like a heart.

Thump thump. Thump thump.

Every time it moved, it sent a thunderous noise rippling out in all

directions.

That noise distorted the air, turning it blurry. Mutagen levels

soared, becoming like a mist. It also created gruish figures who
hovered in the air and bowed to the ball of flesh. The blood
vessels stretched out from the flesh and across the ground in the
area.

About 500 kilometers away, there was another strange sight. It

wasn’t a ball of flesh, but rather, something like a spike rising into
the sky. It was pitch black, incredibly sharp, and pulsed with a cold
aura. It looked like some sort of consummate, deadly weapon. It
was a godly weapon, and there wasn’t just one of them. Another
500 kilometers away was another spike that looked exactly the
same. Yet another 500 kilometers away was a third spike! If you
could look down on Forbidden by the Immortal from a very high
vantage point, you would see that there were a total of twenty-
seven spikes. Starting from the imperial palace, they stretched out
toward the west. It was almost as if there were some huge beast
buried underneath the operations palace, and the thorns were
spikes coming off of its back.
The ‘heart’ covering the imperial palace was directly above that
beast, and hovering above it in the sky was an octagonal spell
formation that looked like it was set into the sky itself. It pulsed
with red light. There was a natural cadence to the way it flickered
and turned the sky red. It was impossible to tell what the spell
formation was made from. It was only 3,000 meters across, so
compared to the beast below, it was insignificant other than the
red light it cast.

That said, it was clearly the source of the rifts, as they spread out
from the formation to fill the dome of heaven.

Inside the octagonal spell formation were 361 black-robed figures.

360 of them sat cross-legged and were chanting some sort of
complicated and indecipherable enchantment. It wasn’t a human
language. It sounded gruish and bizarre. What was more, every so
often as they chanted, they would lift a hand, plunge it into their
bodies, and pull out one of their organs. Then they would hold the
organ high overhead, dripping blood, as if it were an offering. The
organs would rapidly wither, turning into black energy that
converged in the middle of the spell formation.

That was the location of the 361st person. Though he also wore a
voluminous black cloak, he was trembling so hard that the hood
had fallen back to reveal a face criss-crossed with red blood
vessels.
He was none other than Zhang Siyun. He knelt there, his head
thrown back so he faced the sky, his expression one of agony. The
blood vessels on his face wriggled, and were seemingly trying to
take the shape of a crescent moon. Tears of blood leaked out of
his eyes. His left eye had burst out of the eye socket, leaving an
open hole. Countless blood vessels snaked out of that hole and
connected to the spell formation, whose blessing allowed them to
continue growing outward. If you traced those blood vessels
further, you would find that the rifts in the sky were actually
extensions of the blood vessels from Zhang Siyun’s hollowed-out
left eye!

As the sound of the enchantment rang out, the wriggling of the

blood vessels on his face increased in intensity, and the shape of
a red crescent moon became more clear. Meanwhile, the black
energy converging around Zhang Siyun was sucked into him,
where it became red, and was fed into the growing moon.

Then Zhang Siyun's hands slowly rose. It seemed as though he

would soon rip out his right eye and then cover both eyes with his
hands, which would conform exactly to the figure atop the moon
that Xu Qing had seen in his sea of consciousness. [1]

The 360 black-robed figures surrounding Zhang Siyun started

chanting with increased fervor, all while continuing to rip out their
organs and offer them as sacrifices. The smell of gore abounded
in the most gruish fashion, accompanied by a boundlessly vile
aura.
Xu Qing and the Captain were deeply shaken, and were no longer
seeking new places to explore. Instead, they were looking for
somewhere with a lot of built-up flesh. Though there was magenta
flesh everywhere, it seemed better to find a place with a lot of it.

About two hours later, as Xu Qing’s anxiety was really starting to

build up, they saw some distant ruins that had been covered with
so much flesh it looked like a mountain. Eventually, they found a
spot in one of the massive, flesh-covered walls that seemed to be
an opening.

“Let’s hole up in here, little Junior Brother,” the Captain said quietly
after looking around.

Xu Qing also scanned the area, then nodded. The two of them
entered. As they did, they spotted a fallen placard with the
character East on it.

“East Palace? Normally a crown prince’s residence is called the

East Palace.” The Captain looked around regretfully. “It’s too bad
the place is in ruins. Normally speaking, the crown prince’s
residence would have a lot of good treasures in it.”

Xu Qing also felt it was a pity. They had seen a lot of palaces as
they traveled, which gave a good sense of the wealth during
Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity’s time. They hadn’t even explored
all of the east district yet, much less gone beyond it. Forbidden by
the Immortal was so huge that completely exploring it would
require a huge group of people, and even then would take many
months.

“I wonder if we’ll get a chance to come back in later,” the Captain

said.

After looking around, they selected a rather remote side chamber.

Clearing out the flesh, they started digging a little cave. The flesh
was in almost constant motion, so as soon as they cleared the
flesh, it started growing back. Therefore, as soon as they had a
little tunnel dug, they burrowed in.

As the flesh closed up behind them, they kept digging in.

Eventually, when they felt they were deep enough, they settled
down cross-legged amidst the flesh and the mutagen.

“I wonder how Master is planning to profit from all of this,” Xu Qing

said as he looked around at the darkness. He still couldn’t stop
thinking about the sigh he’d heard when he integrated the
timescape bottle into his heavenly palace. It seemed to still echo in
his mind.

“Hey, little Ah Qing, want to see a battle between gods?” The

Captain chuckled, then extended his hand to reveal an eyeball in
his palm. It blinked a few times, then projected an image of a red
sky.

Xu Qing’s pupils constricted.

“I put a few eyes in place outside, all for the purpose of being able
to witness this battle between gods. That said, I know it brings a
certain element of risk. So let’s wait until the red moon is
awakened and in the middle of devouring the local god. Things will
be a lot safer then.”

Looking very pleased with himself, the Captain closed his hand,
covering the eye.

Xu Qing nodded. “Yeah, let’s wait. It shouldn’t be very long now.”

With that, he put on the skin mask with its concealment powers.
He settled the power of his taboo poison over his violet moon
heavenly palace. He also added in the power of his heavenly dao,
the Ghost Emperor mountain, and the daybreak light. With all that,
he was confident the violet moon wouldn’t be revealed. Having
accomplished these things, he closed his eyes and settled down to
wait, all while mentally reviewing everything that happened with
the phoenix-like temple complex.

In that matter, time slipped by slowly but surely.

About six hours later, intense rumbling sounds once again echoed
out in the sky outside. They were so intense that Xu Qing and the
Captain could hear them even in their hiding spot in the flesh.

Shaken, and still a bit fearful, they continued to wait. They didn’t
try to look at what was happening. Xu Qing knew for sure that the
red moon... was about to wake up.
The red color in the sky was even more intense than before,
casting all of the buildings and flesh in a deep crimson light. There
was some violet in it, but it was overwhelmed by the blood-red
color.

The twenty-seven spikes trembled, and the racing heart seemed

to pulse with an aura of awakening.

Meanwhile, in the canopy of heaven, all of the black-robed

individuals in the octagonal spell formation, who had already
sacrificed their five yin organs and their left eyes, dug out their
right eyes. As they held them aloft, Zhang Siyun’s right eye
withered into nothing, and a host of blood vessels exploded out of
his eye socket.

More rifts opened up in the sky.

Then Zhang Siyun’s hands slowly covered both of his eyes. His
facial expression didn’t reveal any hint of pain. The corners of his
lips twitched upward slightly. A terrifying and paramount will
suddenly erupted from Zhang Siyun. Both heaven and earth were
all stained red by that will.

Then a red moon rose in the sky of Forbidden by the Immortal,

right above Zhang Siyun!

1. Xu Qing saw the figure atop the moon, covering its eyes with its
hands, in chapter 361. ☜
Chapter 524: Crimson Mother Arrives (2)

The ground shook as a voice erupted from below that sounded like
it had been wrenched from sleep.

“Crimson Mother!”

Countless palaces crumbled, and the flesh that filled Forbidden by

the Immortal shivered. The twenty-seven spikes all started
emitting bright light. In the location of the heart, the wriggling flesh
opened up to reveal a 30,000-meter golden eye inside, which was
open. The ground trembled violently, the sky rippled, and mutagen
exploded out everywhere. The entire world blurred. The
prostrating figures all around screamed and scattered. And the
subject of the eye’s vision, the octagonal spell formation up in the
sky, instantly crumbled into ashes.

The 360 black-robed figures experienced instant mutation, and

then exploded, becoming a rain of blood that showered down.
Shockingly, the raindrops mutated in midair! They became
numerous golden eyes that swirled around the huge 30,000-meter
eye. And they were looking up at the only entity left in the sky!

They were staring at a kneeling figure, floating there with both

hands covering its eyes. It almost looked like a statue.
It was none other than Zhang Siyun. He was very conspicuous as
the eye of the god stared at him. But it didn’t seem to affect him at
all, as if the power of that gaze were insignificant. The red moon
behind him glittered with blood-colored light, becoming the only
thing clearly visible in the entire Forbidden by the Immortal. The
corners of his mouth rose further. Though it seemed a given that
he should seem sinister and terrifying, there was also something
very elegant about him. Keeping his hands in front of his eyes, he
slowly rose to a standing position. As he did, something about him
changed.

Terrifying fluctuations rolled off of hēr, filling heaven and earth.

Long black hair became as red as blood, spreading out to cover
the lands and fill the sky. A crown of thorns settled onto the head
of ‘Zhang Siyun’; clearly visible on it were three vicious faces,
sealed inside, howling in agony. From the fluctuations emanating
from the crown, it was obvious those three faces all belonged to
gods. Thēy had been used to create the crown.

The blood vessels on the face flowed together, converging on the

forehead in the shape of a red moon. Hēr eye sockets were now
like seas of blood that glowed with an extremely disturbing light.
The black daoist robe covering hēr body crumbled into ashes, and
was replaced by a flowing gold robe, so voluminous it spread out
in all directions, covering the surrounding lands.

From a distance, the scene was spectacular and shocking. Hair

filled the sky. The clothing covered the land. Shē hovered between
heaven and earth, like the ruler of the world. The good looks of
‘Zhang Siyun’ seemed supremely holy. It was enough that, anyone
who looked at this scene would feel their blood vessels collapsing,
and anyone who heard what was happening would descend into
an endless sea of pain.

The only way to live would be to offer obeisance. As of this

moment, godly might raged. The distortions created by the huge
eye below were wiped out of existence and replaced. The
mutagen pouring out transformed, becoming a red mist that
imprinted itself on hēr robe, becoming a complex red design.

“How amusing,” Crimson Mother said softly.

All of the humans’ plans were coming to fruition now that shē was
awake. Gods didn’t need to sit around conjecturing and analyzing.
With a single glance, a god could understand anything and
everything. All information existed within a god. Nothing from the
mortal world could be hidden from the sight of such a being.
Everything was transparent.

That said, the human emperor’s scheme was still working. When
Crimson Mother woke up and saw the god sleeping in Forbidden
by the Immortal, that god was like a juicy piece of meat, just
waiting to be devoured.

“A unique body. Excellent.” Crimson Mother did not speak the

language of humans, but that didn’t matter. All species could
understand words spoken by a godly voice. It caused Forbidden
by the Immortal to show signs of immediate collapse. Cracks
spread out on the ground, and the sky seemed like it might shatter.
Black soil was revealed outside, but it quickly turned red. It was as
if Forbidden by the Immortal itself couldn’t sustain the sound of hēr
voice.

As the ground trembled, golden blood flowed out of the eye in the
imperial palace. The twenty-seven spikes released flickering
fluctuations, and a thunderous roar echoed out.

“High God Crimson Mother, my lord and master is Flawless Hell,

Celestial Manager and Fifth Star of Cruelty, to whom was burned
the godfire of the Land of Cruelmurk, well-deserving of the title
High God!”

Crimson Mother looked down, blood-colored eyes fixing onto the

huge eye below. Golden saliva oozed out of the corners of hēr
mouth. Every drop that fell became like golden meteors that
smashed into the ground and ate out enormous craters. Anything
the golden saliva touched, it dissolved.

It was as if Crimson Mother was completely ignoring the words

spoken by the huge eye. As the saliva fell, shē extended her right
hand, then pushed it down toward the ground. That gesture
caused the ground of Forbidden by the Immortal to tremble with
unprecedented intensity. Starting with the imperial palace at the
center, five enormous crevices appeared.
Each one was a different length, with the shortest being 100-150
kilometers long, with the longest being about 250 kilometers. The
ravines stretched in a fan-like shape, stretching to the northwest,
true north, and northeast. They were like five fingers! Behind them
was a large portion of the land that sank down to a depth of
30,000 meters, and was covered with countless smaller gullies in
the southwest, due south, and southeast.

Looking at it straight down from high above, it was obviously a

huge palm print some 500 kilometers in size. It was as if a
massive hand were falling from the sky into the middle of the
forbidden ground. The five huge fingers were visible right where
the twenty-seven spikes stretched out.

As the ground trembled and shook, hēr open right hand slowly
closed. At the same time, the five fingers of the enormous hand
did the same thing, digging huge furrows into the ground. Dirt
exploded everywhere, and Forbidden by the Immortal shook
violently.

The god of Forbidden by the Immortal howled, and as the cries

drifted everywhere, the twenty-seven spikes glowed with dazzling
godly light, becoming beams that shot upward. From a distance, it
was possible to see that every single spike contained the power to
pierce through heaven and earth. They were like twenty-seven
godly weapons, all targeting Crimson Mother.
The red moon on Crimson Mother’s forehead glittered, and the red
moon higher in the sky radiated dazzling light. That light became a
sea of blood that slammed into the twenty-seven beams of golden
light, and transformed into twenty-seven blood-colored vortexes.

The vortexes spun endlessly and could not be pierced through.

The twenty-seven beams of golden light were obviously going to
be assimilated by the red vortexes.

Divine will tinged with terror erupted from the ground. Saliva
continued to drip from Crimson Mother’s mouth, while hēr blood-
red gaze emanated fluctuations of greed and hunger. Then shē
lifted her right hand with great force. Cracking sounds rang out as
five huge furrows grew deeper, until they reached the true form of
the god below.

Gold and red collided, laying waste to countless palaces and

collections of flesh. The ground was pulverized as the god resting
beneath the surface of the ground thrashed violently. Deafening
rumbling sounds rang out as soil exploded everywhere. Crimson
Mother’s smile continued to grow as shē wrenched her right hand
up.

The ground for 500 kilometers in all directions collapsed as the

massive invisible hand latched onto the god of Forbidden by the
Immortal. As the lands collapsed, something huge appeared. It
was a gigantic tentacle of flesh, almost like a snake, that whipped
about as it was wrenched violently out of the ground.
Crashing sounds rang out as a 5,000-kilometer gully formed.

Countless red lightning bolts filled the dark sky as the god of
Forbidden by the Immortal was pulled into the open. The god
resembled a snake or dragon, with no scales, but instead, a body
formed from magenta flesh. As the god twisted and writhed, a host
of twenty-seven spikes was visible, with a distance of 500
kilometers between each one. They were like a line of twenty-
seven needles going down the back.

This was the god sleeping in Forbidden by the Immortal. As the

god howled, the twenty-seven spikes stabbed toward the hand,
but could not penetrate it. However, they did manage to surround
the hand and thus reveal the hand’s general shape.

The scene was profoundly shocking to anyone who could see it.
Even to the cultivators, it seemed like something out of myth or
legend, and filled them with intense reverence. Because of the
shockwaves, much of the lands behind were destroyed. But the
place least affected was the east district. Clearly, that was why the
humans had chosen to make their safe zone there. Everything...
had been part of the plan.

Xu Qing and the Captain were both stunned. Once the action
started, the Captain had opened his hand, and they had been able
to use his eyes to view the event from different angles, giving a
very comprehensive view. However, the power of the gods was too
much for the Captain’s special eyes, and they kept exploding.
Therefore, the view wasn’t as clear as it could have been. That
said, it didn’t change the terror they felt regarding Crimson Mother.
If anything, it increased it. To them, the god of Forbidden by the
Immortal had seemed astoundingly mighty, to the point where
even getting too close was risking death. Yet Crimson Mother was
easily able to drag the god out of the ground.

The struggling of that god made it very clear how vast the
differences could be between the strength of different gods.

Eyes glittering, the Captain took a deep breath and said, “The
gods of the Revered Ancient mainland are far, far stronger than
most people can even imagine. Strong beyond comprehension.
And these entities that even cultivators call gods are, to the
mortals, creators. Each and every one! I really feel like eating red
moon, little Junior Brother....”

Xu Qing’s heart was pounding with fear, but he didn’t show it. He
wasn’t surprised at all to hear the Captain say something like that.
It was just the type of crazy thing he was always saying.

“Sure,” Xu Qing said. “Good luck with that.”

“Can’t you support me a bit more, little Junior Brother? I’m already
devising an amazing new plan. Actually... I worked out a similar
plan in a previous life. It didn’t work.”

Eyes glittering, the Captain licked his lips.

Chapter 525: Snatching Food From the
Tiger’s Mouth (1)

At the moment, the Captain and Xu Qing were hiding, not moving
a muscle.

Other than them, all other cultivators had fled, terrified, into the
safety zone in the east district. All of them sat cross-legged with
their eyes closed, not even daring to look at what was happening
outside. In fact, they didn’t even dare to directly sense what was
happening. They stayed in place in the defensive spell formations
that had been erected specifically to use in this moment. A fight
between gods was something they fundamentally didn’t qualify to
even observe. A mere glance could end with them killed in body
and soul. Even using alternative methods to watch, such as the
Captain was doing, required some boost on a substructural level,
or perhaps a special item.

Considering the elite nature of the cultivators who had been part of
this expeditionary force, it was a given that some of them had such
qualifications or items. Thus, there were a few who were able to
use such means to see what was happening.

Outside of Forbidden by the Immortal, in the mouth of the bottle

that was the canopy of heaven, there were people waiting at the
crumbled spell formation in the depths of the old Corrections
Division.

Shockingly, one of them was Seventh Prince. With him were the
lieutenant governor and the commanders-in-chief from the
palaces. There were also numerous powerful experts from the
imperial army. All of them looked very serious. Even the four-
clawed golden dragon in the dome of heaven was paying close
attention to what was happening. All were looking down at the
world that existed beyond the spell formation. Of course, the
opening had been sealed tight, but there was now a glowing
screen there that showed a projection of Crimson Mother and the
god of Forbidden by the Immortal.

Standing next to Seventh Prince was a person in a voluminous

black robe, who spoke in a sinister, piercing voice. “Your Majesty,
everything is going as planned. As predicted by His Imperial
Majesty and the imperial preceptor, the first thing High God
Crimson Mother did upon awakening was attempt to devour the
god of Forbidden by the Immortal.

“Now we just need to wait and see if the second phase of the plan
goes smoothly. It won’t take Crimson Mother long to devour the
other god.... After that, if Crimson Mother escapes into the outside
world, then I fear that all of Sea-Sealing County....”

Upon hearing those words, the surrounding Sea-Sealing County

cultivators bowed their heads to conceal the mixed emotions on
their faces.

Seventh Prince kept his gaze fixed on the screen as he softly said,
“Before I came here, my father the emperor asked if I was afraid of
dying in this place. Do you know what I told him? I said that I was
more than willing to give my life for a great cause!

“I’m not strong enough to stop Crimson Mother from escaping.

However, not even a god would be able to do much after getting
out, and would end up dying along with Sea-Sealing County. Kong
Liangxiu could have seen that happen, and I, Guyue Zhang’an,
can do the same thing.

“When I told my father the emperor that, he looked at me and said,

‘Gods are just like us, except on a much higher level. Thēir so-
called omniscience and omnipotence only apply to life forces
weaker than thēir own.’ In other words, gods can also be plotted
against. Tricked. Crimson Mother is definitely not going to be
satisfied....”

Back in Forbidden by the Immortal, the long, almost rope-like god

was still struggling mightily. Īts twenty-seven spikes pulsed with
the power to destroy the heavens and extinguish the earth, and
they shone with brilliant golden light that wrapped around Crimson
Mother’s invisible hand and stabbed into it. Every single one of
those spikes would have been a precious treasure if it surfaced in
the Revered Ancient mainland of ancient times. But now, when
unleashed against Crimson Mother, they couldn’t put up a serious
force of resistance. Grating sounds echoed out that could shred
the souls of ordinary people. At the same time, godly howls
echoed out in heaven and earth.

From a distance, the god of Forbidden by the Immortal looked like

a snake that had been dragged out of the ground, and was being
slowly pulled toward the red moon. Īts every twitch shattered the
air, and īts every howl caused the surroundings to collapse. Both
land and sky in the area around the conflict were being reduced to
rubble.

Up in the canopy of heaven, Crimson Mother, whose physical form

was that of Zhang Siyun, looked at the other god with mouth open
so wide it stretched from ear to ear. The mouth looked completely
vicious and horrifying. Within it were countless razor-sharp teeth,
as well as a huge tongue made of countless hairs that slowly
stretched out. On the tip of the tongue was a blurry face that
appeared to be the face of a woman, whose eyes were closed,
and yet looked extremely greedy and hungry. Saliva dripped off
the tongue, splashing down into the craters below.

The scene could hardly have been more gruish. Taking the image
in as a whole, it was almost impossible to describe. This was a
level of power that surpassed cultivators by many times over. As
the golden light and the blood-red glow neared, they were filled
with hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of god
magics, all combined into one force.
When they formed, they instantly collapsed, then formed again in
the blink of an eye. Apparently, thēy didn’t even need to
consciously unleash any god magic; such god magic naturally
formed automatically.

In the final analysis though, it was clear that of these two most
primordial of beings, one was about to consume the other. There
was none of the holiness one would expect of gods. Yet any who
saw it would, for a variety of reasons, feel a sense of holiness
rising within them. It was as if the meaning of the word ‘holy’ had,
many countless years ago when the broken face of the god
arrived, been carelessly twisted into something else.

What was more, any observer would be able to sense that the god
that had been sleeping in Forbidden by the Immortal, which
possessed the power of misfortune, did have godly authority. Yet
in the face of Crimson Mother, that godly authority wasn’t doing īt
any good. The difference between the two was apparent; it was
almost like an encounter between a toddler and an adult. It wasn’t
that the god in Forbidden by the Immortal wasn’t strong; rather,
Crimson Mother was just a higher-level being!

As the snake-like god from Forbidden by the Immortal was pulled

inexorably closer to being devoured, īt suddenly let loose a
powerful roar. As a result, the god’s entire body exploded.

A massive boom ripped through heaven and earth. That god’s

body, which was more than 10,000 kilometers in length, shattered
into a river of flesh, a stream of golden light that swept across the
canopy of heaven. In that manner, the god slipped out of Crimson
Mother’s grip.

The river of flesh then converged in another spot, where it quickly

stitched back together. This time, it didn’t resemble a snake, but
rather, something else.

It looked vaguely like a fish.

And the twenty-seven spikes that had been on its back were now
inside of it, and resembled the skeleton of a fish. Meanwhile, the
shockwaves sweeping through Forbidden by the Immortal caused
the magenta flesh covering the various palaces and buildings to
vibrate. Then they peeled off in strips, flew up, and fused with the
fish-shaped body.

From a distance, it was possible to see countless strips of flesh

rising up and building into the shape of a fish. That included the
spot where Xu Qing and the Captain were hiding, and as the flesh
lifted away, their hiding spot was revealed.

Xu Qing sat there stock still, focusing completely on staying

concealed. The Captain did the same.

The aura coming off that fish was profoundly important to Crimson
Mother. Just like the sun would ignore the stars, Crimson Mother
ignored everything else and focused fully on the fish. That was
only truer as the strips of flesh filled in the colossally monstrous
creature, until the appearance of the thing was that of an
enormous, magenta fish. The fish was scaleless, with a huge
mouth full of incredibly vicious razor-sharp teeth that emanated
godly might. The fish also had two whiskers that undulated on
either side, and they were the color of gold.

Most strange was the fish’s tail, which was not smooth and flat. It
spread like a peacock’s tail, with the feathers like sharp thorns that
gradually assumed the shape of a face. It was not the face of a
male or female. In fact, it wasn’t even human. Īts face had four
eyes, no nose, and a closed mouth beneath the eyes.

There were also complex designs that covered everything, making

the face difficult to see clearly. That said, there was godly might on
display that caused a sense of holiness to again rise in the hearts
of any observers.

Beyond that, boundless information streamed from the god’s body

and into the minds of anyone looking on. Those who did would feel
madness rising within them, as well as a sense of impending
amnesia. Any who looked for too long would find their memories
disappearing, and ultimately replaced. This was the true form of
the god sleeping in Forbidden by the Immortal.

Crimson Mother’s saliva flowed as shē stared at the fish and

strode forward, surrounded by glowing red light that deepened the
rifts in the sky.
All of a sudden, golden light erupted from the eyes on the fish’s
tail, and the face’s mouth opened wide. Golden bubbles spewed
from the mouth that contained major worlds. Countless lives
proliferated within them, creating generation after generation of life
force. Little did they know that the world they lived in were mere
bubbles spat out of the mouth of a god. When the bubbles
reached the end of their flight path, they popped, releasing
boundless force which smashed into Crimson Mother. The fish god
took advantage of that moment to suddenly turn transparent. The
air around the fish then sank in on itself, as if it were turning into a
black hole. Īt was hoping to flee this place.

Crimson Mother’s eyes shone with greed. Clearly, shē had no

intention of letting this fish flee, and thus blurred into motion,
sending out fluctuations that turned everything bright red. As for
the popping bubbles, they became sealing marks that landed on
Crimson Mother’s clothing and formed a design.

Crimson Mother’s right hand waved through the air, and the air
sank, turning into a sea of blood that swept over everything. The
transparent fish god had no choice but to appear in the open, īts
facial expression one of terror. The fish god clearly wanted to flee,
but then Crimson Mother arrived, ready for food.

Red beams of light swept out from the red moon, filling the canopy
of heaven as they swept endlessly toward the fish god.
The fish god had no opportunity to flee. The red beams of light
swept forth from every direction, creating an inescapable prison.
The fish god struggled mightily, even roaring, yet none of that did
any good.

The moment Crimson Mother arrived, īt was truly nothing more

than a fish.

Crimson Mother closed in on the fish god, pulsing with a sensation

of intense hunger. Hēr eyes glittered with joy as shē opened her
mouth unnaturally wide. Hēr tongue then stretched forth like a
snake toward the trembling fish god. The woman’s face on the tip
of the tongue opened her eyes, and they glowed bright red. At the
same time, a godly voice echoed out into heaven and earth.

“Open the entrance.”

The echoing words provoked an unprecedentedly shrill howl from

the fish. The fish’s flesh and bones ignited, burning with golden
flames that rose into the sky and took the shape of a well. In the
blink of an eye, the well went from illusory to corporeal.

The pitch black interior led to the Land of Cruelmurk!

How could a single fish make Crimson Mother so happy? After all,
the fish’s paltry body could only be an appetizer to hēr.

The reality was that the true feast was to be found beyond the
entrance to the Land of Cruelmurk. All along, Crimson Mother had
been planning to take advantage of the fish’s relationship with
Flawless Hell, Celestial Manager and Fifth Star of Cruelty, to open
that entrance.

Crimson Mother’s true form was about to enter the Land of

Cruelmurk... to devour the godfire of High God Flawless Hell! This
was the second phase of the emperor’s scheme, which Seventh
Prince had discussed earlier! The subsequent length of slumber
would be determined by the food devoured.
Chapter 525: Snatching Food From the
Tiger’s Mouth (2)

As Xu Qing and the Captain observed these things happening in

the projection in front of them, they were left reeling.

The eyes of all observers couldn’t help but be focused on the

possessed Zhang Siyun, who was now a mere godly
doppelgänger of Crimson Mother. At the moment, shē was glowing
with incredibly bright light.

The countless rifts in the sky that formed a magical symbol were
glittering brightly. The entire canopy of heaven was bright red, and
seemed to be stirring in motion. The sky spun, faster and faster,
until it gradually became a blood-colored vortex. Rumbling sounds
echoed out as moonlight emerged from within the vortex. It was as
if the vortex connected to some unknown land, a place where,
high in the sky there hung a huge blood moon!

This was the real red moon! On that moon was a kneeling statue
with its hands covering its eyes. But now those hands were slowly
lowering. The statue’s mouth stretched wide in a greedy grin.

This was Crimson Mother’s true form!

Entering the Land of Cruelmurk to devour a High God by means of

a doppelgänger wasn’t enough. Crimson Mother was actually
coming in person. Shē rose to her feet on the red moon, and wild
colors flashed in heaven and earth. Rumbling sounds echoed out,
and destructive power rocked everything as shē strode forward.
Every step surpassed space and time. The step surpassed the
vortex, emerging from the other heaven and earth, to arrive... right
in front of the well formed by the burning of the golden god fish.

The moment the true form appeared, the doppelgänger blurred.

Then, almost all of the energy within the doppelgänger swept out
of the top of its head in a haze. After taking most of the energy out
of the doppelgänger, Crimson Mother’s true form stepped into the
ancient well, thus entering the Land of Cruelmurk!

Violent rumblings emerged from the well, mixed with the

anguished howl of the fish, who was enraged at having been
forced to create the well to begin with.

As for what exactly was playing out in the Land of Cruelmurk, no

one knew. However, splatters of golden blood flew out of the
ancient well, and horrifying chewing sounds echoed out through
Forbidden by the Immortal and into Sea-Sealing County. It then
spread through the entire Holytide Region, into Nightshade
Region, and even into the Imperial Region.

They also echoed into the regions controlled by other major

species. Over forty regions were all inundated by that sound which
seemingly came from nowhere. That part of the Revered Ancient
mainland was completely shaken.
Meanwhile, beneath the Supreme Beginning Netherflight Pillar in
Emperor-Receiving Prefecture, golden blood seethed. It was the
same in the depths of the cavern at the bottom of the Forbidden
Sea. In other prefectures, counties, and regions through Revered
Ancient, there were over eight thousand ghast hollows, and in all
of them, god blood seethed.

All living beings were left trembling and astonished.

That wasn’t the end of it, though. All of the forbidden regions and
forbidden grounds were deathly silent. No sounds emerged from
them. Countless streams of terrifying divine will from actual gods
stirred in all corners of Revered Ancient, and they were all paying
very close attention to what was happening. High above the dome
of heaven, the broken face of the god, moved slightly, as if about
to look down. However, the eyes did not open.

Thēy were paying attention, not to some location in Sea-Sealing

County, but rather, what existed beneath it, yet it was not some
location that could be considered simple to find.... The Land of
Cruelmurk.

Not much attention was being paid to Forbidden by the Immortal in

Sea-Sealing County, despite that being where everything started.
The devouring of a god was noteworthy, but didn’t count for much
when compared to the devouring of a High God.
After the red moon’s true self entered the Land of Cruelmurk, the
doppelgänger was left behind in Forbidden by the Immortal. Zhang
Siyun turned, saliva flowing, and began devouring the fish god.
Zhang Siyun’s mouth opened dramatically wide and gulped at
least half the fish down, then began chewing. Next, Zhang Siyun
turned toward the blood-colored portal, as if planning to take the
god fish into it.

It seemed that everything was over. No one would dare to interfere

with the red moon eating. Even the doppelgänger, whose power
had been taken away by the true form, wasn’t something anyone
would dare to trifle with.

The human forces inside Forbidden by the Immortal were all in a

daze thanks to the shockwaves of the event. Their mutagen levels
were rising so quickly that some of them even died. So of course,
none of them would dare to do anything. Even Seventh Prince and
the others waiting outside of Forbidden by the Immortal were just
standing there.

However, that was when something unexpected happened!

After Crimson Mother’s doppelgänger swallowed half of the fish

god, then prepared to return to the blood-colored vortex, a rift
opened up in the sky. That rift created a very obvious contrast with
the surrounding blood-colored sky, as its color was very different. It
erupted with white light.
Then, a huge hand emerged, dazzlingly bright, and as white as
fresh snow! The hand, fully 3,000 meters in size, couldn’t have
been more pure and fair. In fact, īt was like white jade, and
seemed just as holy as any god.

The surroundings pulsated in response to the presence, while at

the same time, a mutagen that corresponded to the hand spread
out in all directions. Without hesitation, the hand stretched forth
and grabbed the fish that was currently clamped between the teeth
of Crimson Mother’s doppelgänger.

Off in the distance, Xu Qing was able to see this happening

through the projection created by the Captain. And when he did,
waves of shock rolled through him, the reason being that... he had
seen this hand before! Back when he fought Chu Tianqun, the
father of Master Shengyun, in the minor world of the Smokewights,
his opponent had used a shocking god magic that summoned this
very hand. Xu Qing would never forget that hand stretching out
from Chu Tianqun’s body. Nor would he forget that he would have
died at that time were it not for Ling’er sacrifice. [1]

Back then, the hand wasn’t as large, but from what Xu Qing could
sense, they were one and the same.

As his mind spun, a word suddenly popped into his mind:

Torchlight.
As Xu Qing reeled, the hand of white jade stabbed into the fish,
grabbed some of its bones, then pulled viciously. It was an
instance of snatching food from the tiger’s mouth!

Rumbling sounds echoed out as three of the fish’s twenty-seven

bones ended up clumping together as the hand grabbed them.

Strangely īts actions didn’t attract the attention of Crimson

Mother’s doppelgänger. Now that the main course had been
served, shē apparently didn’t care that much about the appetizer.

What was most noteworthy was that the white hand chose this
exact moment to take action! It was a moment in which Crimson
Mother’s true self was distracted while eating in the Land of
Cruelmurk, and much of the doppelgänger’s power had been
extracted, resulting in a state of incredible weakness. Of course,
there was another possibility, which was... that Crimson Mother
tacitly approved of what was happening. As for what was truly the
case, no one could possibly know.

In any case, whatever karma was involved, the white hand

successfully grabbed the three bones and pulled them out. It was
a completely astonishing scene for all the onlookers. That included
everyone outside the entrance of Forbidden by the Immortal.
Every one of them was visibly taken aback, with one exception.
Seventh Prince. His eyes only narrowed very slightly.
After the jade hand grabbed the three bones, another dramatic
transformation occurred in the canopy of heaven.

Another rift opened next to the fish god!

Rumbling sounds echoed out as more snow-white light erupted

from that second rift. Then, another hand of white jade emerged,
which looked just like the other, except much smaller, being only
300 meters in size.

The timing of arrival for this hand was even more precise. It
appeared in a perfect time and position, right underneath the god
fish, where the fish had an unhealed wound. The white hand
jabbed into the wound, moving at the perfect angle and speed to
grab a fish bone and then yank it out.

Rumbling echoed out as the bone was jerked out from inside the
fish. That hand was obviously much weaker than the other. It
immediately trembled as if it might collapse, yet it endured. With a
surge of craziness, it threw everything to the wind as it pulled.
Apparently, this hand was determined to get that bone even if it
died in the process. After the hand dragged the bone out of the
fish, it retracted into the rift. The process was so rough on the
hand that much of it collapsed in the process.

But the craziness in the hand was so intense that before it

crumbled, it successfully pulled the bone all the way into the rift.

Then, it disappeared!
It came quickly, and vanished even more quickly. And everything
about its actions, from its timing to its position, had been perfect. It
was only then that the much larger hand with the three fish bones
realized what had just happened. Īt paused for a moment.

At the entrance of Forbidden by the Immortal, the onlookers were

visibly taken aback. And for the first time, a glitter of suspicious
curiosity flashed through Seventh Prince’s eyes.

Xu Qing and the Captain both gasped. The way that white hand
appeared, and its method of stealing the fish bone, had seemed
very familiar to both of them. It seemed to correspond perfectly to
the style of the Seventh Peak.... That, of course, was to wait in
hiding until the right opportunity arose. When that opportunity
came, it went crazy, snatched the target, then fled at top speed.
The two of them looked at each other, and could see the suspicion
and excitement in each other’s eyes.

After pausing momentarily, the first white hand above dragged the
three fish bones back into the rift.

When the rift disappeared, Crimson Mother’s doppelgänger

leaped into the blood-colored vortex with the rest of the fish god
and disappeared. The vortex slowed, and the deep red color
faded. It gradually faded from view, and then the sky went back to
normal.
Without the power of a god at play, the countless rifts in the sky
shattered, and began to fall to the ground in pieces. The lands of
Forbidden by the Immortal also seemed like they were about to
collapse, and were almost immediately riddled with damage. In
many areas, the lands were already in complete ruin. The one
thing that didn’t weaken was the mutagen, which spread out
rapidly, turning everything dark.

However, any sense of fear within Xu Qing and the Captain

disappeared along with Crimson Mother. They both breathed sighs
of relief.

“Hurry up and start absorbing, little Junior Brother! We don’t have

much time. I bet Seventh Prince will be arriving soon. He’ll
probably stabilize everything, but will also seal the place up and
make everyone leave. The only other possibility is that the entire
place will collapse!”

Xu Qing didn’t reply, as he had already come to the same

conclusion. And thus, he opened himself wide and began
absorbing all of the mutagen in the area!

1. The hand appeared in the Chu Tianqun fight in chapter 465. ☜

Chapter 526: Lord of Forbidden by the
Immortal!

Ever since entering Forbidden by the Immortal, Xu Qing had been

longing to absorb the mutagen here. Back when he had
experimentally absorbed some in the presence of his Master, he
had benefited a lot from only a moment before he suppressed his
instincts and stopped. It had made him like a hungry person, filling
him with longing. Yet he had forced all of those feelings down.

There hadn’t been any doubt that if he let loose and absorbed the
mutagen, it would attract, not only the attention of the mutant
beasts, but also the human cultivators nearby. Besides, absorbing
a lot of mutagen while the god of Forbidden by the Immortal was
still present would have been risky. Then the red moon showed
up, and that added additional variables that made the situation too
difficult to control.

He did have the violet crystal to offer some degree of protection,

but it couldn’t solve all problems. And it didn’t seem like a good
idea to become overreliant on the violet crystal, especially in
situations that weren’t really life-threatening. But now, there were
no such obstacles.

During the fighting, Crimson Mother’s true form had absorbed all
of the magenta flesh, as well as the mutant beasts that it
produced. What was more, the fact that Forbidden by the Immortal
was crumbling meant that the human cultivators weren’t going to
be paying such close attention to everything.

An unprecedented opportunity had arrived.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Qing started absorbing

mutagen. In the blink of an eye, mutagen swept toward him like
tidal waters, streaming into his pores and filling him. He felt
completely at ease as every fiber of flesh and drop of blood
participated. In the shortest of moments, a vortex sprang into
being around Xu Qing.

As rumbling sounds echoed out around the cross-legged Xu Qing,

he heard the Captain speaking to him.

“Little Junior Brother, I can sense through the rifts in the sky that
the cultivators on the other side are repairing the canopy of
heaven. Given their speed, I’d say we have the time it takes an
incense stick to burn. I’ll stand as dharma protector for you, and
also keep all fluctuations masked. Hurry up!”

There was no way for Xu Qing to respond at the moment. Inside of

him, the golden threads spread, and they absorbed the nutrients
like dry, cracked ground absorbing water. All he could do was nod
faintly.

The mutagen was different from before. Previously, it just had the
aura of the local god, but now it also had the aura of Crimson
Mother. And because Crimson Mother’s true self had passed
through, the mutagen was even stronger than it had been. To any
other person, it would be extremely poisonous, and they would
need to immediately consume medicinal pills to stave off mutation.

Generally speaking, Xu Qing had to be careful when absorbing the

mutagen of other gods. But that wasn’t the case with Crimson
Mother’s mutagen. Because he had his violet moon godsource,
there was hardly anything more suitable for him than the red
moon. Therefore, he rapidly absorbed all the mutagen available.
As he sucked it in, streams of golden god vitality proliferated within
him.

His taboo poison core, his violet moon heavenly palace, and his
Ghost Emperor mountain all needed god vitality to exist, and thus,
they shivered, becoming like black holes that gobbled it up.

It created a repeating cycle within Xu Qing. The first step was the
mutagen entering him. Then the golden threads created god
vitality. That was the second step. As every stream of god vitality
was snatched up, that made the third step. And every step of that
cycle required him to absorb more mutagen.

The taboo poison core, violet moon, and Ghost Emperor mountain
were like three furnaces, constantly burning madly, and the force
with which they sucked in the golden threads seemed to spread
outside of Xu Qing.
As a result, mutagen surged toward him with even greater speed.
The vortex around him soon spread 300 meters, only to keep
growing. It eventually reached 1,500 meters. 2,400 meters. 3,000
meters! That entire area was a spinning vortex. It was shocking to
the extreme! Boundless mutagen rushed toward him in wave after
wave, creating seemingly unstoppable momentum.

Now that there was no god in Forbidden by the Immortal, it was

almost as if Xu Qing himself had become the lord of the place.

Off to the side, the Captain, who was nearly overwhelmed, looked
on with wide eyes.

“Off the charts!” he murmured. Gritting his teeth, he pushed down

onto his forehead with both hands, causing blue light to surge from
within him. Frigid coldness spread out in all directions, linking with
the vortex around Xu Qing and bolstering the concealing effect. In
any other location, a bolstering like that wouldn’t have worked well.
It would have stood out like a bright torch on a dark night. But a
torch in the middle of a sea of fire wouldn’t attract much attention.
Forbidden by the Immortal was in such chaos that it was just like
that sea of fire.

Thus it was just as the Captain had said. As long as they didn’t
stick around for too long, they would be safe.

Xu Qing knew that time was of the essence, so he wasn’t holding

back. As he absorbed the mutagen, god vitality flourished within
him.

The golden threads felt wonderful. And they had grown larger than
before, by double. As golden light flowed across him, countless
magical symbols appeared on his skin, all of which pulsed with
holiness. It was almost as if he was no longer a mortal. Instead, he
pulsed with the aura of a god.

Seeing that change in Xu Qing, the Captain started salivating, and

his nose twitched.

Smells even better than Ning Yan!

The Captain’s eyes glittered.

I wish I could have a bite. Just one little bite....

The Captain swallowed, only to find himself salivating even more.

As the Captain vacillated inwardly, Xu Qing’s taboo poison core

absorbed so much god vitality that, for the first time, it experienced
a transformation. Popping sounds rang out from the pitch-black
gold core, and cracks appeared on its surface. As they spread out
and became more numerous, fluctuations of awakening began to
spread out. Nearby, the violet moon heavenly palace and the
Ghost Emperor mountain, though slightly slower, also exhibited
similar signs of transformation. Half an incense stick’s worth of
time passed, whereupon the taboo poison core was almost
covered with cracks. Then, a loud pop rang out as the outer shell
collapsed.

A black imp emerged from within. It looked exactly like Xu Qing,

and was the dao soul form of his taboo poison core. After flying
out, the black imp opened its mouth and devoured the shattered
shell of the taboo poison core. A tremor passed through it, and
then it erupted with such a terrifying taboo poison power that it
was obviously an entire level higher than before.

It pulsed with black light that spread out over Xu Qing’s sea of
consciousness and filled his body.

The Captain, who had been paying close attention to Xu Qing the
entire time, noticed the change.

A different flavor? It seems more delicious, but I can also tell that if
I ate it, this current life of mine would be over. W-w-what... what
poison is that?

As the Captain’s eyes widened, and his heart pounded, Xu Qing’s

aura once again climbed higher. This time, the source of the
increase was the violet moon heavenly palace!

Previously, Xu Qing had used his taboo poison power and his own
mutagen to suppress the projection of the red moon in his sea of
consciousness, thus taking some godsource. Because it had then
become a part of Xu Qing himself, it became violet in color. From
ancient times until now, it was rare for such things to happen. And
normally speaking, it happened only when one high-level god
devoured another.

Back then, the red moon had sensed some of hēr godsource go
missing, and had briefly awoken. Despite being on guard, not even
the omniscient and omnipotent god had been able to pick up on
any clues about what happened. That godsource had vanished
without a trace. Hēr first inclination was to believe that some other
god was responsible.

Now, inside of his violet moon heavenly palace, the godsource that
had once belonged to the red moon was rapidly transforming.
Within the violet moon, it became something else. Out from within
the violet moon stepped a figure in a long violet robe, with long
violet hair. Though it somewhat resembled the god in the red
moon, its face was the same as Xu Qing’s!

This was Xu Qing’s violet moon dao soul! The moment it

appeared, he made a beckoning gesture toward the violet moon
behind him. The moon then transformed into a symbol that settled
on his forehead. He then walked to the far end of the heavenly
palace, where he sat down on the throne there, then gazed out of
the sea of consciousness at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked back with divine sense. When he looked at each

of the dao souls, it made him feel like he was staring at himself.
That sense of linked self made Xu Qing realize that the essence
that had once belonged to the red moon truly had become a part
of him, and was now growing. If it kept growing, and things
continued as expected, then in the years to come, he might
eventually push the violet moon dao soul to the highest level. At
that point, īt could theoretically usurp the red moon, and become a
High God in its own right.

When that happened, Xu Qing might be able to change all living

beings, ensuring that, in their memories, there was never a red
moon. They would believe... that the violet moon was the only true
existence starting in ancient times.

Master was right. Gods... are just like us, except they exist on a
much higher level. They can be supplanted!

As that realization hit him, he continued with the absorption work.

After the dao souls of his taboo poison core and violet moon
heavenly palace formed, Xu Qing had seven in total! Four of his
other dao souls were from his four life lamps. And he also had one
that was the manifestation of his imperial-class technique, Golden
Crow Assimilates Myriad Spirits. Adding in the taboo poison and
violet moon, it meant he had the power of seven dao souls. His
battle prowess was now vastly superior to before. In fact, it wasn’t
even possible to compare the current version of himself with the
one that entered Forbidden by the Immortal.

And yet, things weren’t over yet.

As the Ghost Emperor mountain continued to absorb the god
vitality, and as the incense stick’s worth of time reached its end,
the heavenly palace rumbled, and the Ghost Emperor within it
shook violently. The old body cracked, and finally crumbled, and a
dao soul emerged. Just like the nirvanic rebirth of a phoenix, a
new life was born out of death. The eighth nascent soul had
formed!

Eight-soul power erupted from Xu Qing, causing him to tremble.

As his aura skyrocketed, his eyes opened. The first thing he saw
was the vast devastation in Forbidden by the Immortal. The
second thing he saw was the Captain, looking at him with a face
full of conflict and regret.

“Eldest Brother?” Xu Qing asked, surprised.

“You smell better, little Ah Qing. But there’s too much poison in you
to make you taste good....” The Captain sighed.

Face completely expressionless, Xu Qing ignored the Captain and

got to his feet. “Stow it, Eldest Brother. We need to go.”
Chapter 527: Seems Familiar

The moment Xu Qing stood, the surrounding mutagen surged

away from him, creating a cloud of mist. He currently stood at
about three meters in height, looking very mysterious.
Extraordinary fluctuations rolled off of him, causing the mutagen to
roil as if it were crawling away from him. Based on what Xu Qing
could sense, he was at the point in which he could cause the
mutagen to erupt if he wanted. Now that the god of Forbidden by
the Immortal had perished, he was gradually becoming the lord of
the place.

Sadly, my current cultivation base isn’t enough to sustain much

more of the local mutagen. Shaking his head, Xu Qing suppressed
his desire for more mutagen. He could theoretically absorb some
more, but they were running out of time, and doing so could reveal
their position.

There was another reason that had prompted Xu Qing to cease

absorbing mutagen. And that was... he had sensed the god’s
finger stirring in D-132.

The violet crystal is too weak to fully seal the god’s finger. And if
the finger gets the local mutagen, it’s entirely possible īt could
break out from inside of me....
He sighed at how seemingly useless the violet crystal was right
now.

Meanwhile, the Captain was off to the side, looking up at the 3-

meter-tall Xu Qing, and comparing his own height. His eyebrows
were fully raised.

Xu Qing understood what he meant by that look. A tremor passed

through him as he shrank back down to his normal height.
Afterward, he felt different. Before, he’d known that his remolded
body was unusual. However, he had been unable to control the
golden threads inside of him, and as a result, hadn’t been able to
control the god body. As of now, he had enough control that he
could reach a height of three meters. When transforming from his
normal height to that three-meter height, he was in a completely
different state. In the latter, he was vastly stronger.

The Captain seemed pleased to see Xu Qing back at his normal

height. Earlier, when he realized Xu Qing had become larger, he
had very nearly released one of the seals inside of himself so he
could do something similar.

However, right then, intense rumbling sounds filled the dome of

heaven. As the rifts above shattered and fell, a white net appeared
overhead. Upon looking closely, it was possible to see that above
the net were quite a few cultivators from the army. They were
unleashing the net, which was now spreading out across the sky.
Meanwhile, the fourth wave of cultivators was already coming
through the entrance.

From a distance, it was possible to see that Seventh Prince wasn’t

leading the way. Instead, the group was being led by the three
commanders-in-chief from the three palaces. Behind them were
masses of imperial cultivators, who quickly spread out to purge the
mutagen, or worked on repairing the shattered sky. By working on
both fronts, they were attempting to quickly stabilize the area.
Apparently, that was why they had taken a bit of time before
entering.

At the same time, Xu Qing and the Captain both felt their
command swords vibrating. An order had come in, requiring all
cultivators from the first three waves to leave within two hours.
After that, Forbidden by the Immortal would be converted into a
special region that could not be entered without special orders.
What was more, anyone who didn’t leave in the required time
would be considered an interloper.

“If Master was right,” the Captain said, “then Seventh Prince must
have accomplished his mission here. Now, he considers all of this
to be his personal reward.” A crazy look suddenly appeared in his
eyes. “You leave, little Junior Brother. I’m going to wait around just
a bit longer.”

Xu Qing eyed the Captain. Noting the crazy look in his eyes, and
also knowing his Eldest Brother, he didn’t bother trying to
persuade him to leave. That said, the risks of staying outweighed
the benefits for Xu Qing. After all, with Seventh Prince in charge of
everything, and if something went really wrong in Forbidden by the
Immortal, it would be hard to make an escape.

After a moment of thought, Xu Qing nodded. “Alright. In that case,

I’ll leave now. Master already got the best loot, and he’s probably
outside waiting for us. I’ll go work to make sure we get our fair
share from the old man. Don’t worry at all, Eldest Brother. You just
have fun.”

With that, Xu Qing turned to leave.

Stunned, the Captain ran over to Xu Qing’s side.

Xu Qing looked at him in surprise. “Eldest Brother, I’m heading

back to the camp. What are you doing?”

The Captain laughed heartily and threw his arm around Xu Qing’s
shoulders. “I changed my mind! The old man is ruthless to the
core. I’m worried that you might not know how to deal with him.
Ah, whatever. For your sake, little Junior Brother, I’m going to
forget about the other treasures up for grabs here!”

“Oh,” Xu Qing replied, looking the Captain up and down.

The Captain blinked a few times very sincerely, then urged Xu

Qing to hurry up and get moving. Thus, the two of them raced
along, making sure to keep their concealments in place all the way
until they reached the safe zone.

The magical devices in the safe zone purged mutagen. However,

the mutagen levels were so high that it was possible to see
occasional gory remains of cultivators who had mutated and died
in the process. After the fight between Crimson Mother and the
local god, the surviving cultivators were all dealing with various
degrees of mutagen. For now, all they could do was suppress it
and wait until they were outside to take steps to purge it. Quite a
few people were already flying up to the exit.

Xu Qing scanned the crowd, and though he saw a few familiar

faces, he didn’t spot Qing Qiu or Kong Xianglong. Therefore, he
took out his command sword and sent messages to them inquiring
how they were.

He soon learned that Qing Qiu had left as soon as the initial seven
days were up, whereas Kong Xianglong only just now left.

Upon getting Xu Qing’s message, Kong Xianglong said he would

wait outside to meet up. Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief knowing
that both of them were fine. Because of the situation with his
Master, he hadn’t been able to tell anyone what was really going
on. He’d been forced to just follow his Master’s lead. Besides, if
they had gone with him, they would have been in a lot more
danger. Considering how busy Xu Qing had been, he hadn’t been
able to check in with them. Thankfully, he’d managed to let them
know ahead of time that something dramatic was going to happen,
and that they needed to be careful.

Clearly, Qing Qiu had taken the words to heart. And though Kong
Xianglong hadn’t left early, he’d been able to keep himself safe.

Xu Qing and the Captain exchanged a glance, then their eyes

shone with determination as they shot up into the sky. As they
rose higher and higher, Forbidden by the Immortal became smaller
and smaller beneath them. Far off in the distance, Xu Qing could
see the scars left behind by Crimson Mother’s massive hand. He
also saw the gigantic ravine that had once housed a sleeping god.
The palm print was very clear, and the terrifying mightiness that
pulsed from it gave a clue as to how powerful Crimson Mother
was. Xu Qing felt lingering fear just looking at it.

“Crimson Mother will sleep after eating,” the Captain said, “but will
be even more terrifying after awakening. I just wonder how the
emperor plans to deal with things after that.”

Xu Qing had been wondering the same thing, and didn’t have any
answers. With that, the two of them flew through the gigantic
bottleneck. Leaving Forbidden by the Immortal, they reached the
depths of the old Corrections Division, and the crumbled spell
formation there. Along the way, they had passed the web formed
by dozens of spell formations, which was designed to isolate the
mutagen.
Looking up, beyond the pit that was the old Corrections Division,
they saw that the sky was dark. It was night time.

About a dozen breaths of time passed, after which they flew out of
the old Corrections Division. They were met by a refreshing
breeze that lifted their hair and caused their garments to ripple.
Compared to the sealed world of Forbidden by the Immortal, the
outside was a much more welcoming place.

The moon in the sky was not red. That alone caused Xu Qing and
the Captain to subconsciously breathe sighs of relief.

One thing they noticed right away was that the old army camp was
gone. There had been millions upon millions of troops in that army,
so they hadn’t all gone into Forbidden by the Immortal. Based on
what Xu Qing had estimated, it didn’t seem that more than a
million imperial troops had gone in.

As Xu Qing took that in, he spotted Kong Xianglong, seated cross-

legged nearby, waiting. Upon noticing Xu Qing, he stood and flew
over. His mutagen levels didn’t seem to be very high, so he had
obviously used various methods to purge himself after leaving.
Noticing Xu Qing looking in the direction of where the army camp
used to be, Kong Xianglong offered a quick explanation.

“They left. Five days ago, from what I heard. They used the county
teleportation portal to go back to the front lines. I only found out
after I left earlier. My guess is that something big is happening on
the battlefield.... About an hour ago, Seventh Prince also
teleported away. This time, he didn’t conscript any Sea-Sealing
County cultivators.”

Xu Qing thought back to his Master’s speculation that everything

was part of the emperor’s plan related to the war. And now, right
after the Crimson Mother plan wrapped up, the army suddenly left
for the front lines?

“There’s definitely something big going on!” Xu Qing took a deep

breath and looked at the Captain. The Captain was looking back at
him. Both of them were speculating about the same thing. And that
was... that humankind was going to announce that it had a domain
treasure.

“All fogs of confusion will soon be lifted,” the Captain said. “We’ll
know the truth in short order.”

Kong Xianglong sighed. “Xu Qing, I feel like there are a lot of
things going on that we have no clue about. If you figure anything
out, don’t forget to give me a heads up.”

With that, Kong Xianglong took out two medicinal pill bottles which
he offered to Xu Qing and the Captain.

“These are pallid boluses. Although a lot of preparations were

made before opening Forbidden by the Immortal, there was still a
lot of mutagen released. Since so many people are coming back
with high mutagen levels, pallid boluses have sold out just about
everywhere. They’re basically impossible to buy. Those are some
of the stockpiles I built up earlier. Take them.”

Chuckling, the Captain took a bottle, opened it, dumped out two
pallid boluses, and consumed them.

The process caused a medicinal aroma to spread out, clearing the

area of mutagen.

When Xu Qing smelled that aroma, it seemed familiar, as if there

were some other fragrance in addition to the normal smell of the
medicine. It was very faint, and gave him a vague sense of déjà
vu. Reaching out, he took the other bottle.

Pallid boluses were an improved version of white boluses, which

the lieutenant governor had created years ago. They were twice
as effective as white boluses, and were considered a blessing for
humankind, especially Sea-Sealing County. Unfortunately, some of
the main ingredients were very difficult to produce, and thus, the
supply had always been limited to the county capital. Despite that,
many people had benefited from them, especially since they were
actually cheaper than white boluses. As a result, many mortals
could consume them.

Although Xu Qing didn’t need pills like that, there were some
secrets he wanted to keep as tightly as possible, which was why
he accepted the bottle. Next, he conveyed some of his Master’s
speculations to Kong Xianglong.
There were many finer details he had to hold back, but he was
able to give Kong Xianglong a general idea. Upon hearing the
theories, Kong Xianglong shivered and then struggled to control
his breathing. His eyes were already bloodshot, and his hands
kept clenching and unclenching. Clearly he was thinking about
Palace Lord Kong’s death. Eventually, he opened his mouth to
speak, only to close it again.

Finally, his hands settled into fists and he said, “I just hope we
humans come out victorious!”

Looking bleak, he gave a farewell wave of the hand, then turned

and left. Kong Xianglong was obviously very young, but right now,
he seemed like he was aging rapidly.

The Captain watched him leave and softly said, “Kong Xianglong
really is a great person!”
Chapter 528: The Fragrance of Osmanthus
Flowers

Xu Qing said nothing. He knew why Kong Xianglong felt so bleak

and lonely.

Back in Forbidden by the Immortal, Xu Qing himself had felt

similarly upon hearing his Master’s analysis of the situation.
Palace Lord Kong, the governor, and all of Sea-Sealing County
were essentially game pieces in a huge game of Go. Everything
leading up to Palace Lord Kong’s death on the battlefield made
that abundantly clear.

That said, the palace lord had lived a life of bravery and courage,
and had been a “larger than life” figure. Dying in battle for the sake
of humanity was something he’d done without a single regret.
Apparently, he had already come to a conclusion about what was
happening. But as long as he could guarantee the safety of his
people, his family, his subordinates, and especially his grandson,
and the fact that his death would not have an overall negative
effect, then he had been more than happy to offer salvation to
Sea-Sealing County.

“As long as Sea-Sealing County lives, I won’t hesitate to sacrifice

myself for it.”
Xu Qing had thought back to Palace Lord Kong’s words many
times, and pondered how decisive he had been in his final
moments. [1]

Sure enough, right after Palace Lord Kong died, an army arrived
led by Seventh Prince. The prince saved the day, and became a
popular hero as a result.

How could Kong Xianglong not have mixed emotions after

realizing the truth of it all? But in the end, he made a similar choice
as his grandfather. He states his hope that humans would achieve
a great victory in the war. By doing so, he honored his
grandfather’s sacrifice.

Sighing, Xu Qing turned and went to his sword pavilion. The

Captain followed.

Along the way, the Captain didn’t say anything. Once they were in,
they sat down cross-legged, and the Captain squeezed Xu Qing’s
shoulder.

“Little Ah Qing, you—”

“Wait. No!” Xu Qing interrupted, looking up. His eyes glittered with
a mysterious light.

The Captain’s eyes narrowed.

“Master was right,” Xu Qing continued, “but there’s more to the

story..... That white jade hand. I’ve seen it before!” Thinking back
to past events, he confirmed that he was right.

The Captain didn’t say anything.

Back in Forbidden by the Immortal, he had seen both of the hands

of white jade. One was big, one was small. The small one was
obviously created by his Master, after having done research on
that experimental god body. The big question was who summoned
the larger hand. Up to this point, the Captain hadn’t brought it up,
as he was worried about upsetting Xu Qing.

There was no expression on Xu Qing’s face as he bowed his head

and said nothing further.

The Captain sighed. There were certain things his Master had
explained to him, and because of that, he could guess what was
bothering Xu Qing. Therefore, the best thing he could do was sit
there and offer company. Eventually, the sun rose. Seeing that Xu
Qing was still not saying anything, the Captain cleared his throat.

“Little Junior Brother, why do you think Master hasn’t come back
yet?”

Xu Qing shook his head.

“Little Junior Brother, based on how well I know the old man, I
suspect that he’s probably here already.”

Xu Qing suddenly looked up, his eyes flickering.

“Trust me, little Ah Qing. Master loves eavesdropping. Back before
we had you around, I experienced that firsthand. I bet Master was
actually here in the sword pavilion before we got here. Either that,
or he left a message here for us.”

The Captain had actually brought this up in the hopes of just

getting Xu Qing to start talking. But as he blathered on, his eyes
widened as he realized what he was saying made a lot of sense.
Inhaling sharply, he shot to his feet and looked around.

Fixating on one corner of the room, he hurried over, clasped

hands, and bowed excitedly. “Master! Master, you can come out
now. I see you!”

Xu Qing looked on suspiciously. He had been in a rotten mood

before, but the Captain’s antics had already squashed that bad
mood.

Unfortunately, no matter how the Captain bowed, nothing

happened. The Captain blinked a few times, then went to another
corner in the room. There, he continued bowing.

“Hahaha! Truth be told, Master, I didn’t see you before. But I can
sense your aura! As you know, sir, I’m very sensitive to such
things.”

Nothing happened in that corner of the room either.

As Xu Qing watched quizzically, the Captain looked around,
thought for a moment, and then turned to Xu Qing.

“Little Junior Brother, do you still have that mask Master gave
you?”

Xu Qing inhaled sharply as he realized what the Captain was

getting at. Taking the semitransparent immortal skill mask out of
his bag of holding, he put it down to the side, then got to his feet
and bowed to it.

The Captain also somberly clasped hands and bowed.

A long moment passed in which nothing happened. The two of

them looked at each other.

“Maybe you’re overthinking this, Eldest Brother....”

“Trust me, I know our Master.” The Captain looked supremely

confident. However, as time passed, and morning turned to
afternoon, and then afternoon turned into evening, things
remained the same in the sword pavilion. Master Seventh never
showed his face. Nor did they receive any message from him.

Xu Qing looked hesitantly at the Captain.

The Captain looked at the mask and gritted his teeth.

“We have no choice at this point, little Junior Brother. I have to

resort to a trump card!”
As Xu Qing watched attentively, the Captain cleared his throat.

“Okay, little Junior Brother,” he said loudly, “I have a secret I want

to reveal to you. Do you want to know why I’m so keen on helping
girls resolve their issues with having too many gifts? It’s because
many years ago, there’s an old person that both of us know—you
know who I’m talking about, but I’m not going to mention the name
out loud—who gave a bunch of gifts to a female cultivator. Later
on, he went back in the middle of the night, bringing me along, to
take back the—”

“Shut UP!” a voice interrupted angrily from the semitransparent

mask.

Xu Qing gasped. The Captain flashed a pleased look at Xu Qing,

then dropped to the ground in front of the mask, plastering a
pained expression onto his face.

“Master, you scared me! I was deeply concerned about your

safety, so I had no choice but to use this method to confirm your
whereabouts. Now that I know you’re fine, I can rest at ease!”

“I said to shut up, fool!” Master Seventh roared from within the
mask. “I’m fleeing for my life here!!”

Xu Qing’s expression turned serious. The Captain’s face fell, and

he refrained from making a sound. Worried, both of them just
waited, not saying a word. Tension mounted. Xu Qing was starting
to get really worried, and the Captain’s expression turned so
serious he started looking somewhat vicious.

An entire night passed. The following morning at dawn the mask

twitched, then floated up from the ground. As Xu Qing and the
Captain looked on nervously, Master Seventh’s voice again spoke
from the mouth. He sounded hoarse.

“I got away. Finally. I just took one little bone! Was there really a
need for a full-on manhunt?”

Upon hearing Master Seventh’s words, both Xu Qing and the

Captain breathed deep sighs of relief.

“The two of you need to find an opportunity to get back to Seven

Blood Eyes. I really made out like a bandit this time. I’m going to
refine this bone and create some amazing treasures with it. I
mean, it’s the bone of a god! An actual, authentic item from a real
god!

“Hm.... Actually, the two of you should wait a bit before coming
back to the sect, otherwise you might blow our cover. How about
this? Come back in about a month. By that time I should be nearly
done with refining the bone.

“By the way, going forward, I can’t afford any distractions. The two
of you better not stir up any trouble. Incidentally, Big Sib, you need
to devour this mask and hide its aura in your belly! Alright, I need
to go now. I’m going to find a place to hole up for a bit. See you
back in Seven Blood Eyes.”

When Master Seventh finished speaking, the mask clattered to the

ground.

“Eldest Brother, do you think Master’s okay...?” Xu Qing asked,

looking at the Captain.

The Captain chuckled, picked up the mask, and stuffed it into his
mouth. After chewing it up and swallowing it, he burped and
looked at Xu Qing.

“The fact the old man could give such a detailed message goes to
show that he’s alive and kicking. He’s fine. Don’t worry. Master
might not measure up to me when it comes to pulling off big jobs,
but when it comes to fleeing.... Let’s just say I’ve never seen
anyone as good as him. Think about it! What kind of person does
it take to research an experimental god body that has the power of
time in it, or create such powerful concealment magics?”

The Captain sighed inwardly. He wasn’t trying to pull a fast one; he

really did have full confidence in his Master. With that, the Captain
looked outside to check the time, and was about to say something
further when his transmission jade slip vibrated.

Xu Qing watched as the Captain, his eyes glittering, licked his lips
and grinned.
“I need to take off, little Ah Qing. Lady Peachy is looking for me.”

The Captain hurried away toward the Administration Palace. Along

the way, he bought a peach. After taking a bite, he used the
eyeball in his palm almost like a mirror to check his appearance.
After confirming his good looks, he sped up.

Xu Qing watched the Captain go and mentally wished him luck.

Then he glanced back at his now-empty sword pavilion. Earlier, he
had been in a bad mood because of Torchlight, but now he’d
reached a state of equilibrium.

In a month, I’ll be back in Seven Blood Eyes, and I can ask Arch-
Immortal Plumdark about everything that happened.

Thinking about the timescape bottle, he sighed inwardly. Shortly

thereafter, he closed his eyes in meditation to stabilize his
cultivation base. When that work was done, he took out the bottle
of pallid boluses that Kong Xianglong had given him. Back when
the Captain consumed the pills, Xu Qing had noticed another
fragrance that seemed familiar. He knew he’d encountered it
before. However, after telling Kong Xianglong the details of Master
Seventh’s analysis, he hadn’t been in the mood to dig into the
matter.

Now that his mood was stable, he figured it was a good time to
check the pill again. It seemed unlikely to be important, but given
his cautious personality, he didn’t want to just ignore it. After
opening the bottle, he inhaled the fragrance to confirm what
medicinal plants were in the ingredients.

There are a lot of plant fragrances....

One by one, he began identifying the different smells, taking time

to repeatedly inhale the fragrance of the pill as he did. It took some
time, but he finally identified that unique and familiar fragrance. It
was very faint, to the point where he wouldn’t have noticed it
unless he had his remolded god body.

It’s... the fragrance of osmanthus flowers?

All of a sudden, his pupils constricted, and he looked down at the

pallid boluses. His expression became one of complete and utter
incredulity.

“It’s the fragrance of osmanthus flowers!” Xu Qing felt like his mind
was being struck by countless lightning bolts. In order to confirm
that he was right, he crushed the pallid bolus into a powder, then
carefully analyzed it. The fragrance of osmanthus flowers grew
even stronger. For a long moment he sat there in a daze,
medicinal powder dribbling off of his fingers.

It’s the same fragrance from that empty wish box....

Waves of astonishment rolled through Xu Qing’s mind and heart

as he realized why the smell was familiar. Back on the mission
with Kong Xianglong, they had recovered an empty wish box.
When he handled that wish box, he had noticed the fragrance of
osmanthus flowers. And it was the exact same fragrance that was
in the pallid bolus! [2]

Over the years, pallid boluses had become one of the necessities
of life for cultivators and mortals in the county capital. Countless
people had consumed them!

1. Palace Lord Kong uttered those words in chapter 507.1. ☜

2. Xu Qing noticed the osmanthus flower fragrance in chapter 419.

The Wish box was also mentioned in chapter 511, and the
osmanthus fragrance was mentioned in chapter 512. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsWhat does it all mean? Leave your

speculations in the comments!Thank you to Wraith967 and
Robzwierzchowski for the reviews!

What does it all mean? Leave your speculations in the comments!

Thank you to Wraith967 and Robzwierzchowski for the reviews!

Chapter 529: The Truth, Revealed!

Xu Qing sat there quietly. Eventually, he looked up, his heart and
mind trembling as wave after wave of shock crashed into them.

“The lieutenant governor....” he murmured.

Xu Qing hadn’t dealt much with the lieutenant governor, but he

had always respected him.

The reason for that was his skill in alchemy, which reminded Xu
Qing of Grandmaster Bai and the grand elder from the Swordsage
Court in Emperor-Receiving Prefecture. He remembered how kind
the lieutenant governor had been when he first arrived in the
county capital, and also what Honor Guard Sun had said about the
‘virtuous achievement’ of inventing the pallid bolus. Once the war
started, Xu Qing had noticed repeatedly how exhausted the
lieutenant governor seemed. Back when dealing with the Demi-
Immortals, the lieutenant governor had almost immediately picked
up on Xu Qing’s ruse, and had played along. True, the lieutenant
governor had quickly fit in to the new arrangement when Seventh
Prince arrived, but that alone didn’t mean much.

Later, the lieutenant governor was responsible for many things that
benefited Sea-Sealing County. He worked with the deputy palace
lords for the three palaces to successfully submit many official
requests to Seventh Prince. After Xu Qing had just returned, it was
the lieutenant governor who dealt with the cabal of nonhumans
who had protested Xu Qing’s conscription orders.

After Seventh Prince took over and sought to make changes to the
Swordsage Palace’s rules and reward systems, it was the
lieutenant governor who negotiated with Seventh Prince on the
swordsage’s behalf.

The lieutenant governor’s influence was present in so many

things.

Palace Lord Kong had trusted him with the safekeeping of the
capital city. Even if the palace lord had suspected him, he still had
a lot of trust in him. During the war, the lieutenant governor never
procrastinated in anything. He worked diligently to serve the front
lines, earned the confidence of the mortals, and became a pillar of
stability. The only reason the front lines had been able to hold
strong as long as they did was because of the lieutenant
governor’s hard work.

He really had accomplished many virtuous achievements. He

really was someone who kept the interior safe during a time of
war. He really was someone who fought for the rights of Sea-
Sealing County even after Seventh Prince came and took over.

Given all of that, Xu Qing had a hard time believing that he could
be some sort of villainous mastermind. Previously, there had never
been a single thing to lead him to suspect the lieutenant governor.
He certainly hadn’t come across any evidence implicating him.

As Xu Qing sat there, he suppressed his shock. This was too

important of a matter, and he couldn’t do anything rash. Therefore,
he took this new clue and tried to fit it in with everything he had
uncovered up to this point.

He thought back to the information in Palace Lord Kong’s jade slip,

and also what he had uncovered at Mount Daybreak.

According to Classified Dossier 19, the empty wish box once

contained a lightmost fatehavoc pill. Palace Lord Kong was aware
of that, which was why he was certain the governor died because
of that pill. After all, there are few things that could kill someone as
strong as the governor in such a quiet, nondramatic way. The only
exception would be someone at least as strong as a Smoldering
God. But if someone like that were involved, what would be the
point of the war? All those factors indicate that a lightmost
fatehavoc pill had to be the murder weapon.

Xu Qing was mentally laying out all the clues in the most logical
fashion possible.

However, to use a lightmost fatehavoc pill, one would first need a

stream of daybreak light. That was what Palace Lord Kong wanted
me to investigate. That, and the method by which the poison was
administered.
Back when Xu Qing and Kong Xianglong had discussed this
matter, they hadn’t even been able to come up with a theory about
how the poison was administered. How could the governor, who
was blessed with destiny aura and was halfway into the
Smoldering God level, not notice someone trying to poison him?

I got to the bottom of the daybreak light. I proved that there was
some daybreak light whose existence didn’t make it into the official
records. And that made it seem even more likely that we were
dealing with a lightmost fatehavoc pill. As for how it was
administered....

Xu Qing looked down at the powder that was all that remained of
the pallid bolus he had just crushed. Then he took the remaining
pallid bolus out of the pill bottle. He had previously studied this pill.
Back then, he had come to the conclusion that it was just a more
effective version of the white bolus, and that its function was to
extrude mutagen. The concoction method for the pill was unique,
such that despite Xu Qing’s skill in the dao of alchemy, he couldn’t
figure it out by merely studying the pill.

What was more, the pill contained many medicinal plants that
didn’t seem to be well-matched. They only seemed to become
effective after having been transformed in some way. That actually
conformed to the lieutenant governor’s unique dao of medicine.
He would transform medicinal plants by altering their environment.
Xu Qing’s eyes hardened as he thought about that. It was as if a
huge hand were clearing the fog in his mind. He suddenly recalled
the first time he had seen the lieutenant governor, which was when
he taught a lesson to all the new swordsages.

“If you want to affect a medicinal plant, you can’t be bold and
decisive. You don’t need to make yin-yang adjustments to change
it. You just water it quietly.

“If you gradually change its environment, as well its diet, you can
exert a huge influence on the plant without it even realizing it.

“To put it plainly, you’re not actually transforming the plant. It’s
using its own power to transform itself. All you’re doing is giving it
the proper environment in which to change.”

That was what the lieutenant governor had said in his lecture.
Upon hearing those words, Xu Qing had felt deep admiration. He
couldn’t help but respect the lieutenant governor after learning that
he had come up with such a useful method of alchemy. After all, it
was that method which led to the transformation of the white bolus
into the pallid bolus, which had been such a blessing for people in
the capital.

But now that Xu Qing thought back to that lecture, it made him feel
like lightning bolts were slamming into his mind.

If you take the lieutenant governor’s lecture, and replace the word
‘medicinal plant’ with the word ‘governor,’ then... everything makes
sense.

If you wanted to poison the governor, you couldn’t do it in a bold

and decisive way. You would need to do it just like quietly watering
a plant. You would need to gradually change the environment
around the governor without him even realizing it.... And the
environment is the population of the county capital.

Without the governor ever realizing it, you could change his diet....
In this case, his ‘diet’ would be the most crucial element of the
lightmost fatehavoc pill. Destiny aura! As the governor slowly
absorbed the destiny aura, he would be affected from the inside.

The lieutenant governor didn’t actually do anything to the governor

specifically. The governor did it to himself through his normal
routine. The lieutenant governor just created a way to influence
the governor’s environment and diet.

Xu Qing trembled, and his heart pounded.

In other words, the lieutenant governor didn’t actually administer

any poison at all. He treated the governor like a plant. To poison
him... he used all of the humans in the county capital!

The harmless and inexpensive pallid boluses were the carriers.

They had the power of the lightmost fatehavoc pill in them. As the
years passed, and countless people consumed those pills
constantly, they transformed the destiny aura, and by extension,
the governor’s diet.
By using the destiny aura of all humans in the county capital, he
transformed and influenced the governor, all for the purpose of
ultimately poisoning him. How utterly devious....

Xu Qing struggled to control his breathing as he realized that

everything made perfect sense. The empty wish box had once
contained the lightmost fatehavoc pill. Because it had been in the
box for so long, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers remained in
the box even after the pill was taken out.

That mission had revolved around an agent who was in Holytide

territory. After uncovering a monumental secret, that spy had fled
back to human territory. Looking back, Xu Qing realized that the
agent had probably been dead all along. The wish box that Xu
Qing and the others had recovered had been in the hands of his
son.

And then there was Classified Dossier 19, which contained the
evidence Palace Lord Kong needed to verify the governor’s cause
of death.

Everything made sense. Everything.

Next, Xu Qing thought about the boy in D-132, who was a

manifestation of Sea-Sealing County’s destiny aura. It was only
after they brought the wish box back to the county capital that he
suddenly became listless and seemingly sick.
Back then, Xu Qing had assumed that listless state came because
the boy had somehow encountered an unclean thing. However,
the boy recovered very quickly, and thus, Xu Qing never thought
more about it. And why should he have, given the scant
information he had back then?

Later, the governor died, the Corrections Division exploded, and

the boy went missing. Xu Qing had assumed the boy went missing
because of the collapse of the Corrections Division. But now that
he looked back, he realized that obviously wasn’t the case!

After completing Classified Dossier 19, Palace Lord Kong had

already started investigating the matter. Sadly, in the end, he was
not omniscient and omnipotent. Before he had a chance to solve
the mystery, the governor died, and the war started. And in the
end, he had to suspect everyone.

Xu Qing felt his scalp tingling. Then he thought about how so

many humans thought of the lieutenant governor’s pallid boluses
as a virtuous achievement. What was more, the lieutenant
governor had openly, perhaps even brazenly, revealed his tactics
publicly. And yet... not one person caught on to what was really
happening.

The ‘pallid bolus’ was a pack of lies! The lieutenant governor had
made a mockery of the people of Sea-Sealing County!
Xu Qing felt like he was being struck by 10,000,000 lightning bolts
as he thought back to the lieutenant governor’s eyes when he
looked out at the class and delivered that lecture. He had seemed
so kind. But now that Xu Qing thought back, he realized that within
that kindness was mockery. Scorn. It was like he was playing
some cruel guessing game.

“I’m telling you the truth. Every little aspect. But... none of you
have realized it, have you?”

This was the truth, revealed. And after putting all the pieces
together, Xu Qing didn’t just feel enlightened. He felt scared.

Why would the lieutenant governor do this? Could it be that he and

Torchlight...? He stopped for a moment to think. I should have
realized the truth even before Chu Tianqun died.

Xu Qing had never forgotten what Chu Tianqun said in the

moments before his death, when Xu Qing asked him about the
whereabouts of Night Dove and the Crown Prince of Violet and
Cyan.

“Do you know how to change the color of the sea? When you
figure out how, you’ll get your answer.”

Xu Qing looked out into the night at the capital city.

The color of the sea. Based on the lieutenant governor’s method

of enacting change, the way to change the color of a sea would be
to change the countless streams flowing into it. It would happen so
slowly that, before the sea realized what was happening, it would
be a different color.

“That’s the answer,” Xu Qing murmured quietly.

The lieutenant governor is probably the Crown Prince of Violet and

Cyan. Either that, or he’s Night Dove. And he’s the one who
murdered the governor. The mysterious figure in the black cloak
who appeared on the battlefield wasn’t Marquis Yao. It was the
lieutenant governor.

Xu Qing understood everything now. He understood the truth.

Except, he wasn’t sure what to do with this information. The
person who had assigned him to investigate the mystery was
dead. The lieutenant governor was now the heart and soul of Sea-
Sealing County. All the leaders looked to him for guidance. Given
his ‘virtuous achievement’ with the pallid bolus, he was thought
highly of by the emperor and had won the hearts of the people.

He was like a sun shining in the sky. Given the circumstances

surrounding Seventh Prince’s arrival, it seemed obvious that the
two of them were working together.

The reason that white jade hand appeared in Forbidden by the

Immortal is because they had already worked out a deal....

Sighing, Xu Qing opened the door of his sword pavilion, walked

out, and looked out at the night sky. Eventually, a glimmer of light
appeared on the horizon, which gradually illuminated the dome of
heaven. It was the sign that dawn had come. The light seemed to
spread faster than ever. Along with the light gave waves of heat. It
was at that moment that all cultivators in Sea-Sealing County
received a message from the lieutenant governor.

“Twenty hours ago, Emperor Dark War unleashed a domain

treasure into the heart of Nightshade territory!”

Deathblade's ThoughtsIn rare fashion, Er Gen himself included a

note in this chapter listing out some of the main spots where he
foreshadowed the revelations in this chapter. I’m not going to
translate his entire preamble, because it’s not really relevant. Here
are the links he compiled along with his own explanations:Chapter
419 was when we first noticed the fragrance of osmanthus flowers
in the wish box. Xu Qing noticed that smell. That was the
beginning of the most obvious foreshadowing.In chapter 431, we
saw a ‘climbing osmanthus’ plant in the Lieutenant Governor’s
Mansion. This was the second bit of foreshadowing. (Deathblade
addition: In Chinese, this clue was buried more deeply. He used a
variant Chinese term for ‘osmanthus.’ This variant term shares one
of the characters of the common word for ‘osmanthus,’ so astute
Chinese readers could have picked up on that. You had it easier in
English, because I basically had to keep ‘osmanthus’ in the name,
otherwise the clue would have been impossible to notice.)In
chapter 512 Xu Qing once again thinks about the fragrance of the
osmanthus flower, which is key to him connecting the box to the
governor’s murder.In chapter 528 he notices the fragrance in the
pallid bolus.Chapter 402 was when the lieutenant governor gave
his speech on alchemy. That was the biggest clue during this
county capital arc. Everything in that speech was specifically
designed to lead to the revelations of this chapter.In chapter 466
Xu Qing asks Chu Tianqun about the whereabouts of the Crown
Prince of Violet and Cyan and Night Dove. And now you
understand what he meant about the sea changing color. That
combined with chapter 402 could be considered vague spoilers.In
chapter 422, the boy in D-132 experienced a preliminary reaction
to the lightmost fatehavoc pill.Those are some of the clues and
bits of foreshadowing up to this point. There are more to come,
you’ll have to wait to see what they are.Writing is hard, and I’m
doing my very best with this book.Now... please become a
Wuxiaworld Champion!Obviously Er Gen didn’t say to become a
Wuxiaworld Champion in the original Chinese. He asked for
monthly vote tickets. But the equivalent on WW is to be a
Champion! So please think about it if you enjoy all of this intrigue!
Here is one more important reference I thought of that he didn’t
mention:The lieutenant governor suppressing the nonhuman
cabal: chapter 509.If there are any other references you’d like links
to, let me know in the comments and I can add them here. In the
long process of editing, revising, etc. I’ve also spotted other clues
and details throughout the past 100+ chapters, not all of which are
weighty enough to warrant including a link. Suffice it to say, if you
ever choose to re-read this story, you will find lots of interesting
tidbits.Incidentally, readers of the translation have an advantage in
terms of unraveling the mysteries, because I annotate many things
with footnotes. The author does not do that in the original Chinese
version.Over the next few chapters, he had some additional post-
chapter notes with links to the previous clues/foreshadowing. I will
put the content of his notes into in-chapter footnotes.

In rare fashion, Er Gen himself included a note in this chapter

listing out some of the main spots where he foreshadowed the
revelations in this chapter. I’m not going to translate his entire
preamble, because it’s not really relevant. Here are the links he
compiled along with his own explanations:

Chapter 419 was when we first noticed the fragrance of

osmanthus flowers in the wish box. Xu Qing noticed that smell.
That was the beginning of the most obvious foreshadowing.

In chapter 431, we saw a ‘climbing osmanthus’ plant in the

Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion. This was the second bit of
foreshadowing. (Deathblade addition: In Chinese, this clue was
buried more deeply. He used a variant Chinese term for
‘osmanthus.’ This variant term shares one of the characters of the
common word for ‘osmanthus,’ so astute Chinese readers could
have picked up on that. You had it easier in English, because I
basically had to keep ‘osmanthus’ in the name, otherwise the clue
would have been impossible to notice.)

In chapter 512 Xu Qing once again thinks about the fragrance of

the osmanthus flower, which is key to him connecting the box to
the governor’s murder.

In chapter 528 he notices the fragrance in the pallid bolus.

Chapter 402 was when the lieutenant governor gave his speech
on alchemy. That was the biggest clue during this county capital
arc. Everything in that speech was specifically designed to lead to
the revelations of this chapter.

In chapter 466 Xu Qing asks Chu Tianqun about the whereabouts

of the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan and Night Dove. And now
you understand what he meant about the sea changing color. That
combined with chapter 402 could be considered vague spoilers.

In chapter 422, the boy in D-132 experienced a preliminary

reaction to the lightmost fatehavoc pill.

Those are some of the clues and bits of foreshadowing up to this

point. There are more to come, you’ll have to wait to see what they
are.

Writing is hard, and I’m doing my very best with this book.

Now... please become a Wuxiaworld Champion!

Obviously Er Gen didn’t say to become a Wuxiaworld Champion in

the original Chinese. He asked for monthly vote tickets. But the
equivalent on WW is to be a Champion! So please think about it if
you enjoy all of this intrigue!
Here is one more important reference I thought of that he didn’t
mention:

The lieutenant governor suppressing the nonhuman cabal: chapter

509.

If there are any other references you’d like links to, let me know in
the comments and I can add them here. In the long process of
editing, revising, etc. I’ve also spotted other clues and details
throughout the past 100+ chapters, not all of which are weighty
enough to warrant including a link. Suffice it to say, if you ever
choose to re-read this story, you will find lots of interesting tidbits.

Incidentally, readers of the translation have an advantage in terms

of unraveling the mysteries, because I annotate many things with
footnotes. The author does not do that in the original Chinese
version.

Over the next few chapters, he had some additional post-chapter

notes with links to the previous clues/foreshadowing. I will put the
content of his notes into in-chapter footnotes.
Chapter 530: Human Domain Treasure;
Dawning Sun! (1)

During the end of the tenth month in the year 2,932 of the Dark
War calendar, the 3,915th descendant of Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity, Guyue Zhang’an, the seventh son of the magnificent and
glorious Emperor Dark War, received imperial orders to save Sea-
Sealing County by opening the ninth operations palace of Ancient
Emperor Dark Serenity.

Seventh Prince summoned the Nightshades’ Crimson Mother into

that operations palace to devour the vile god sleeping therein.
Thus, a potential calamity was expunged, assuring a thousand
years of peace and security for Sea-Sealing County.

Because that dharmic decree of the magnificent and glorious

Emperor Dark War was carried out, humankind could walk the
path to victory in the war. It was a matter that shook the countless
species of Revered Ancient to the core. The myriads of species in
Sea-Sealing County cheered in delight. Humans all looked up to
Seventh Prince; the emperor himself praised the prince for the
services he had performed.

In the same month, after the ninth operations palace of Ancient

Emperor Dark Serenity in Sea-Sealing County had been opened,
the magnificent and glorious Emperor Dark War, who had been
besieged in the imperial capital for months by the Nightshades,
finally revealed his heavenly might by unleashing Dawning Sun
into the heart of the Nightshade Region.

The immense, spherical sun was just like a real, scorching sun. It
represented humanity’s drive to rise to prominence, and when it
exploded in the darkness of the Nightshade Region, it released
boundless light that filled heaven like burning fire.

All of Nightshade Region was lit ablaze. The sky there collapsed,
and the ground cracked open everywhere. Countless Nightshades
died, and all Nightshade cultivators were seriously injured.

A tempest came into being, spreading out far and wide, like an
eternal sea of fire that drew the attention of all eyes. The
Nightshade’s pitch-black region was now filled with radiance and
light.

Rough estimates indicate that the burning sun will remain in place
for a full sixty-year-cycle. However, its effects will continue to play
out for much longer than that. For the next thousand years, the
dark night of the Nightshade Region will be replaced with bright
fire.

Countless lives were lost, but at the same time, humankind had a
new lease on life.

***
The news was a huge shock to Revered Ancient. All species were
shaken. The allied army that had besieged the imperial capital of
the humans fell into retreat. Back home, they sealed their borders
and trembled in fear. Even the most powerful species on the
mainland were absolutely flabbergasted.

It marked the beginning of a time of prosperity the likes of which

hadn’t been seen for many tens of thousands of years.

Emperor Dark War became so famous that his name was known
to everyone from all species. By unleashing Dawning Sun, the
human emperor was making a clear announcement to everyone:
from this day on, humans are no longer prey. We... have the power
to defend ourselves!

And that was because of the humans’ domain treasure, Dawning

Sun! That domain treasure was not created by a god; it was the
work of human hands!

The Nightshades suffered heavy losses. However, their fury

overshadowed their terror, and they did not surrender. In fact, they
started fighting back even harder. They unleashed their domain
treasure, ultimately destroying a third of the human imperial
capital. They stubbornly insisted that the humans were actually
bluffing. Their narrow-minded assertion was that the humans
hadn’t actually created a domain treasure. They believed that
Dawning Sun was nothing like traditional domain treasures. In fact,
they were sure that it was a single-use magical technique, or some
lone relic of the ancient past.

War horns continued to sound.

***

In the eleventh month of the year 2,932 of the Dark War calendar,
seven days after the first unleashing of Dawning Sun, Emperor
Dark War once more revealed his heavenly might, as he again
unleashed his domain treasure on another of the Nightshades’
regions, plus the neighboring Holytide Region!

The second usage of Dawning Sun created a destructive sea of

flames and an eternal light. In the blink of an eye, the Nightshade’s
other region collapsed. The lands were set aflame, and the sky
burned red.

Countless Nightshades howled in anguish as the light melted their

skin and dissolved them into ashes. Cultivators and mortals alike,
as well as any species that adhered to them, were thrown into the
ultimate distress. The death toll was too high to count. It was as if
godly might had been unleashed.

The Holytide Region was also affected. Tempests of fire swept

through it, crushing anything and everything. The countless
species of the Revered Ancient mainland watched in silence.
The Nightshades trembled. Countless members of their species
were sacrificed as god magics were unleashed and they
beseeched their god Crimson Mother to come and punish the
humans. Such efforts... completely failed.

They made three attempts to summon their god. They failed three
times.

Completely demoralized, the Nightshades had no choice but to

retreat. However, the imperial army gave chase, causing
Nightshade blood to fill heaven and earth. The Nightshades...
were routed. It was only by using their domain treasure to cover
their own retreat with a canopy of frigid cold that they managed to
stop the human counter assault.

The war caused a sensation among the countless species of the

Revered Ancient mainland. The prestige of humankind was once
again on display. Emperor Dark War had truly lived up to his
name.

Despite the great victory won by humankind, Emperor Dark War

didn’t greedily take the war into Nightshade territory. What was
more, he informed all interested parties throughout Revered
Ancient that the creation of Dawning Sun had been proposed tens
of thousands of years in the past by Emperor Mirrorcloud. [1]

There had been many twists and turns in its creation, and
construction was only finished recently. As for its operating
principles, Emperor Dark War didn’t keep them a secret. Besides,
now that Dawning Sun had been unleashed, it would have been
hard to do so, and ultimately, the secret would have been
revealed. Instead, he courageously chose to reveal the truth
himself, thus revealing the spirit of what it meant to be human, and
simultaneously striking fear into the hearts of the lowly.

Dawning Sun was connected to the Lightborn species!

***

Everyone knew that the Lightborn were close allies of the humans.
The Lightborn had special eyes that could absorb and store
sunlight. Because of that, there was an entire industry in Revered
Ancient focused around the sale of Lightborn eyes. [2]

That said, few people knew that, tens of thousands of years in the
past, there was no such species as the Lightborn in Revered
Ancient.... They were actually a hybrid variety of humans created
by Emperor Mirrorcloud. And their eyes were actually miniature
versions of Dawning Sun.

When that news started to spread, it was difficult to tell what was
the truth and what wasn’t. The idea that the humans had hatched
a plot that took tens of thousands of years to come to fruition left
many species trembling in fear.

The war wasn’t over yet, though.

***

In the same month that the Nightshades were defeated, Emperor

Dark War’s seventh son, who was stationed in Sea-Sealing
County, unsealed the county and led an army of 60,000,000 to
wage war against the Holytides. The human army crushed
everything in their path. They reclaimed three prefectures which
had recently been lost, then advanced into the depths of the
Holytide Region. Their warpath carved out rivers of gore and
caused blood to rain from the sky.

The Holytides experienced setback after setback, suffered

countless casualties, and lost vast swaths of territory.

Seventh Prince possessed godly power, heavenly genius, and a

courageous heart. Ignoring his own safety, he slaughtered the
enemy, expanded human territory, and conquered half of an entire
region! The four Holytide emperors were enraged.

In the moment of greatest crisis, the Holytide ancestral emperor

experienced a breakthrough in cultivation. He emerged
shouldering a major world. Having stepped into the Smoldering
God level, he completely transformed the Holytide Region by
severing his species’ bloodline connection with the Nightshades.
From that moment on, the Holytides no longer adhered to the
Nightshades, and were completely free.
The arrival of a Smoldering God changed everything. Seventh
Prince’s rampage was brought to an end, and in the ensuing
deadlock, Seventh Prince revealed his magnificent benevolence
by kindly offering the Holytide species clemency. The Holytides,
having already come to hate war, and convinced by Seventh
Prince’s boundless sincerity, were deeply moved. At the behest of
their ancestral emperor, they agreed to return to the fold of
humankind.

***

The momentous turn of events caused a huge commotion among

the court and common people alike. That, of course, was
something the emperor had expected. The return of the Holytides
wasn’t something that could be affected in a short time; there were
still plenty of aspects to be negotiated. As the person in charge of
the affair, Seventh Prince remained in the Holytide Region to see
the matter to its conclusion.

It was in that manner that a war which had lasted for half a year
was brought to a conclusion.

The Nightshades had suffered crippling losses. The humans won

a great victory, and made a huge impression on the countless
other species that existed.

Seventh Prince had saved Sea-Sealing County, carried out

imperial orders to a tee, expanded human territory, and overseen
the return of the Holytides. His numerous accomplishments
earned him widespread fame. He became a hero to all, and was
even rumored to be named the crown prince in the future.

Humans in Sea-Sealing County and the other counties were very

excited to read the official reports about the resolution of the war.
All households had shrines in which to make offerings to Emperor
Dark War and wish him longevity. But now, such shrines also had
a plaque to wish longevity to Seventh Prince. After all, this was the
first time during the Dark War calendar that humans had ever
expanded their territory! In fact, tracing back the history, it was
also the first time since Emperor Eastglory’s spectacular defeat
that humans had expanded their territory! [3]

The implications were impossible to overstate.

What was more, the betrayal of the Holytides during the Dao Life
calendar had brought unending pain to Emperor Dao Life, and to
humankind as a whole. But now, during the Dark War calendar,
Seventh Prince guided them back to the right path, thereby
accomplishing something downright amazing!

Thus came to an end a skirmish that had long been playing out on
the Revered Ancient game board.

But what most people saw was only what lay on the surface. As
for what happened behind the scenes, opinions were mixed on
whether or not things had been handled properly. And it wasn’t the
sort of matter that could be decided with a few casual words.

That was simply how war worked. War was not just about fighting
and killing. It was not about one person attacking and one person
retreating. Wars like that were either children’s games, or fiction.
The reality was that war was brutal. What most people saw was
simply the blood spilled on the battlefield, not all the other
countless elements involved. Few people understood the truth, not
even the majority of people in Sea-Sealing County. Only those
who actually participated in the war had an inkling. And frankly
speaking, it was better that way.

Not understanding the truth left the commoners happier.

Xu Qing currently sat in his sword pavilion, gripping his command

sword and taking in the reports and news. It had been twelve days
since he learned the truth. Nowadays, reports were released every
day, and they inevitably caused lots of cheering and rejoicing.

The county capital was swept up in the moment. The mortals were
all visibly exuberant, and even swordsages who had witnessed
Palace Lord Kong die in battle seemed relieved and impressed.

Kong Xianglong hadn’t made a public appearance in days. He

spent all of his time drinking alone.

Xu Qing was also drinking at the moment. He had a jug of alcohol

at his side from which he would sip.
More days passed.

As the dust settled, Seventh Prince finished his initial negotiations

with the Holytides, then returned to Sea-Sealing County. Because
of how he had won the hearts of the people, he was received
much more formally. The grand celebration thrown in his honor
rivaled any celebration thrown for the sake of the emperor.

It lasted an entire day. Later that evening, in a building in the

Governor’s Mansion, Seventh Prince stood looking out at heaven
and earth.

“I offer my thanks for all of this,” Seventh Prince said calmly.

As his words echoed out, a figure appeared next to him.

1. Emperor Mirrorcloud was mentioned in chapter 401. ☜

2. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the Lightborn and their
eyes. They were mentioned in chapter 390, even in the chapter
title. ☜

3. Emperor Eastglory was also mentioned in chapter 401. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to Lattydesires06, NoRefund,

and Beuteugeu for the reviews!

Many thanks to Lattydesires06, NoRefund, and Beuteugeu for the

reviews!
Chapter 530: Human Domain Treasure;
Dawning Sun! (2)

The figure that appeared next to Seventh Prince had a face full of
wrinkles, along with very kind eyes. He was none other than the
lieutenant governor.

“I helped you,” the lieutenant governor said. “You helped me. It

was very fair. There’s no need for thanks.” He smiled as he looked
out at the scenery along with Seventh Prince.

Seventh Prince didn’t speak for a moment. Then he said, “I

wanted to win acclaim. The Holytides wanted a magic to purge the
Nightshade blood from their species, as well as a chance to reach
the Smoldering God level. Both of us got what we wanted. But
what about you? Do you really just want that item from the imperial
palace that once belonged to Emperor Mirrorcloud?”

The lieutenant governor smiled kindly. “Of course. I’m not a liar.
Also, you forgot something. I want to be the governor of Sea-
Sealing County.” Lowering his voice slightly, he continued, “So, the
emperor had that domain treasure all along, but didn’t use it. Very
devious. Very clever. No wonder you wanted to work with me. The
reality is that, normally speaking, you shouldn’t have won any
acclaim in this war. The emperor was behind everything. Your
mission was simply to save Sea-Sealing County, open Forbidden
by the Immortal as bait for Crimson Mother, and give humanity the
right opportunity to unleash its domain treasure.”

It was almost as if Seventh Prince hadn’t been listening. Face

completely expressionless, he coolly said, “Why is the destiny
aura of Sea-Sealing County so important to you?”

“Having been baptized by the lightmost fatehavoc pill, the destiny

aura is very important. And the old governor was the perfect
person to give his life to purge it of poison. As of now, the destiny
aura is fine. Think of it as a fruit that’s only just ripened. It’s a gift
from me to you.” The lieutenant governor spoke in a mild and
straightforward manner. The truth was that he was worried
Seventh Prince might renege on their agreement.

Seventh Prince’s eyes narrowed. “Who are you, really?”

“I’m a nobody,” replied the lieutenant governor, smiling.

Seventh Prince stood there for a moment before nodding. “During

the big ceremony in three days, I’ll publicly announce that you’re
the new governor. Going forward, Sea-Sealing County belongs to
you, so handle things here as you see fit. As for that item that
once belonged to Emperor Mirrorcloud, I can simply add it to the
list of goods we’re sending to the Holytides as part of the deal
governing their return. Even if my father notices it, given the bigger
picture, I’m sure he’ll still agree to hand it over to you. Besides,
he’s the only person that can open the ancestral land to retrieve
it.” Seventh Prince turned to look at the lieutenant governor. “That
said, I’m very curious. Why did you hatch this extremely
complicated conspiracy just to get a bowl?”

The lieutenant governor smiled. “I can answer that. But there’s

also something I’m curious about. What happens later on if I give
the people of Sea-Sealing County and its destiny aura to my lord
and master to devour? What will you do then?”

“On a personal level,” Seventh Prince replied calmly, “I couldn’t

care less. The county belongs to you now, after all. But from the
perspective of humankind as a whole, I’d have to stop you.”

Hearing that, the lieutenant governor turned to leave.

“You haven’t answered my question,” Seventh Prince said, his

face expressionless.

The lieutenant governor didn’t look back. He just said one thing. “If
I told you that bowl is actually the skull of my lord and master,
would you believe me?”

Seventh Prince’s eyes glittered. The imperial palace had been

constructed by Emperor Mirrorcloud. In other words, it was very,
very old. It contained many secrets, some of which could actually
be traced back to the time of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.

Emperor Mirrorcloud had been the type of person who liked

collecting things. However, there was only one thing that went with
him into his grave, and that was a bowl. It was a bone bowl, and it
had been interred with him. It was put into a coffin of the exact
same measurements as his own, such that it looked as if two
emperors had been entombed there. No one knew what that bone
bowl did, or whose skull it was made from. And there was no
information about it in any records. The truth had been erased in
the countless years of time that had passed, so the only thing that
remained were conjectures. There were even some people who
claimed that the skull was that of Emperor Mirrorcloud’s closest
friend, the crown prince of the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and
Cyan.

Seventh Prince didn’t ask any more questions.

The lieutenant governor left.

A moment later, numerous streams of energy appeared around

Seventh Prince, which resolved into a host of figures in black
cloaks. They looked exactly like the cloaked figures who had been
with Zhang Siyun not so long ago. The figure in the forefront
looked at Seventh Prince, clasped hands, and bowed, then spoke
in a sinister voice.

“Your Majesty, if you give us the order, sir, we’ll kill him on the spot.
We’ve already determined his origin. He’s from an organization
called Torchlight. As for his identity—”
Seventh Prince shook his head. “Whatever information you
uncovered is what he wanted you to uncover. I’m standing by my
agreement with him. See to it.” Kneading the bridge of his nose,
Seventh Prince continued, “By the way, have you found any traces
of my younger brother?”

The black-robed figure bowed his head. “Your Majesty, we’ve

already scoured all the counties looking for Twelfth Prince, but
haven’t found him. We found some clues indicating he came to
Sea-Sealing County. But his trail goes cold here.”

Seventh Prince digested that information briefly, then shook his

head and left.

***

News began to spread about the grand ceremony that was to take
place now that Seventh Prince had returned. All human sects and
organizations knew about it, as did all the countless species.

Everyone was talking about the event because it was a

coronation. Seventh Prince was going to crown the new governor.

Once that happened, the new governor would be the most

paramount entity in Sea-Sealing County. His every word and deed
could affect the lives of countless people. The three palaces, all
the cultivators, and all the swordsages would have to listen to his
commands. All it would take would be a single dharmic decree,
and any one of Sea-Sealing County’s thirteen provinces or
countless sects and organizations could be wiped out of existence.

He would be blessed by the destiny aura of Sea-Sealing County,

which would help him break through all the shackles tying down
his cultivation base, and enable him to reach the highest of
heights. He would exist at the pinnacle of the county.

Of course, along with that great power came corresponding

responsibilities. He would be in charge of safeguarding both
humankind and Sea-Sealing County. Although no public
announcement had been made regarding the identity of the new
governor, everyone could already speculate who it was. After all...
there was only one person who, after having gone through so
many dramatic events, qualified to take the spot. And that was the
lieutenant governor!

The lieutenant governor’s virtuous achievement with the pallid

bolus had earned him the veneration of the masses. During the
war, he had been cautious and conscientious. He had kept the
interior of the county safe. And after Seventh Prince arrived, he
fought hard for the rights of the county.

Everything he had done ensured that people loved him dearly.

If Palace Lord Kong had been alive, then he would obviously have
been the best choice. The other two palace lords would similarly
have qualified. But now they were gone, and only the lieutenant
governor was left. He represented the heart of the people, and
also the old guard of Sea-Sealing County. Obviously, the people
would have no qualms about someone like him becoming the
governor.

Xu Qing was drinking in his sword pavilion when he heard the

news. He’d gone through quite a few jugs, but had plenty more.

In nine days, it’ll have been a month. In nine days I can go back to
Seven Blood Eyes. I really need to pay a visit to Arch-Immortal
Plumdark.... And Ling’er as well. Before I leave, I should go see
her. She’s probably awake by now. As for Master, I wonder if he’s
already done creating that treasure.

Eldest Brother must have other big jobs in mind for the future. I
wonder what the next one will be. I should really work on my
cultivation. I need to get stronger. The two of us haven’t even
come close to traveling the world together.

I have to tend to Sergeant Thunder’s grave and pay respects to

Grandmaster Bai as well. I should leave some offerings at Master
Sixth’s gravestone too. There are so many important things to
handle.

Huang Yan! I wonder how he’s doing. And also... who is he? I still
don’t know for sure. Sir Bloodsmelter is getting so old. And then
there’s Elder Brother Zhang San, and Yanyan, and also Ding Xue!
I haven’t seen any of them for such a long time. With so many
things to do, I can’t just stick around the county capital. I should
just go out and do something.

He took a long drink.

Yeah, that’s totally right. My cultivation base is too weak to

accomplish anything important. At least I don’t have any regrets
about fighting in the war. Perhaps the swordsages... aren’t a good
fit for me. I guess it doesn’t matter. I grew up alone in a brutal
world, fighting to survive. There have always been plenty of things
beyond my control. From the time I was small, the most important
thing was to just stay alive....

Xu Qing kept drinking. Eventually, it was only about seven days

before the appointed time to return to Seven Blood Eyes.

That was the day that Sea-Sealing County held its big ceremony.

At first, Xu Qing wasn’t planning to go. But then he thought about

how he and the Captain would be leaving in seven days. When the
bells started ringing, and his command sword vibrated, he put
down his jug of alcohol, walked out of his sword pavilion, and went
up into the city. Soon, he found himself standing in the very same
square where he had sworn his oath in front of the souls of the
county heroes.

There were a lot of people present, but everything was very

orderly. Cultivators from all three palaces were there. Hundreds of
thousands of people were all congregated. Everyone was dressed
in fresh, clean clothes, and they all looked very excited. That
included the three deputy palace lords, who didn’t look anxious
and worried like before. And all the swordsages who were
veterans of the war seemed to be in great moods.

Humankind had won a historical victory. They had a domain

treasure, which meant they were no longer prey for other species.
Everyone’s spirits were lifted by all of the good news.

More than half of the Holytide Region now belonged to humans,

and a golden age was starting. Besides, the fact that the Holytides
were returning to humankind essentially meant that humans would
soon control an entire region. It was something that hadn’t
happened for tens of thousands of years.

It was little wonder everyone was so worked up!

What was more, it would only be a short time before everyone got
to see their new governor. Everything was playing out perfectly.

The Captain was in the crowd, as were Kong Xianglong, Qing Qiu,
and Ning Yan.

When the Captain found Xu Qing, he threw his arm around his
neck, leaned toward him, and sniffed a few times.

“What’s wrong? Last time I messaged, you said you were in

seclusion. Why do you smell like booze? How drunk are you?”

Xu Qing shook his head and chuckled. “I’m fine.”

The Captain looked suspicious, and was about to ask a question
when the bells started ringing. The golden dragon in the dome of
heaven roared, spewing out colorful clouds. Seventh Prince
floated down from above, clad in a yellow robe, a nine-tasseled
crown on his head. He moved with power and grace, and his mere
presence caused the crowds to erupt into wild cheering.

“Victory!”

“Victory!”

“Victory!”

Seventh Prince smiled and nodded as he proceeded to the altar.

He was flanked by dozens of followers, all of whom were clad in
the robes of government officials.

Among them were the three commanders-in-chief from the three

palaces and the other commanders-in-chief and generalissimos
from the imperial army, including the one who had presided over
the operation in Forbidden by the Immortal, Generalissimo
Bloodhorror.

Also present was the lieutenant governor. Just as in the past, he

looked kind, with merciful eyes. There also seemed something
wistful about him. From the look of it, he was very grateful that
humans had finally achieved this victory.
The group floated down to the altar, until they landed in front of it.
The imperial prince strode to the highest position of all, then
turned so that his back was to the statue of Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity, and he was looking out at everything below him.

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators below the altar went

completely silent. Expressions somber, they looked up at the
prince, and behind him, Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.

Xu Qing did the same. As he did, his heart pounded, and he

struggled to remain still and unmoving. Over the past twenty-three
days, he had become accustomed to drinking. However, there was
no alcohol to drink at the moment. He sighed inwardly.

Once this ceremony is over, I’ll go buy some medicinal plants. I

still have some military credits, and a few days to spend them.
Who knows how long it will be before I’m back in the county
capital? Yeah. I might as well get some magical devices and other
things as well.

He tried hard to think about what things he should do before

leaving, and thus keep himself under control.

Meanwhile, Seventh Prince looked out at the hundreds of

thousands of gathered cultivators. Clasping hands, he bowed.

“Sea-Sealing County is here today, not just because I defended it.

It is here because all of you defended it. We defended it. Together!
“As such, the victory belongs, not just to me, but even more so, to
all of you. And especially to the fine officers and troops who gave
their lives on the front lines! Therefore, on this day of ceremony, I
wish to pay my respects to them! Please, join me as I bow to the
souls of all the heroes!”

Expression somber, Seventh Prince turned in the direction of the

front lines, clasped hands, and bowed deeply. Hearts swelling in
response to his words, the gathered cultivators turned in the same
direction, clasped hands, and bowed.

“I hope that we humans can live for all eternity in peace and
security! And I also hope that we can once again capture the glory
of our past!” Seventh Prince’s words resounded in all heaven and
earth, causing the clouds to swirl into auspicious formations!
Chapter 531: Follow The Path Your Heart
Chooses (1)

Seven-colored clouds shone in the dome of heaven, spreading out

to fill the sky. They looked like beautiful flowers made of light, their
shifting colors laced with gold as they hung over the grand
ceremony taking place.

The roars of the four-clawed golden dragon thundered out as it

exhaled multicolored clouds. Within the clouds were numerous
illusory figures standing tall as they observed; they were all the
governors from the history of Sea-Sealing County, there to bear
witness to what was to come. Of course, they were just projections
created by destiny aura.

Spirit energy gathered in the form of raindrops, which fell to the

ground and dispelled the scattered mutagen that had seeped out
from Forbidden by the Immortal. Countless plants began to grow
vibrantly, while all living beings experienced a boost to their
cultivation base, and found old injuries and conditions rapidly
improving.

A golden age had arrived. All cultivators in the county capital, and
in fact, all people in general, were cheering loudly. The various
nonhuman representatives from around Sea-Sealing County who
were there to witness the event couldn’t help but feel a deep
reverence in their hearts. Even the Demi-Immortals respectfully
bowed their heads.

Atop the altar, the commanders-in-chief who had come with the
imperial prince from the capital all had eyes shining with zealous
veneration. Thanks to the leadership of Seventh Prince, they had
won a great victory, and had performed unheard-of services to
humankind.

That group included the three commanders-in-chief assigned to

the three palaces.

The lieutenant governor stood there looking up into the sky. His
expression seemed to be a mixture of lamentation and
reminiscence. And it was tinged with the sensation of ancient time,
as if he had already witnessed someone achieve things such as
the imperial prince had achieved, except, on a far grander scale.

It’s not a big deal. Everything will return to the way it once was, my
Lord. Three days at the most after the Holytides fulfill their
agreement, I will sacrifice all the living beings in Sea-Sealing
County. I’ll squeeze out all of their destiny aura to create a
boundless life fruit for you, sir.

The lieutenant governor smiled faintly. He was a man of rigorous

schemes and deep foresight, and thus, he couldn’t stop his heart
from swelling. However, he quickly wiped away any expression of
reminiscence from his face. The kind smile returned, and the
crow’s feet around his eyes seemed even more prominent.

Xu Qing was back in the crowd. As he looked up, his eyes were
fixed, not on Seventh Prince, but rather, on the huge statue of
Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity.

Within his mind echoed a certain collection of words.

“A swordsage can execute judgment on anyone except the

emperor!”

Those words had popped into his mind over twenty days ago, and
he had been suppressing them for just as long.

Leaning over to the Captain, Xu Qing said, “Eldest Brother, after

this, why don’t we come up with a good reason to leave this
place?”

“Oh, that’s simple,” the Captain said proudly. “I already figured it all
out. It’s been a full two years since we joined the swordsages.
Normally speaking, new swordsages have to serve in the capital
for three years. But you can reduce that time with military credits.
Once we’re ready to make our move, we can just apply for a
position outside of the capital, and I’ll grease the right wheels to
make sure we end up assigned to Emperor-Receiving Prefecture.”

“It’s been two years?” Xu Qing said. Time really had flown by.

The Captain sighed. “Yeah, two years!”

“I guess that means I’m twenty years old now,” Xu Qing mused.

“That’s right, little Ah Qing. You still haven’t grown up all the way.
Twenty years old!” The Captain chuckled heartily.

Xu Qing also chuckled.

On the altar, Seventh Prince raised his hand, and instantly, the
cheering crowd of hundreds of thousands went silent. The entire
county capital quieted.

“You fighting men of Sea-Sealing County have had it rough over

the past half a year,” the prince said quietly. “I’ve watched your
blood flow. The emperor has seen the sacrifices you’ve made. All
humankind has borne witness to your service. The war is over.
Humans are triumphant!

“For tens of thousands of years, the Nightshades humiliated us.

Now we’ve made them pay the price for that. Countless
Nightshades died on the field of battle outside the imperial capital.
Then we released Dawning Sun in two of their regions,
exterminating ten times as many Nightshade as died in the
fighting!

“Humankind’s domain treasure shook heaven and earth! But what

is most terrifying about our domain treasure is not that initial burst
of power; rather, it is the fact that it will remain in Nightshade lands
for a sixty-year-cycle, endlessly burning!
“During that sixty-year-cycle, a hundred times as many
Nightshades will die as have already died. Whatever Nightshades
are born in the meantime will be altered. Transformed. Granted,
they have their own domain treasure. But they only have one. And
they don’t have the courage to use it at the cost of their own lives.
So they will hold back from using it. Their champion, High God
Crimson Mother, has fallen into a deep sleep.

“As for us humans, we have already unleashed our domain

treasure three times, and can continue to do so. In this war, we
have accomplished something incredible, the likes of which hasn’t
been seen for tens of thousands of years. Emperor Dark War is
now known throughout all heaven and earth!”

Seventh Prince’s impassioned voice filled the sky. “Thanks to our

hard work, Sea-Sealing County stands strong, just as before! But
there’s more than that. Though three prefectures were lost, I...
have brought them back! In addition to the three prefectures I
recovered, we humans have also recovered control of half of the
territory in the Holytide Region. That territory includes nine
counties and a hundred prefectures!”

An excited wave of cheering swept through the crowd.

As Seventh Prince looked out, his gaze became filled with

unswerving determination, and his voice deepened.
“That said, I’m aware that some people believe my methods to be
overly cruel. They think my actions are for the purpose of turning
Sea-Sealing County into my personal territory.

“That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m aware that Sea-Sealing
County needs a leader, and therefore, I submitted a formal petition
to the emperor, and received official approval to appoint a new
governor for you. And this governor is someone you’re very
familiar with.

“Soon, I will leave Sea-Sealing County, and in all likelihood, I’ll

never return. Instead, I will enter Holytide territory, to guard the
frontier border!”

He finished speaking, and before the crowd could react, he turned

to the statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity and bowed
formally. Then he turned to the illusory governors in the clouds,
and bowed even more deeply.

“The county of Sea-Sealing cannot be left unguarded. Throughout

history, all governors of this county have been outstanding heroes.

“Therefore, on this day, I, Guyue Zhang’an, as the seventh son of

Emperor Dark War, would like to nominate a candidate to be the
new governor. After his heart has been assessed by heaven,
earth, and the people, I will submit his candidacy to the emperor
himself, and then await the official appointment. Lieutenant
governor!”
The lieutenant governor smiled and clasped hands in his direction.

Seventh Prince looked down the altar. “Your pallid bolus is a

blessing to all humans in the county capital. Your actions have
freed countless humans from the corrupting pain of mutagen. This
is your first accomplishment!

“During your time serving as lieutenant governor, you were

cautious and conscientious. From assisting the governor to
showing pity on the commoners, your hard work and meritorious
service are known to all. This is your second accomplishment!

“During the war, you kept the interior safe, ensuring that the
people of Sea-Sealing County didn’t devolve into chaos. You
spared no effort to support the front lines. This is your third
accomplishment!

“Going forward, you will lead all the cultivators in Sea-Sealing

County. You will see to it that the county returns to business as
usual. You will oversee the reconstruction. You will return the
county to its previous state. This will be your fourth
accomplishment!”

As Seventh Prince listed out all of the lieutenant governor’s

meritorious accomplishments, the hundreds of thousands of
onlookers, and the tens of millions of people in the county capital
in general, all looked on, their eyes shining with reverence.
The lieutenant governor stood there with a kind, merciful look on
his face.

Down below, Xu Qing looked down. He had no desire to watch any

of this. He just kept telling himself that all he had to do was wait
seven more days. In seven days, he could go back to Seven Blood
Eyes.

The ceremony should be over soon.

After Seventh Prince finished listing out the lieutenant governor’s

accomplishments, the crowd roared, and the prince smiled and
nodded to the lieutenant governor.

The lieutenant governor then stepped forward. All eyes were on

him as he walked up the stairs to the top of the altar, where he
stood next to Seventh Prince.

A strong wind swept through the area. It wasn’t the result of a

magical technique, but rather, a manifestation of the invisible
destiny aura. It came as streams of destiny aura rose up from all
of the mortals and all of the cultivators in the county capital. Up
above, the clouds seem to grow thinner as the destiny aura
formed a massive vortex. The vortex grew increasingly visible.

“That’s the county’s destiny aura,” the Captain said enviously. “It
wouldn’t be of much use to me and you. But to a Void Returning
cultivator, the destiny aura of an entire county could easily push
you up an entire stage. In fact, it might be enough to step halfway
into the Smoldering God level!

“With a blessing of destiny aura, he really will be the most

paramount figure in all of Sea-Sealing County.”

Xu Qing looked down and said nothing.

Atop the altar, Seventh Prince looked over at the lieutenant

governor.

The kind lieutenant governor softly said, “I hereby ask heaven:

may I serve as the governor of Sea-Sealing County?”

The most important aspect of the governor’s coronation was the

assessment of heaven, earth, and the people. It was a ceremonial
tradition started by Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity that had
continued to this day. In this case, ‘heaven’ was Ancient Emperor
Dark Serenity. And as a representative of the imperial clan,
Seventh Prince qualified to represent heaven. Looking solemnly at
the lieutenant governor, he nodded.

“You may!”

As the words left his mouth, thunder rumbled in the sky. It was as
if a million lightning bolts all fell at the same time. As the sound
spread out, the vortex of destiny aura became even easier to see.
Gradually, it was taking the shape of a crown.
The crown of the emperor had twelve tassels. The leaders of the
regions had ten tassels. The imperial princes had nine tassels.
And the leaders of the counties had five tassels. The regulations
had been set in ancient times, and they had not changed. And
thus, the destiny aura overhead was taking the shape of a crown
with five tassels.

As the thunder rumbled, the crown-shaped convergence of destiny

aura overhead echoed with another sound. It was like that of a boy
weeping.

It struck Xu Qing to the heart, causing him to suddenly look up.

The weeping was extremely clear to him, but no one else seemed
to be reacting, as if they couldn’t hear it.

“Did you hear that, Eldest Brother?” Xu Qing suddenly said.

The Captain looked over at Xu Qing and shook his head. “I didn’t
hear anything. Neither did you.”

Xu Qing didn’t reply. He knew that the weeping in the destiny aura
was the boy from D-132. Considering that he and the Captain
were both linked to a heavenly dao, there was no doubt that the
Captain had also heard the weeping. The sound seemed to grow
louder in his ears, and it struck him to the core.

There are a lot of things I still have yet to accomplish. I need to get
back to Seven Blood Eyes.... My cultivation base isn’t strong
enough. I have to stay alive. Everything depends on improving my
cultivation base. Everything. There will still be time to fix
everything. After I’m strong enough.

However, even as Xu Qing consoled himself, there was another

voice in the back of his mind screaming at him that the governor’s
killer, and Palace Lord Kong’s killer, was right in front of him. All of
the calamity Sea-Sealing County had faced was the result of a plot
carried out over many years by this very person. Of course, that
voice was Xu Qing’s own voice. He forced it into silence.

It’s not my responsibility. Exactly. Not my responsibility.... I’m a

nobody who needs to focus on staying alive. Besides, I don’t want
to drag Master and Eldest Brother into this.

As Xu Qing kept looking down, he clenched his hands into fists.

Atop the altar, the lieutenant governor calmly continued speaking.

“I hereby ask earth: may I serve as the governor of Sea-Sealing
County?”

In this case, ‘earth’ were the lands of Sea-Sealing County, and in a

ceremonial and symbolic sense, Seventh Prince qualified to
respond.

“You may!”

Instantly, thunderous rumbling erupted overhead, like a million

lightning bolts exploding at the same time. More destiny aura
converged, and the crown became clearer. It even started floating
down toward the altar. The weeping grew more intense, and
almost pleading.

Xu Qing’s chest heaved and his heart pounded. He looked up.

From his angle of view, it almost looked like Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity’s hands were placing the crown of destiny aura onto the
head of the new governor.

Once the crown was on the head of the lieutenant governor, he

would become the governor. He would be blessed by destiny aura,
and he would be in charge of the entire county.

From that moment on, the heaven of Sea-Sealing County would

belong to Torchlight. The lands of Sea-Sealing County would
belong to Torchlight. And the destiny aura of Sea-Sealing County
would belong to Torchlight. [1]

If that happened, then Sergeant Thunder’s death, Grandmaster

Bai’s death, and Master Sixth’s death would become pure regret.

There was one unknown: would Master Seventh’s actions in

Forbidden by the Immortal be able to evade the scrutiny of an
entire county?

Probably. Master should be fine. Worst case scenario....

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his clenched fists relaxed

briefly before falling back into fists. But then the Captain put his
hand on Xu Qing’s shoulder.
“It’s almost time to leave, little Junior Brother,” the Captain said
softly, squeezing Xu Qing’s shoulder.

On the altar, the lieutenant governor smiled kindly as his gaze

swept across the crowd of hundreds of thousands. It passed Xu
Qing, then focused on something far, far away.

“I hereby ask the people, the fighting men of the county, may I...
serve as the governor of Sea-Sealing County?”

This was the final step in the ceremony. In this case, Seventh
Prince didn’t qualify to respond, as the question was asked to the
people of Sea-Sealing County.

“You may!”

“You may!!”

“You may!!!”

The response was immediate. Hundreds of thousands of voices

joined together on the altar, and were joined by the even louder
convergence of the voices of the mortals in the city. The popular
sentiment had been made clear! All living beings were in
agreement! Heaven, earth, and the people all approved!

The clouds above seethed, and millions upon millions of

thunderclaps rang out. The crown with five tassels, which
represented the safety of an entire county, finished forming. The
destiny aura converged, causing the lands to tremble and the sky
to ripple.

The pleading wail turned into one of despair, and then gradually
began to fade from Xu Qing’s ears. The crown slowly lowered from
the sky as if Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity were placing it onto
the lieutenant governor’s head.

At that moment, the struggle within Xu Qing reached an explosive

level. It felt like heavenly lightning was smashing into him,
shattering his thoughts.

Looking up, he sighed. With that sigh, he exhaled the impure vital
energy that had been building up within him for more than twenty
days. He knew that he was powerless. And in recent days, he had
come up with countless logical reasons to convince himself he
was doing the right thing.

“I’ve been fooling myself,” he said quietly. “I can’t say those words.
I can’t give my approval. Eldest Brother, I can’t hold back any
longer.”

The Captain’s pupils constricted, Kong Xianglong gasped, Qing

Qiu’s jaw dropped, and everyone else in the crowd looked on in
confusion as Xu Qing flew up into the air.

1. When reading this part, I was initially confused as to why Xu

Qing would connect the lieutenant governor to Torchlight. Though
this passage is not written as internal dialogue, it’s clearly being
explained from Xu Qing’s perspective. Only a few chapters ago in
chapter 529, Xu Qing made the initial connection to Torchlight. We
also got confirmation (from outside of Xu Qing’s perspective) in
chapter 530.2. Though it’s not spelled out in extreme detail, the
main factor linking them was Chu Tianqun and the white hand that
originally appeared in chapter 465. That white hand later appeared
in chapter 525.2. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsProfound thanks to SaulLad,

alessandra350547, zReix, and Cheloliten for the reviews!

Profound thanks to SaulLad, alessandra350547, zReix, and

Cheloliten for the reviews!
Chapter 531: Follow The Path Your Heart
Chooses (2)

In front of hundreds of thousands of people, Xu Qing alone rose

up, glowing with the light of daybreak. A bluegreen dragon
appeared over his head, along with a group of scintillating
umbrellas.

Countless people shifted their gazes in his direction. Seventh

Prince looked at him. The lieutenant governor stared. Numerous
cultivators looked up.

The despairing wail of the boy suddenly disappeared as Xu Qing

hovered there looking out at heaven and earth. In the heat of the
moment, he wasn’t thinking about whether he’d made the right
choice. He wasn’t wondering whether he would live or die. He was
just following his heart.

All of the arguments he had been using on himself for the past half
a month became powerless. How could they possibly suppress the
truth he knew in his heart? Perhaps if another moment had
passed, he wouldn’t have done this. And perhaps if he had
another chance to do the same thing, he wouldn’t. But right now,
he wasn’t thinking about such things.

“I am Xu Qing, who received a 30,000-meter pillar of light when

the Grand Emperor assessed my heart. And I object to this!”
In voicing his objection, he had no choice but to mention the
30,000-meter pillar of light and the assessment of the heart. Those
were his qualifications. After speaking the words, he felt like a
huge weight had been lifted from him. All of the pressure that had
been building up on him over the last twenty days or so finally
disappeared.

Fuck off, confusion!

Fuck off, deliberation!

Popular sentiment couldn’t suppress his heart. Public opinion

couldn’t keep his soul down.

Concerns about good decisions and bad decisions... could all just
fuck off!

Xu Qing’s eyes shone brightly, and his entire person seemed to

glow. The power of destiny aura in the sky seethed, and
unexpectedly, some of it actually shifted away from the crown and
toward Xu Qing’s head.

Another crown, slightly smaller, was now taking shape above Xu

Qing! It represented the approval of Sea-Sealing County’s destiny
aura, and the approval of its heavenly dao! Although many people
weren’t able to see it happening, there were definitely some
people who could see it!
His words echoed like thunder into the hearts of all who could
hear. Instantly, the hundreds of thousands of people gathered in
the square went dead silent.

A moment passed, and then gasps could be heard everywhere.

Seventh Prince’s gaze focused on the spot above Xu Qing’s head,

and his heart started pounding. He knew full well who Xu Qing
was. What stuck out to him was one single thing. It wasn’t the
services Xu Qing had rendered, or the fact that he earned the
measly title of secretary-general from the old palace lord.
Instead... it was the 30,000-meter pillar of light during the Grand
Emperor's assessment of the heart!

Never before in history had a person received a 30,000-meter

pillar of light in Sea-Sealing County. Most people only had a
cursory understanding of what that meant, and that it was rare. To
them, a person like that was like an individual with a politically
approved family background and education, who could be trusted.
And it would ensure they had good prospects for the future.

But given Seventh Prince’s status and rank, he had a much

deeper understanding. He knew that because of the Grand
Emperor’s assessment of the heart, Xu Qing’s name was now
inscribed on the statue of the Grand Emperor in the imperial
capital! That statue was not a domain treasure. However, it was a
legacy relic that had safeguarded humankind on many occasions.
Throughout history, all emperors had prostrated in worship in front
of it. People whose names were inscribed on that statue were
considered very important to the emperor.

In other words... even Seventh Prince would hesitate long and

hard before acting against such a person. And if he killed
someone who had received a 30,000-meter pillar of light in the
assessment of the heart, it would have a major effect on his
reputation.

It was because of that 30,000-meter pillar of light that Xu Qing’s

voice echoed out for everyone to hear. And all the cultivators who
heard it were shaken to the core.

If this were Xu Qing’s first day in the county capital, then even the
backing of the Grand Emperor wouldn’t have been enough for him
to be taken seriously. If it was his first day, nobody would know him
or understand what he was like. On his first day, people might
recognize his name, but nothing else. Anything he said would be
meaningless, because though people might have heard he was
outstanding, they wouldn’t have actually valued him.

Except this was not his first day.

Without doing it intentionally, Xu Qing had worked his way into the
hearts of everyone in Sea-Sealing County. He was the one who
had brought great aid to the western front. And because of him
being the secretary-general, countless people knew about him.
What was more, his actions on the front lines of the war had won
him the approval and understanding of all his fellow veterans.

He was a part of Sea-Sealing County. And to the swordsages, he

was someone who had risked his life along their side, a comrade-
in-arms who they trusted completely!

That, plus the 30,000-meter light, became like a glowing halo that
made him the center of all attention. He had risen to the top based
on his own talent, and had earned the deep trust and approval of
the people of Sea-Sealing County, and especially to the
Swordsage Palace. In fact, when they looked at him, they
instinctively thought about Palace Lord Kong.

Not even someone like Kong Xianglong could do something like

that. After Palace Lord Kong died, word began to spread about
Kong Xianglong's true identity. And for the most part, Kong
Xianglong had been by the palace lord’s side during the war. As a
result, his words were taken very seriously, and could shake all of
the county capital.

However, after everything Xu Qing had experienced, he had come

to realize that the most difficult thing to influence was public
opinion. To the mortals in the county capital, the lieutenant
governor was a person who had truly benefited the people. In that
regard, Xu Qing couldn’t compare at all.
The cultivators from the other palaces were shaken, and at the
same time, puzzled. All of that made it very clear to Xu Qing what
he was up against. Being clear-headed was sometimes a big
mistake.

Even as Xu Qing’s words continued to ring out, the deputy palace

lord from the Swordsage Palace, the same one who had watched
with tear-filled eyes as Palace Lord Kong perished, rushed out into
the open.

“Xu Qing!” he shouted. “Did you actually cultivate that technique I

gave you all the way to the first level! Are you daft? I told you not
to get greedy, but you just wouldn’t listen!” Though the deputy
palace lord was yelling angrily, his eyes betrayed how anxious he
was. Spinning, he clasped hands in the direction of the altar. “Your
Majesty. Lieutenant Governor. Xu Qing clearly ran into some
problems in cultivation. Please, take no offense. I’ll personally take
him away right now to punish him!”

At the same time, Honor Guard Sima and Honor Guard Sun from
the Swordsage Palace flew up and bowed in the direction of the
altar. Down below, there were other veterans who were about to
join them. There were more than 100,000 of them, and they
included Kong Xianglong, the Captain, Qing Qiu, and Ning Yan. It
didn’t matter what happened. It didn’t matter what mistake Xu Qing
made. They instinctively wanted to keep him safe. After all, Xu
Qing would do the same for them. They were comrades-in-arms!
That was especially true of the Captain, who was already glowing
with a faint blue light.

However, before anyone could fly up, the deputy palace lord
rebuked them angrily, then once again bowed in the direction of
the altar.

Seventh Prince’s eyes were narrowed and his heart pounded as

his gaze focused on the spot above Xu Qing’s head. Then he
looked down at all the veterans below. At that moment, he realized
that if he didn’t handle this matter properly, it could lead to a lot of
chaos. If that happened, then even if he smoothed everything out,
there would be a blemish on the lieutenant governor. After all,
Seventh Prince was now dealing with someone with a 30,000-
meter pillar of light, plus the approval of Sea-Sealing County’s
destiny aura. A person like that... would be treated thoughtfully
even by his father the emperor.

That said, none of this was really his responsibility. He had fulfilled
his part of the agreement. If the lieutenant governor couldn’t keep
control of the matter, what did that have to do with Seventh
Prince? Therefore, Seventh Prince didn’t say anything. He just
waited to see how the lieutenant governor would handle the
matter.

As the lieutenant governor stood on the altar, he looked at Xu Qing

and quietly said, “It’s no bother. However, I’m curious to hear why
exactly you object? By the way, Xu Qing, I haven’t forgotten that I
had you in my class before.”

Before Xu Qing could say anything, the deputy palace lord again
clasped hands and said, “Exalted Governor, there’s no reason for
you to give any weight to the nonsense of children!” Then he
turned to Xu Qing and yelled, “What are you standing around for?
Get out of here!”

With that, he backed up as if to drag Xu Qing away, while

simultaneously releasing the power of his cultivation base in case
the imperial commanders-in-chief of the lieutenant governor made
a sudden move.

“Stop right there, Li Yunshan!” the lieutenant governor said coolly.

[1]

Li Yunshan was the deputy palace lord’s name. Upon hearing his
name spoken, he stopped for a moment, then continued a few
more steps until he was standing next to Xu Qing. Looking at the
lieutenant governor, he spoke in a voice that mixed bitterness with
decisiveness. “Exalted Lieutenant Governor, Xu Qing was the
secretary-general to Palace Lord Kong. He’s a swordsage too.
He’s young and inexperienced, but he doesn’t deserve to die. After
Palace Lord Kong sacrificed his life, I’m the only one left to take
care of Xu Qing. Therefore... I vouch for him!”
Honor guards Sima and Sun released the power of their cultivation
bases, as did the more than 100,000 veterans.

Seventh Prince’s eyes glittered faintly as he looked at the

lieutenant governor.

The lieutenant governor, meanwhile, looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing took a step forward, bowed to Li Yunshan and the two

honor guards. Then he turned to the more than 100,000 veterans
and bowed to them. When he stood straight again, he spoke in a
calm voice.

“In the fourth month of this year, after the war broke out, when
Palace Lord Kong led the army to the front lines, he gave me a
secret mission to investigate the governor’s murder!”

Li Yunshan had been just about to rush forward and drag him
away, when the words registered and he lurched to a halt. The
hundreds of thousands of cultivators present felt their minds
reeling as they looked at Xu Qing.

As everyone looked on, Xu Qing expressionlessly took out the

jade slip that Palace Lord Kong had given him.

“It took me half a year to complete that mission. Although we

already know the role Marquis Yao played, there are still
unanswered questions. And there is still a killer at large.
Unfortunately, because Palace Lord Kong sacrificed his life, I
didn’t have a chance to report my findings to anyone. Lieutenant
Governor... do you mind if I make my report to you, right here and
now? I’ve uncovered some evidence relating to the governor’s
death that all humans in Sea-Sealing County should know about. I
would love for you to point out any errors I’ve made, Lieutenant
Governor!”

Down below, the Captain sighed. Eyes glittering with blue light, he
prepared to release one more of his seals. Kong Xianglong
trembled, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the lieutenant
governor. Ning Yan shrank back a bit. Surreptitiously glancing at
Seventh Prince, he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Qing Qiu
maintained silence, but her knuckles were white as she gripped
her scythe.

There was also a random swordsage hidden in the crowd who

looked at Xu Qing with a gleam of approval in his eyes, even
pride. However, there was also a bit of helplessness in those eyes,
within which briefly flickered a hint of golden light.

On the altar was Generalissimo Bloodhorror, who had led the

operation in Forbidden by the Immortal. Beneath his mask, his
eyes glittered.

The crowds were absolutely silent. In response to Xu Qing’s

words, their gazes shifted to the lieutenant governor. Obviously,
the governor’s murder had brought sorrow to the entire county.
And that wasn’t even to mention that Xu Qing was acting on the
orders of Palace Lord Kong. Even the mortals in the county capital
were paying rapt attention. Already, public sentiment was
wavering.

Xu Qing couldn’t match up to the lieutenant governor in terms of

prestige.

However, the lieutenant governor couldn’t match up to the

governor and Palace Lord Kong in prestige!

The lieutenant governor looked down at Xu Qing, and he seemed

very serious, as if he only just now realized who Xu Qing was.

“Say what you have to say.”

1. Li Yunshan: Li is listed #2 on the list of 100 common surnames.

It also means “plum.” Yun means “cloud” and Shan means
“mountain.” Madam Deathblade says this name sounds cool but
not amazingly unusual. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsHey everyone, as you know, I do shout-

outs to everyone who leaves reviews. Thanks to everyone who
has reviewed so far! If you haven't yet, and are enjoying this
amazing arc, could you consider adding yours to the mix? Let's
make sure BTT shoots to the stars! Woohooooooo!

Hey everyone, as you know, I do shout-outs to everyone who

leaves reviews. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! If
you haven't yet, and are enjoying this amazing arc, could you
consider adding yours to the mix? Let's make sure BTT shoots to
the stars! Woohooooooo!
Chapter 532: Point Out Any Errors I’ve
Made, Lieutenant Governor! (1)

For more than twenty days, Xu Qing had come up with countless
reasons to convince himself to stay silent. But he hadn’t been able
to stop himself from thinking about another possible outcome.

He had known all along that if he stepped out like he did, there
were three possible catastrophic outcomes. The first was that the
moment he stepped out into the open, he would be struck dead
immediately. Although that didn’t seem likely, it was a possibility.
After all, to most people, voicing an objection wasn’t the same as
outright rebellion.

The second possibility was that he would be imprisoned,

whereupon his life or death could be determined by someone’s
else’s whim.

The third possibility was that everything would go smoothly, but

that he would create immense potential calamities that would lead
to further catastrophe.

Of course, all of those possibilities were what would happen if he

failed.

The moment he stepped out into the open and mentioned the
30,000-meter pillar of light, he ensured that the first possibility
wouldn’t play out. What was more, he hadn’t even considered that
the deputy palace lord and others would try to shield him from
harm.

Next he had taken out the orders from Palace Lord Kong. With
that jade slip as evidence, and as soon as he said he wanted to
report the findings of his investigation, he ruled out the second
possibility. Although the governor’s murder had previously been
announced as having been solved, his carefully worded statement
did not exempt Marquis Yao from culpability. He simply said there
was more to the story, and that he wanted the people of Sea-
Sealing County to hear all the details. Although the lieutenant
governor was well-liked, he couldn’t surpass the old governor in
terms of being loved by the people. What was more, the brilliant
services performed by Palace Lord Kong would not be easily
forgotten.

Xu Qing had called upon the names of two people who might as
well have been mountains in the hearts of the commoners. Then
he coupled that with the 30,000-meter pillar of light, and it bought
him the opportunity he sought. The former was what shook the
mortals. The latter was what shook the veteran cultivators.

And that was why the lieutenant governor looked deeply at Xu

Qing, as if he were only finally realizing who he really was. After
all, if Xu Qing said anything that even hinted at him trying to
protect Marquis Yao or contradict the previous judgment that had
been announced, then it would be easy to crush him.
Silence reigned in heaven and earth.

Xu Qing hovered in front of everyone, the destiny aura slowly

gathering above his head.

He knew that his every choice of word was vitally important, and
that if he said even one wrong thing, he would be damned by
myriad tribulations. He let a few breaths of time pass, then looked
at the lieutenant governor.

“In the fourth month of this year, the governor mysteriously died,
the Holytides invaded, and eight hundred years of peace in Sea-
Sealing County came to an end. The Nightshades besieged the
imperial capital, prevented the new governor and the relief troops
from coming to our aid, and left Sea-Sealing County isolated and
without help. We were being tossed about by the wind and the
rain, and everyone felt deeply alarmed.

“In the face of such deadly peril, Palace Lord Kong accepted the
orders to stand in as the governor to safeguard Sea-Sealing
County.

“In that same month, I worked closely with Palace Lord Kong to
process all war reports and announcements. At the end of the
fourth month, the situation on the front lines became critical. The
palace lord took command of the Sea-Sealing County army and
left to defend humankind. Living up to his oath as a swordsage, he
personally went to the front lines. On the day he left, I helped the
palace lord don his armor.”

Xu Qing’s words were not meaningless in any way. He wanted the

hundreds of thousands of listeners to think back to those times. He
wanted the mortals to remember what life was like back then in the
county capital. He wanted them to clearly remember who it was
that had really kept them safe.

“Before Palace Lord Kong left, he told me I wouldn’t be coming

along. Instead, he took a body double with him so no one would
realize I was secretly on my way to Daybreak Prefecture to
investigate the governor’s death.

“Palace Lord Kong already had a theory about the governor’s

cause of death. He believed the murder weapon was something
called a lightmost fatehavoc pill. In ancient times, it was a very
famous pill, but nowadays you have to study history books to learn
about it. It specifically targets people upon whom destiny aura has
converged. The stronger the destiny aura, the more deadly the pill
will be to them.

“The old governor had all of the destiny aura of Sea-Sealing

County. And his death perfectly conforms to how the lightmost
fatehavoc poison works.

“Palace Lord Kong’s reasons for concluding that pill was involved
can be found recorded in Classified Dossier 19 in the Swordsage
Palace. I have no idea if that file even exists anymore. Regardless,
before the governor’s death, the Swordsage Palace ran an
operation to extract an agent from Holytide territory, and also
recover an empty wish box. Quite a few people participated in that
mission, and they can all corroborate my story.

“However, there is one very specific item required to make a

lightmost fatehavoc pill work. And that is daybreak light. I don’t
know if it exists in other regions, but I do know that it exists in
Daybreak Prefecture here in Sea-Sealing County. That is what
Palace Lord Kong sent me to check on. I needed to look through
the records there to see if there was any daybreak light that could
have been used in concert with a lightmost fatehavoc pill to kill the
governor.

“Acting on Palace Lord Kong’s orders, I went to Daybreak

Prefecture. While I was there, I resolved a crisis with the local
Swordsage Court. That was when I got to the bottom of the
situation. The Swordsage Court there can corroborate my story,
and all of the evidence is recorded in this jade slip. What I found in
Daybreak Prefecture is that there was some daybreak light that
appeared a few years ago, but did not make it into the official
records.”

All of a sudden, Kong Xianglong flew up into the air. “I participated

in the mission to extract that agent. And I can testify that Classified
Dossier 19 did mention that empty wish box. Everything is exactly
as Xu Qing has said!”
Countless gasps rang out from the crowd of hundreds of
thousands, and the mortals throughout the county capital were
trembling. Seventh Prince’s gaze had turned flat as he looked at
the lieutenant governor.

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qing continued, “I compiled all of this

into a report to give to Palace Lord Kong. However, in that very
same month, he died in battle. Therefore, I decided to continue the
investigation on my own.”

At this point in Xu Qing’s speech, the lieutenant governor suddenly

sighed. “Brother Liangxiu came to the same conclusion as me!”

Xu Qing’s pupils constricted.

The lieutenant governor’s gaze left Xu Qing and shifted to the

hundreds of thousands of cultivators. Looking hurt, he said, “Xu
Qing is giving voice to the very same things I considered. For
example, I tracked down Classified Dossier 19.

“You see, it wasn’t just Brother Liangxiu who was investigating the
governor’s death. I was also running my own secret investigation.
The matter was too important to entrust to just a single person. I
long believed that, given the high level of the governor’s cultivation
base, it should have been impossible to poison him without him
realizing it.

“The governor was not just a colleague, he was my close friend.

And he was a hero to all of Sea-Sealing County. Because of that, I
very much wanted to find out how he died, and also, get revenge!

“Thankfully, I made some progress in the short time before the war
started, reached my conclusion, and announced it publicly.
However, what Xu Qing says makes sense. The people of Sea-
Sealing County deserve to know the truth.”

With that, the lieutenant governor waved his hand, causing a large
Go board to appear in midair. There was a complete game on the
board, with white and black pieces arrayed against each other in a
display of fierce conflict.

“This is the governor’s Go board. Normally speaking, the only

people who played on this board, other than the governor, were
myself, Brother Liangxiu, and Yao Tianyan. Only the four of us
ever touched it.” The lieutenant governor’s eyes seemed to flicker
with reminiscence. Sighing, he turned to Seventh Prince and
clasped hands. “I hate to trouble you, Your Majesty, but do you
mind assisting as you did the day when we revealed the hidden
poison? We need imperial blood to expose the fatehavoc element
to view.”

Face completely expressionless. Seventh Prince flicked his finger,

causing a red drop of blood to emerge and fly over to the Go
board. That blood contained an astonishing bloodline power that
caused all nearby humans to shiver. It landed on the Go board,
and it was as if a veil had been lifted. Black energy pulsed off the
board, and close examination would reveal that, specifically, it was
coming from the game pieces.

“That black energy is the lightmost fatehavoc poison. Under

normal circumstances, none of us could see or sense it. It was the
same with the Governor. Only those with the blood of Ancient
Emperor Dark Serenity, who conquered all of Revered Ancient,
have the power to reveal it.

“The culprit used this Go board to poison the governor!”

The lieutenant governor’s words caused a buzz in the crowd. After

all, everything he was saying seemed completely believable and
realistic.

A bitter expression appeared on the lieutenant governor’s face as

he looked out at heaven and earth and quietly continued, “Truth be
told, my plan has always been to use my time as governor to train
my successor from among the deputy palace lords of the three
palaces. Li Yunshan, you are my top candidate.”

The lieutenant governor reached out and touched the imperial

prince’s blood on the Go board. That blood flowed up his finger,
and where it spread, it revealed black energy. After the process
was over, it was possible to see black streaks covering the
lieutenant governor. He looked... just like the governor had looked
in the moment before he died.
“The reason is that I’ve also been poisoned. I also touched the Go
pieces on that board. Not just now. I handled the board numerous
times before the war began.

“Xu Qing, do you remember that time you paid me a visit? You
saw how tired I was, right? I know full well that this poison cannot
be cured. That’s why I refused to take the medicine my
subordinate gave me. [1]

“The governor perished. Brother Liangxiu perished. And I don’t

have much longer to live. Yao Tianyan is on the run. Who could
the killer possibly be?”

The lieutenant governor grinned bitterly. His words, coupled with

the black energy, struck the altar like millions upon millions of bolts
of heavenly lightning. Countless people were visibly shaken.

Even Xu Qing felt moved, and his previous confidence diminished

slightly.

“You’re a good kid, Xu Qing,” the lieutenant governor said softly,

his expression one of kindness. “Today's events just prove that
you deserve that 30,000-meter pillar of light. It’s a good thing.
Really.

“And now, does that 30,000-meter pillar of light allow you to

approve my governorship? Will it allow me to keep everyone
safe?”
Xu Qing didn’t say anything.

To anyone else, those words would sound like the epitome of

benevolence. Only Seventh Prince realized that it made the
lieutenant governor seem much more dangerous. He knew that
those words... were a death sentence! He knew exactly what the
lieutenant governor was thinking right now.

So what if the Grand Emperor gave you a 30,000-meter pillar of

light? So what if you’re willing to fight your way through entire
armies? I didn’t fly into a rage and attack you. I never got flustered
and exasperated and started killing people. I just talked things out
calmly. And then... I demanded that you say the simple words ‘you
may.’ Using popular sentiment, I sentenced your 30,000-meter of
light to death!

Everything was dead silent as all gazes shifted to Xu Qing.

The Captain’s expression was a bit fierce. Ning Yan huddled in on

himself, his expression one of fear. Qing Qiu had no facial
expression whatsoever, but she gripped her scythe even more
tightly than before. That random unprepossessing swordsage who
had looked proudly at Xu Qing earlier was now frowning and
looking at the lieutenant governor with a slightly malevolent
expression. On the altar, the masked Generalissimo Bloodhorror
shifted his right foot as if he were about to take a step forward....

But then Xu Qing looked up.

1. The lieutenant governor refused to take the medicine from his
servant in chapter 494.2. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to patriarch bai for the review!

Many thanks to patriarch bai for the review!

Chapter 532: Point Out Any Errors I’ve
Made, Lieutenant Governor! (2)

“After Palace Lord Kong perished,” Xu Qing said, “I continued my

investigation. After all, I didn’t think some measly bit of daybreak
light could explain how the governor would fall victim to a lightmost
fatehavoc pill. The governor was half a step into the Smoldering
God level, so poisoning him wouldn’t be an easy task.”

Quite a few people frowned in response to Xu Qing speaking. It

was almost as if he hadn’t been paying attention to what the
lieutenant governor just said. Had he not seen that black energy?
He had just continued speaking as if he hadn’t even been
interrupted earlier.

“I started thinking how it might be possible to poison the governor

without him realizing. I myself am skilled in the dao of medicine,
but not even I could think of an explanation. But then I
remembered that wish box, and how it contained the lingering
smell of osmanthus flowers.

“Twenty-three days ago, after returning from Forbidden by the

Immortal, I noticed the same fragrance in a pallid bolus.”

The moment the words pallid bolus left Xu Qing’s lips, the
lieutenant governor’s pupils dilated imperceptibly. “I’ve never
claimed that the pallid bolus was some sort of benevolent
achievement,” he said calmly. “But that doesn’t mean you can use
it this way in such an insulting manner, Xu Qing. It’s like a slap to
the face!”

Along with his words, the lieutenant governor released a burst of

Void Returning power, aimed right at Xu Qing.

The deputy palace lord’s face fell, and threw himself forward to
block the power. However, given the lieutenant governor’s
strength, and the fact that he was blessed with destiny aura, the
deputy palace lord was shoved backward. That was when the
cloud cover split open and a sound erupted that could pierce metal
and stone.

“CAW!”

The moment the sound echoed out, a three-headed bird

appeared. It moved with shocking speed to arrive right in front of
Xu Qing. Its right-side head bent down so Xu Qing could step onto
it. Then it lifted him up. After, all three heads loomed over the
lieutenant governor. The bird’s feathers all stood on end like
spikes, and it pulsed with a deadly will as it released another ear-
piercing caw.

The soundwave swept out, causing the entire county capital to

shake violently.

All of the mortals in the city gasped, and the hundreds of

thousands of cultivators looked on with shock. Seventh Prince’s
expression tightened, and the lieutenant governor frowned.

As of that moment, all eyes were fixed on the great bird Qingqin.
Only his caw could shake the clouds in heaven. Only someone
that Qingqin viewed as a dear friend and equal could stand there.
And right now, the figure standing there wore a white swordsage
uniform!

He had four umbrellas glittering over his head, a bluegreen dragon

swirling around him exhaling daybreak light, a projection of the
Ghost Emperor mountain, and behind him it was just possible to
see a faint image of a flowing river of time.

Secretary-General Xu, the representative of Palace Lord Kong,

was finally back!

All of the nonhumans who were watching were shaken to the core,
as they remembered this person!

Xu Qing's voice then rang out again. “Over the years, countless
mortals in the county capital have consumed pallid boluses.
Thinking about that, I realized how the governor was poisoned.
The killer didn’t directly administer the poison. He crushed the
lightmost havoc pill into powder and carefully blended it into batch
after batch of pallid boluses. And those boluses were consumed
by all the humans in the county capital.”

His words smashed into the hearts of the hundreds of thousands

of cultivators like lightning bolts, and slammed into the ears of
countless mortals. Gasps and cries rose up. The crowd stirred
chaotically. The chaos that had begun to foment because of
Qingqin’s arrival was now building.

“Countless common citizens were used to administer the poison. It

changed the destiny aura of the county as a whole. The
commoners themselves became the agents to carry the poison. It
was no longer destiny aura, it was poison aura! And it slowly
entered the governor, unbeknownst to him, full of the lightmost
fatehavoc poison.”

As Xu Qing continued to speak, the county capital was thrown into

chaos. Hundreds of thousands of people beneath the altar were all
crying out, shaking heaven and earth.

“The pallid boluses are poisonous?”

“Pallid boluses? How is that even possible?”

“But it makes sense! All the pieces fit.”

“Pallid boluses were created by the lieutenant governor. They’re a

commodity unique to the county capital. All the medicine shops
here get them from the lieutenant governor!”

“Is this even real? Or is it a lie?”

“What... what is really going on?”

Xu Qing’s words were shocking to the extreme, and it caused wild
emotions to grip everyone in the crowd. Kong Xianglong gasped.
All the other swordsages were trembling. The deputy palace lord’s
face fell.

The lieutenant governor was simply looking at Xu Qing. From the

moment Xu Qing mentioned pallid boluses, it revealed that he
knew the truth. It caused the lieutenant governor to sigh inwardly.

Xu Qing stood atop Qingqin’s head, looking out at the county

capital.

“Everyone in the county capital has been poisoned. I have no idea

what will happen later on.... If the poison flares up, it could cause
catastrophe. I, Xu Qing, who the Grand Emperor blessed with a
30,000-meter pillar of light, will take full responsibility for every
word I have spoken today. Exalted Lieutenant Governor, I’ve
finished with my report. Please, point out any errors I’ve made!”

Xu Qing’s voice spread out through the square. And everyone,

whether they believed Xu Qing or not, was now looking in the
direction of the lieutenant governor. It wasn’t just them. Furious
mortals throughout the city were all looking in the same direction.
After all, this matter related to the safety of everyone! Whenever a
matter relates to a person personally, no matter how small it is, it
becomes something major. At the moment, few people were
thinking about how the situation would affect others. They just
wanted to know what was really going on!
Were the pallid boluses we ate throughout the years actually
poisonous?

At the moment, Xu Qing was clearly on the side of the

commoners! At first, Xu Qing tapped into the might of the governor
and the palace lord took away some of the public approval from
the lieutenant governor. That earned him the right to speak.

After that, the lieutenant governor negated his advantage.

But now, everyone sensed that they could be in danger, and thus,
their attitude changed. Now, their hostilities were aimed at the
lieutenant governor.

Xu Qing hadn’t devised this strategy out of thin air. He had learned
a lot in the county capital, especially from Seventh Prince, and
especially when it came to winning public support. And then
Master Seventh opened a door of knowledge to him in Forbidden
by the Immortal, which was when he realized he needed to stand
at a higher vantage point to be able to take in the bigger picture. In
the past seven years, he had gone from being a scavenger in the
slums to this current point. Over that time, his personality, which
had started out like rough, unpolished jade, had slowly been
transformed into something magnificent and gleaming.

Back in the slums, the scholar teachers had taught him how to
read. That was when his schooling began.
Sergeant Thunder taught him manners. He transformed the lone
wolf who didn’t trust anyone into someone who felt like he had a
warm home to go back to.

Grandmaster Bai taught him about plants and vegetation. People

were like plants, in that they came in all varieties. That taught Xu
Qing to behave with integrity.

Master Seventh taught him how to strategize, how to behave

properly, and how to broaden his horizons.

The Captain’s crazy antics helped him understand how to fight for
anything and everything, and the manner in which to defy heaven.

Seventh Prince taught him the usefulness of being backed by the

people. With that backing, right could be wrong, and wrong could
be right. Ambition didn’t allow for regrets.

Palace Lord Kong taught him how to do the right thing. He taught
him about the swordsage oath, and how sometimes dying was the
only way to reach a goal. He also taught him that some ideals
were worth defending until your dying breath.

The lieutenant governor taught him how useful it could be to

scheme and plot. He taught that all things can transform because
of their environment, and that you could affect great change with
little effort.
Over the years, many people had been Xu Qing’s teachers,
whether they knew it or not. And he had grown. It all led down to
this day!

All of a sudden, the unfinished crown of five tassels above the

lieutenant governor’s head shivered. Destiny aura spilled out of it,
and though most people couldn’t hear it, was accompanied by
cheering as it swept toward Xu Qing. As it gathered above Xu
Qing, the crown there grew increasingly visible.

Soon, people could see it. As Xu Qing stood on Qingqin’s right

head, he glowed from head to toe, a crown of destiny aura
hovered above the umbrellas atop his head.

It was just barely possible to see a boy in that crown, jumping for
joy. It was as if the boy was telling everyone who could see him
that this was the way things were supposed to be! This was where
Sea-Sealing County’s destiny aura was supposed to converge.
This was a true citizen of Sea-Sealing County!

Destiny aura surged, countless citizens’ hearts were changed.

Wild colors flashed in heaven and earth. Winds screamed. And as
if the leader of it all, Xu Qing looked at the lieutenant governor.

The lieutenant governor didn’t say anything in response.

Seventh Prince’s eyes glittered as he looked at Xu Qing. Similar to

the lieutenant governor, it was as if he was only just now coming to
realize who Xu Qing was.
This kid isn’t some random chump!

As Seventh Prince considered that, and as the lieutenant governor

opened his mouth to speak, Xu Qing suddenly clasped hands and
bowed deeply.

“I bow to you, exalted Lieutenant Governor, to thank you for the

kindness of teaching class. After this bow, I can rest at ease, and
can finally speak my mind.

“I know you’re from Torchlight, Exalted Lieutenant Governor. And

Torchlight cultivators disdain lying. They value rationality. That, sir,
is why you explained your entire plan in your lecture. You spelled
out everything. Considering you did that, and then carried out your
plan so meticulously, it only makes sense that you would
eventually be exposed.

“And now, please point out any errors I’ve made, Lieutenant
Governor.”

Xu Qing looked calmly at the lieutenant governor. In response to

his words, Seventh Prince’s eyes grew sharper. Before, the
lieutenant governor had executed a death sentence on Xu Qing’s
30,000-meter pillar of light. But now, Xu Qing had executed a
similar death sentence on the lieutenant governor.

Seventh Prince had indeed noticed that, during the time in which
they worked together, the lieutenant governor hated lies. And he
always acted rationally. When asked a question, he answered. As
of now, if he admitted to the accusations, there would be no way
for him to escape a guilty verdict. But if he denied the accusations,
and thus violated his own principles, he wouldn’t have a clean
heart, and his will could be affected negatively.

The lieutenant governor once again maintained silence for a time.

He looked deeply at Xu Qing. Then he sighed. He suddenly
seemed to get much older and much more exhausted. Taking out
a pallid bolus, and transforming himself into a huge projected
image so that everyone could see him, he consumed the pill.

“Pallid boluses are not poisonous.”

The crowd was shaken.

“Xu Qing, I’m not sure why you’re so dead set on slandering me.
However, considering your accomplishments in the war, I can’t
bear to kill you. Instead, I’ll imprison you in the Swordsage Palace.
Later on, we’ll get answers via interrogation. We’ve reached my
bottom line. Li Yunshan, you handle the arrest and interrogation.
Men!”

Calls of affirmation rose up as numerous figures flew up into the

sky and surrounded Xu Qing. One of them was the lieutenant
governor’s servant that Xu Qing had encountered previously.
Looking regretfully at Xu Qing, he erupted with the fluctuations of
second-stage Void Returning.
The lieutenant governor waved his hand, causing a vortex to
appear. Out stepped a puppet in black armor, with a face of
mangled red flesh. An aura of death spread everywhere as it
looked around coldly, pulsing with the fluctuations of fourth-stage
Void Returning.

“So, you aren’t the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan,” Xu Qing
whispered.

Face completely expressionless, the lieutenant governor calmly

said, “Arrest him.”

Deathblade's ThoughtsThe

The
Chapter 533: Apprentice of the Crown
Prince, Bai Xiaozhuo (1)

Things were getting very dramatic in the county capital.

High in the dome of heaven, the four-clawed golden dragon looked

down with coldly glowing eyes, peering first at the lieutenant
governor, and then at Seventh Prince, whose face was completely
expressionless. After a moment, a somewhat dejected gleam
appeared in its eyes, and then it flew back into the clouds. A
draconic hiss echoed out, as if the dragon were furiously
attempting to shatter the clouds and bring the light of the sun to all
creation.

Unfortunately, despite the fact it was high noon, the fluctuations

emanating from the city distorted the sky, ensuring that the canopy
of heaven was as dark as evening. The statue of Ancient Emperor
Dark Serenity became darker, as if it had been covered with a
layer of obscuring dust.

As for the countless humans in the city held in the Ancient

Emperor’s hands, their expressions were those of confusion, and
their hearts pounded with fear. The nonhumans backed up a bit,
their eyes glittering. They had absolutely no interest in
participating in human affairs during this scenario.
Everyone was waiting to see how things would play out on the
square in the county capital.

The lieutenant governor did not reveal any of the imposing

boldness of the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan. Instead, when
the critical moment came, he admitted to nothing and instead used
force to try to control the situation. In his heart was the evidence of
a deep blow, struck by the death-sentence sword of Xu Qing’s
condemnation.

As the sky went dark, and intense rumbling sounds echoed out in
all directions, the lieutenant governor issued his orders. And the
puppet he’d summoned emerged from the vortex, pulsing with the
battle prowess of fourth-stage Void Returning. As soon as it was
out in the open, it walked toward Xu Qing.

The fourth stage of Void Returning was nothing to take lightly!

In all of Sea-Sealing County, people with cultivation bases like that

were as rare as phoenix feathers or qilin horns. Each and every
one was a famous and important person.

Someone like that who had been transformed into a puppet could
only be described as spectacularly terrifying. What was more, the
puppet's mangled face, which made it impossible to identify any
distinguishing features... ensured that there was no way to deduce
who this person was.
The moment the puppet stepped out, thunder crashed and
countless bolts of lightning manifested about Qingqin. They
became countless projections of minor worlds that overlapped like
mountains in a mountain range.

In the middle of them all was the puppet.

It looked down at Xu Qing without a scrap of emotion on its face.

Then it reached out and lowered its hand, causing the terrifying
might of heaven and earth to crush down, ignoring Qingqin.

Qingqin shivered as the countless minor worlds surrounded him.

Apparently, they contained some power of law that suppressed
nonhumans, and thus, he was rendered immobile. Deputy Palace
Lord Li Yunshan, as well as Honor Guards Sun and Sima, were
not completely suppressed by the terrifying power, yet were
incapable of reaching Xu Qing to help him. Their anxious fury
mounted.

Meanwhile, the moment the vortex appeared and the puppet

walked out, Xu Qing had already sent his thoughts into his bag of
holding. A severed hand appeared, surrounding him protectively.
This was the same severed hand he and the Captain had acquired
in Forbidden by the Immortal. And during the past twenty or more
days, he had decided to keep it ready in case a scenario similar to
this popped up. [1]
Immense pressure weighed down. In response, the hand shivered.
Flesh was flayed off its surface, and its fingers began crumbling.
Cracks appeared on its surface. However, it didn’t completely
collapse.

Taking advantage of the moment, Qingqin managed to slough off

the bounds confining him. Flicking his right head, he threw the
severed hand behind him. Then he threw all of his three heads
back and let loose a thunderous cry.

“CAW!”

The explosive sound shattered many of the minor world

projections, and then Qingqin lunged toward the puppet.

He had promised his Eldest Brother to keep Xu Qing safe as long

as he was in the county capital. He hadn’t been willing to go to the
front lines, but they weren’t on the front lines right now. They were
in the county capital, which was his territory. And he happened to
like this little munchkin who could harness light just like himself,
and what was more, had taken Qingqin out for some lovely meals.
What was more, he had never seen anyone who would foolishly
walk out of the crowd and make a stand the way that this person
had. And therefore, even though Qingqin’s cultivation base was
not on the same level as the puppet, he was going to keep Xu
Qing safe! [2]

Intense rumbling sounds echoed out.

The severed hand, within which was Xu Qing, thumped to the
ground.

The lieutenant governor’s old servant shot toward it.

The deputy palace lord moved to block him. “Back down! This is a
Swordsage Palace matter!”

The servant’s eyes narrowed as Honor Guards Sun and Sima also
neared.

Then, hundreds of swordsages also flew over and took positions

around the severed hand.

Rumbling sounds echoed out as all of the cultivators in the

lieutenant governor’s personal command also rushed out and
faced off against the swordsages by the hand.

The swords were drawn, and the arrows were nocked. The
lieutenant governor stood atop the altar looking at the scene, his
expression one of disappointment.

“Since the Swordsage Palace is defying my orders, then I’ll have

to stand in for Brother Liangxiu to point out the errors made by his
secretary-general.”

Striding off the altar to hover in midair, he flicked his sleeve.

Large amounts of destiny aura converged, along with the power of

fourth-stage Void Returning, which forced all nearby cultivators
away, even Li Yunshan and the honor guards.

The old servant now had no obstacles in his path, so he shot

toward the severed hand, a strange glow in his eyes as he
reached out.

As the onlookers stood by, shocked and furious, the Captain

suddenly glittered with blue light, and he reached up to his
forehead. It looked like he was about to rip something away.

But then the old servant’s face fell. Pupils constricting, the servant
lurched to a halt and lunged backward.

Seemingly out of nowhere, a golden net had appeared in the

dome of heaven. Intense rumbling sounded as the net spread out,
glittering with dazzling light. It was the net of taboo treasures that,
thanks to the war, was something all people in Sea-Sealing
County were familiar with. Just before Palace Lord Kong died, he
gave Xu Qing the authority to use the taboo treasure net one time.
The moment the taboo power appeared, all the mortals in the
county capital were overwhelmed with amazement, and the
cultivators on the altar were shaken to the core. Golden light
descended, shrinking down as it swept toward the severed hand.

The servant’s expression flickered as he shot backward at top

speed.

However, the golden net did not harm the servant. Considering
that Xu Qing only had the authority to use that power only one
time, he didn’t want to waste it on the servant.

Under the eyes of all present, the golden light spread out over the
severed hand. At the same time, Xu Qing emerged from within it.
Face pale, he coughed up a huge mouthful of blood. His chest
was partially caved in, and he felt pain from head to toe. Despite
the protection of the severed hand, he’d still suffered serious
injuries. Yet he still stood there on the severed hand to accept the
golden net.

In the blink of an eye, the golden net covered him, becoming like a
shield of golden fire. Compared to all heaven and earth, that fire
seemed like little more than a spark, something that wasn’t
remotely capable of igniting the world.

Xu Qing looked around, his heart pounding. He knew that the

moment he stepped out from the crowd earlier, he had rebelled
against the leadership of Sea-Sealing County. And rebels would
suffer the consequences of their actions. He hadn’t anticipated
that the deputy palace lord and honor guards would side with him.
Nor had he anticipated Qingqin’s actions. Xu Qing hadn’t asked
any of them for help.

Yet they had all stepped forward, one after another. As for the
more than one hundred thousand veterans of the war, they were
all looking at him with keen determination. They... trusted him.
Xu Qing wiped the blood from his mouth, and suddenly felt
courage swelling within him.

Only about a third of the cultivators present were swordsages. The

other seventy percent, those from the other two palaces and the
Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion, seemed hesitant.

But Xu Qing felt no fear. That was just his personality. It didn’t
matter how hesitant and cautious he had been before, now that he
had thrown caution to the wind, he had rejected fear along with it.
His only regret was that the enemy closest to him was the old
servant, and not the lieutenant governor. That meant it would be
difficult to utilize his true trump card. And his previous preparations
would need to be altered. As for the fourth-stage Void Returning
puppet, it was also something he hadn’t factored into his plans.

I’m only going to have one shot at this....

He was going to have to create a situation that would get the

lieutenant governor closer to him.

With that plan in mind, he took a deep breath.

“Lieutenant Governor, since you aren’t willing to admit that you’re

with Torchlight, then I guess I have to keep calling you ‘lieutenant
governor.’ In reality, you shouldn’t have to rely on others to
apprehend me. As a mighty Void Returning expert, a mere
pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator like myself should be easy to
handle. In fact, it’s actually a surprise to me that I’ve managed to
stay alive this long.”

Blood oozed out of the corners of Xu Qing’s mouth as he spoke.

“Lieutenant Governor, we all know the extreme methods Torchlight

employs. They love their Blood-Soaked Performances.
Presumably this scenario is your Blood-Soaked Performance?
Sadly, it’s quite disappointing.” Xu Qing shook his head. “To be
clear, what’s disappointing isn’t the performance. It’s you. You’re
obviously defying your own heart and violating the principles of
reason. You... do not deserve to be in Torchlight.”

The lieutenant governor betrayed no reaction as he looked at Xu

Qing and calmly said, “Because of your service to Sea-Sealing
County, and the 30,000-meter light from the Grand Emperor, I’ve
held back from slaughtering you. There’s no need for you to
continue down this path of rebellion and death.”

Xu Qing smiled calmly. “For a schemer like you to talk so much is

revealing. You’ve obviously come to realize that my clumsily
chosen words are all an attempt to get you to approach me. I
might not be a member of Torchlight, but the more I think about it,
the more I admire how all of you stay so calm. So I’m going to stay
calm too. You see, the truth is that I have a way to kill you, as long
as you get close enough.
“Therefore, oh exalted Lieutenant Governor, are you truly afraid of
a puny pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator? Do you dare to get close
to me? I know the answer. You don’t. After all, you don’t even dare
to tell us who you really are.” Xu Qing shook his head. “Who are
you putting this performance on for? The Crown Prince of Violet
and Cyan? If so, then he’s probably shaking his head at your
timidity. How could one of the Crown Prince’s people act like this?
Although, if his followers are all like this, then I suppose it’s no
wonder he ended up dying before he could accomplish anything
significant.”

Xu Qing laughed. “Or could it be that you just don’t deserve to be

a follower of the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan?”

Throughout Xu Qing’s speech, the lieutenant governor was

completely calm. However, Xu Qing’s last sentence caused his
eyes to glitter with a cold light. The ‘death sentence blow’ Xu Qing
had inflicted earlier was now becoming more serious.

The lieutenant governor looked up into the sky and spoke, his
voice hoarse. “It’s time to end this farce. I’m sorry this has turned
into such a joke, Your Majesty.”

Seventh Prince didn’t respond. He just kept watching, a smile on

his face.

The lieutenant governor lifted his right hand, and another vortex
sprang into being. A second wave of fourth-stage Void Returning
power erupted from inside, and then the sound of footsteps rang
out as a second puppet appeared. It looked exactly like the other
puppet. It wore a suit of armor, had a mangled face, and was
completely terrifying. Everyone present felt their hearts pounding
with astonishment. One puppet was bad enough. But now there
was a second puppet, also in fourth-stage Void Returning.

The lieutenant governor then spoke in a voice that reached the

ears of all the countless mortals in the county capital. “Swordsage
Xu Qing obstinately persists in going about things the wrong way.
He foments rumors, creates trouble, and sows chaos in Sea-
Sealing County. His rebellious behavior is not befitting of a 30,000-
meter pillar of light. Therefore, his swordsage status is hereby
revoked, and he will be executed on the spot, as demanded by the
people!”

As the lieutenant governor’s words rang out, the second puppet

charged toward Xu Qing!

The lieutenant governor was not going to approach him!

However, right then, a sigh could be heard, seemingly from

nowhere.

The sound caused Seventh Prince and all of his commanders to

suddenly look up. The lieutenant governor’s pupils constricted.

A figure appeared out of nowhere, as if being painted into

existence by a master artist. As the figure appeared in front of Xu
Qing, it extended its right hand and walked toward the puppet.

A massive boom swept out. The puppet stopped in place and

looked woodenly at the figure in front of Xu Qing.

Xu Qing’s mind spun as he realized who this figure was.

1. Xu Qing got the hand in chapter 521.2. ☜

2. The ‘harness light’ term was previously mentioned in chapter

498. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsMany thanks to HomelessFriend for the

review!

Many thanks to HomelessFriend for the review!

Chapter 533: Apprentice of the Crown
Prince, Bai Xiaozhou (2)

Xu Qing’s eyes turned bloodshot, and then, just like a child who
had been caught misbehaving, he bowed his head.

“Master!”

The person who had appeared was none other than Master
Seventh, who had been hiding in the crowd the whole time. He
had told his apprentices that he left to go into hiding, and the
reality was that his hiding spot had been the most dangerous
place of all, the county capital itself. Considering what had played
out in Forbidden by the Immortal, there was no way he could just
leave behind his own apprentices and not worry about them. As
such, he had decided to stay behind. He had told Xu Qing and
Chen Erniu to wait for a month before leaving, because he had
already decided to secretly stay behind and watch over them. And
now he had chosen to reveal himself.

Noticing Xu Qing’s bloodshot eyes, and chastened demeanor,

Master Seventh sighed inwardly. “Keep your head up!”

Xu Qing shivered and looked up.

“Xu Qing, as your Master, I don’t think you’ve done anything

wrong. In fact, I’m proud to have an apprentice like you! I don’t
know what the fallout will be for all of this. But I’m still your Master!
And there’s no way a Master can stand around indifferently while
his apprentice puts his life on the line. You kowtowed to me. You
offered me tea. Starting then, it became my responsibility to keep
you safe.”

“Same here!” Blue light glittered in the crowd as the Captain

emerged. He had been ready to step in all along, except his little
Junior Brother always seemed to have another move ready to
employ. Thus, he’d been waiting for the right moment to do so.
After he saw their Master reveal himself, it was without the
slightest hesitation that he rushed out to stand next to Xu Qing.
Grinning, he said, “Why’d you go and try to do something this big
without asking me along?”

Countless eyes focused on the Master and two apprentices. At the

same time, even more destiny aura converged above Xu Qing. In
fact, it affected the canopy of heaven, creating a huge vortex that
even the mortals could see, filled with lightning and the roar of
thunder. Everyone was deeply shaken.

Xu Qing took a deep breath as he felt like his head was spinning.

Meanwhile, Master Seventh looked at the lieutenant governor.

“I’ve seen the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan!”

The lieutenant governor’s eyes suddenly flickered in a way that

didn’t seem calm at all.
“And my fourth apprentice is right. You really don’t deserve to be a
follower of the Crown Prince. Why? Because you like to hide in the
shadows. You don’t have any courage!”

The lieutenant governor closed his eyes for a few breaths of time.
When he opened them, they were calm again.

“The Eight Sect Coalition from Emperor-Receiving Prefecture is

guilty of fomenting rebellion. Let everyone in Sea-Sealing County
be notified that this sect is sentenced to extermination!”

Master Seventh laughed. “You think you can scare me with words
like that, fool? Fuck off with your talk of extermination!”

He took a step toward the lieutenant governor. Instantly, the

puppet moved to intercept him, and a moment later, the boom of
combat echoed out. Master Seventh wasn’t a match, but he had
plenty of assets to call upon. God magics erupted! Though he
couldn’t possibly defeat a fourth-stage Void Returning puppet, he
could at least fight it for a time.

The entire situation had been turned on its head. There had been
so many twists and turns in this event that it was hard for everyone
present to wrap their minds around it.

As rumbling booms swept through the county capital, killing intent

surged in the lieutenant governor’s eyes. He knew full well that he
needed to end things as quickly as possible. Thus, he strode
forward to personally put an end to everything.
However, that was when Master Seventh, even as he fought the
puppet, shouted, “I know you’re here! Even my apprentice figured
out who you are. So why the fuck aren’t you doing anything? Don’t
tell me you’re going to let my two apprentices risk everything while
you just watch???”

A blood-colored streak of light shot from the altar, moving at top

speed. No one in the crowd could have possibly predicted that this
would happen. In the blink of an eye, that figure shot down and
joined Qingqin, who was still dealing with the first puppet. This
figure wore a blood-red suit of armor, and had a blood-colored
mask, all of which shone with crimson light. It was the very same
subordinate of Seventh Prince who had presided over the
operation in Forbidden by the Immortal. It was Generalissimo
Bloodhorror!

The other commanders-in-chief were clearly surprised to see him

interfere. However, Seventh Prince didn’t betray even the slightest
reaction.

Xu Qing turned to look at Generalissimo Bloodhorror.

As the onlookers shouted exclamations of shock, Generalissimo

Bloodhorror performed a double-handed incantation gesture, then
pushed his hand toward the puppet fighting Qingqin.

“Palace Lord of the Justice Palace. Brother Hengxin: wake up!!” [1]
Generalissimo Bloodhorror’s shouted words caused the hundreds
of thousands of cultivators present to feel shaken to the core. Xu
Qing was similarly taken aback. The cultivators from the Justice
Palace felt like their hearts were breaking, and rage began to burn
within them. That was even more the case of the mortals. After all,
it had been announced that Zhang Hengxin, palace lord of the
Justice Palace, had died on the northern front during the war!

In response to Generalissimo Bloodhorror’s shout, the puppet

shivered. Its listless eyes seemed to twitch slightly, and tremors
swept through its body. Then its hands lurched up, seemingly of
their own accord, and started performing an incantation gesture
that perfectly mirrored that of Generalissimo Bloodhorror.

Their hands slammed into each other, and a deafening shriek rang
out from the puppet’s mouth. The puppet’s armor shattered,
revealing that its body was made of countless pieces that had
been sewn together.

Then, a discarnate soul floated up, which bore the semblance of a

burly, mighty man. His fleshly body had been ravaged beyond
recognition, but his soul would always look the same. And the face
of that soul... was that of one of the three palace lords of Sea-
Sealing County, Zhang Hengxin of the Justice Palace!

Everyone in the county capital who was watching these events

play out were visibly astonished.
The discarnate soul couldn’t survive for very long before
dissipating. Nor could the soul speak. All it could do was look with
melancholy at Sea-Sealing County, in much the same way as the
governor and Palace Lord Kong had done.

The rage of the Justice Palace cultivators was rising to heaven-

shaking, earth-shattering proportions as they all glared at the
lieutenant governor.

Meanwhile, Generalissimo Bloodhorror turned to face the

lieutenant governor, reached up, and grabbed his mask. When he
removed it, he revealed a very familiar face.

“Long time no see, Lieutenant Governor!”

The lieutenant governor looked back and sighed. He had done a

lot of sighing today. “Yao Tianyan! I’m surprised you would dare to
come out of hiding!”

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators were rocked to the core.

As it turned out, Generalissimo Bloodhorror was really Marquis
Yao, who had gone missing from the battlefield and then been
branded a traitor and rebel! The series of stunning events that
were playing out in the county capital left everyone blank from
shock.

Xu Qing struggled to control his breathing as he looked at the

remaining puppet, hoping to be able to make out some identifying
features. From what he could tell, it wasn’t Palace Lord Kong....
“I didn’t want to reveal myself so soon,” Marquis Yao said softly.
“The old governor showed grace to my clan, and I still haven’t
accomplished the task he assigned me. But I had no choice. Who
could have guessed things would turn out like this?

“An adult like me couldn’t possibly let a human child be murdered

in front of me. I’ve experienced a lot of things in life. I reached the
peak of my career. I’ve been pursued, cursed, and have been
considered both brilliant and infamous. If I die, then I die. But... it
was the words of this child that kept the few remaining members of
my clan safe. And that’s a favor I can’t forget.”

He gazed warmly at Xu Qing for a moment before shifting his

attention to the lieutenant governor.

“As for you, Lieutenant Governor, this plot of yours was amazing,
I’ll give you that. You pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes, to the
point where none of us even trusted each other. However, you
also slipped up. While on the front lines, Brother Hengxin, Brother
Rongyu and myself all used soul-hexing magics on each other so
that we could truly trust each other.

“You coveted their physical bodies, and thus turned them into
puppets after they died. But the soul hexes allowed their
discarnate souls to wake up. Although it would only allow for a
moment of clarity before the discarnate soul dissipated, that... was
more than enough evidence.”
Marquis Yao’s words were heard by everyone present. They were
borne witness to by heaven, earth, and the people! Flames of rage
began to burn brightly throughout the county capital. Countless
eyes began to flicker with killing intent. In a completely
unprecedented turn of events, all of that killing intent was focused
on the lieutenant governor.

Xu Qing looked up, and he could sense that, though he himself

was little more than a spark, he had managed to set the entire
world ablaze. Everything made sense now. All the pieces of
evidence fit together.

“And now I’ll just have to quote Xu Qing,” Marquis Yao said calmly.
“Lieutenant Governor, you carried out your plan so meticulously, it
only makes sense that you would eventually be exposed. So, do
you dare admit to your crimes? Please point out any errors I’ve
made.”

The lieutenant governor was silent for a long moment. Then he

exhaled some impure vital energy. Seemingly very calm, he turned
to Seventh Prince.

Seventh Prince looked back at him expressionlessly. It was no

surprise to Seventh Prince that Marquis Yao had been hiding
amongst his commanders. After all, it was Seventh Prince himself
who had secretly saved the marquis. He had multiple reasons for
doing so. One of them was to have someone to keep the
lieutenant governor in check. The second was in case his father
the emperor started to suspect that he was up to something.
Saving the marquis would be evidence to prove that he was
cooperating with his father’s plan, and that he was doing
everything for the sake of humankind. Based on what he knew
about his father, as long as he could prove such a thing, he would
be safe. Compared to the potential losses, the potential gain had
been immense: to become a hero of humankind, to expand human
territory, to bring the Holytides back into the fold. All could be
considered unparalleled achievements.

Given what was at stake, there was no chance he would come out
the loser. At the moment, he actually hoped the lieutenant
governor would try to expose him. After all, it didn’t matter what
the lieutenant governor said at the moment, no one would believe
him. That said, he didn’t think the lieutenant governor would
actually do that. The deal with the Holytides wasn’t complete,
which meant that the bowl he wanted had not yet been secured.

Besides, Seventh Prince had no intention of going back on his

word. Everything that was playing out was the responsibility of the
lieutenant governor. It had nothing to do with Seventh Prince.
Thus, he had refrained from helping either party. He just stood
back and watched. As he did, he focused more and more on Xu
Qing.

After looking at Seventh Prince, the lieutenant governor turned

away. There were countless gazes fixed on him, full of killing
intent. Glancing around, he eventually focused on Xu Qing. It was
this person, who he had never taken very seriously, that suddenly
wrecked everything and delivered a death blow to his heart.

He had recognized Xu Qing from the first moment he saw him in

the Swordsage Palace. He knew that his lord and master had a
younger brother in this current life. That said, the lieutenant
governor had never felt Xu Qing was worth paying much attention
to. How could a person who had seen a massive dragon care
about a tiny snake?

He had always assumed that the younger brother was just a minor
accessory attached to his lord and master, as far separated from
the other as mud was from the clouds. But now he didn’t think that
way at all. Now he realized that there was much about Xu Qing
that reminded him of his lord and master.

“Xu Qing,” he said softly, “I can tell you who I really am now, and
my name.” The lieutenant governor’s eyes glittered with
reminiscence. “I was the governor of Sea-Sealing County back
during the days of the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan. My
name is Bai Xiaozhuo. Tens of thousands of years ago, I was the
governor of this very place. It belongs to me.” [2]

His words caused the minds of all the natives of Sea-Sealing

County to tremble. Xu Qing’s gaze sharpened.

The name ‘Holytide Region’ had come into use after the betrayal
of Grand Duke Holytide. Before, it had a different name. It was the
Violet and Cyan Region. Another ancient name was associated
with this location, one that stretched back to the time of Emperor
Mirrorcloud. Back then, it was called the Sovereign Kingdom of
Violet and Cyan. The king of that kingdom had been weak and
feeble, so its crown prince ended up taking control of national
affairs. During that time, Sea-Sealing County... bore the same
name as it did now: Sea-Sealing County. In the year 315 of the
Violet Cyan calendar, its crown prince perished in the southern
continent. That same year, the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and
Cyan crumbled.

Bai Xiaozhuo, the apprentice of the crown prince, who had been
the last governor of Sea-Sealing County, stood by when all of the
other cultivators in his county died. Weeping tears of blood, he
disfigured half his face to make himself look like the broken face of
the god.

Then, he spoke his final words before dying. “I will accompany the
crown prince in death. Then I will awaken a thousand years before
him, to pave the way for him as his dao protector.”

1. ’Brother Hengxin’ is obviously the same Zhang Hengxin

mentioned in chapter 508. ☜

2. Bai Xiaozhuo. Bai is #70 on the list of the 100 common Chinese
surnames. It means “white, pure.” It’s the same surname as Bai
Xiaochun, and is also my Chinese surname. Xiao means
“miserable, desolate, dreary.” It is NOT the same Xiao from Bai
Xiaochun. Zhuo means “outstanding.” Madam Deathblade pointed
out that the two characters which make his name are part of two
other common words, specifically “xiao sa” and “zhuo yue.” The
first means “confident, dashing, debonair,” while the latter means
“outstanding, brilliant, remarkable.” Because of that, she thinks the
name sound very cool and impressive. ☜
Chapter 534: Back from Antiquity (1)

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators beneath the altar reeled

in response to the lieutenant governor’s words. The mortals in the
city were mostly confused, as not many of them were familiar with
the history involved.

Xu Qing himself had only learned about the history of the human
species after becoming a swordsage and attending a class taught
by the lieutenant governor. That was also his first time learning of
the role played by the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan in human
history.

Marquis Yao, who hovered in midair, the three deputy palace

lords, and all the other important people present were looking at
the lieutenant governor with complicated expressions that seemed
mostly dazed.

Although the lieutenant governor’s true identity was unexpected, it

also made sense. The services he had performed over the years,
and also the way he kept the county going during the war, hinted
at past experience with government affairs. In fact, if you looked at
what he did during the war, and ignored the fake exhaustion he’d
employed to enhance his cover story, then the reality was that he
had handled everything with skill and ease.
And that wasn’t even to mention how smoothly the reconstruction
work had gone after the war was over. Every single government
decree issued by the lieutenant governor had been the perfect
order to give at the time. He really was good at his job. Perhaps
that was why, in the past, many people had believed him to be a
bit more skilled than the governor himself. Talent like that wasn’t
something everyone possessed. Not only did someone in that
position need to be very familiar with how to issue government
decrees, but also, they needed to be able to view Sea-Sealing
County as a whole.

Because of all that, Xu Qing believed the lieutenant governor’s

story. However, there were other things he was suspicious about.
For example, why had he been reincarnated? What did he
sacrifice to make it happen?

Regardless, none of the unrevealed information could possibly

erase the crimes he had committed as the lieutenant governor.
Whether it was murdering the governor, throwing Sea-Sealing
County into chaos, colluding with the Holytides, orchestrating
Palace Lord Kong’s death, his every single action was soaked with
blood.

In the briefest of moments, the killing intent in the county capital

surged to an even higher level.

“Xu Qing,” the lieutenant governor said. He ignored all of the

murderous gazes. He didn’t pay attention to Marquis Yao and the
others. It was as if the only person who was worthy of his attention
in all of Sea-Sealing County was Xu Qing.

The Captain, who had been standing right next to Xu Qing, eased
a few steps backward. He knew that on this day, Xu Qing was the
focus of attention.

“I gave you the answer you were looking for,” the lieutenant
governor said tranquilly. “Now I have a question that I want to ask
you. This place belongs to me. It’s my territory. Isn’t it reasonable
for me to take it back?”

Xu Qing shook his head. “Your territory was destroyed along with
the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan.” He looked out at the
hundreds of thousands of people gathered below the altar, and
also, the rest of the capital city. “To all these people, Sea-Sealing
County is home.”

As his words drifted out, the eyes of those present glittered, and
their hearts surged with approval.

The lieutenant governor smiled. “Then why are you the only
person who stepped forward to object? As I recall, you’re not from
Sea-Sealing County. You’re from the continent of South Phoenix.”

Xu Qing didn’t answer the question. No one in the county capital

answered the question. No one in heaven and earth answered the
question. The words struck Xu Qing’s heart and mind like a
lightning bolt, creating great waves that threatened to overwhelm
him. But they couldn’t possibly overwhelm a certain blood-soaked
figure in his memories.

“There’s an old man I respect very much,” Xu Qing said quietly.

“He died in battle. But in my heart, he’s still alive.”

Grief simmered in the hearts of the war veterans. They knew who
Xu Qing was talking about. None of them would ever forget the
image of Palace Lord Kong dying in defense of Sea-Sealing
County. The image of him fusing with the net of taboo treasures,
and the way he slowly froze before shattering, was something
every cultivator from the western front would grieve over for the
rest of their life. The words he had spoken, ‘I will defend my
home,’ had been branded into the hearts of all swordsages. [1]

“That’s it?” The lieutenant governor seemed surprised.

“What else did you expect?” Xu Qing said calmly. “Some big
speech?”

The lieutenant governor chuckled.

Xu Qing said nothing further. He just looked up into the sky. It was
as if he could clearly see Palace Lord Kong. There was actually
something else that remained unsaid, in his heart. And that was
the fact that Palace Lord Kong, through both words and actions,
had taught Xu Qing what it really meant to be a swordsage.
Therefore, Xu Qing took a deep breath and spoke in a grim voice
that spread through all heaven and earth.
“Swordsages. We have conclusive evidence. And we have the
right to execute anyone but the emperor.”

In response to his words, heaven and earth rumbled. Lighting

crashed in the sky, and countless streams of killing intent rose
from the veteran swordsages, all of whom had bloodshot eyes.
They were all familiar with the words Xu Qing had spoken.

The cultivators from the Justice Palace and the Administration

Palace, despite not being swordages, were all familiar with the
authority and responsibilities of the swordsages. They weren’t the
only ones who knew. All the mortals in the county capital also
knew.

A screaming wind sprang up. Through the county capital, people

from all households stepped out into the open, and their garments
flapped in the wind. As they did, destiny aura rose from them and
swirled in Xu Qing’s direction.

As of this moment, the people all felt the same thing!

As of this moment, heaven and earth trembled in unison!

As of this moment, all the destiny aura was converging above Xu

Qing, creating a resplendent crown so incomparably distinct that
even the mortals could see it!

The weight of the crown and the blessing of the destiny aura
caused Xu Qing’s bluegreen dragon to roar as it directly
transformed into a nascent soul. That nascent soul was an
embodiment of destiny aura, and it caused heaven to shake and
the earth to tremble. Up above, the vortex grew in size. This was
Xu Qing’s ninth nascent soul!

Daybreak light erupted within Xu Qing, spreading out

resplendently in all directions and transforming into a seven-
colored nascent soul! The daybreak soul shone with such
brilliance that all light dimmed in heaven and earth. This was his
tenth nascent soul!

Things weren’t over yet. As the destiny aura continued to

converge, D-132 trembled. The destiny aura eventually became a
tiny figure. It looked very much like the young boy from the early
days of D-132, except his facial features were those of Xu Qing.
With his arrival, D-132 was complete. The head, the stone lion,
and Sir Inkwell all shivered as they kowtowed to the eleventh
nascent soul!

Finally, the river of time outside of Xu Qing became so clear that a

figure could be seen emerging from it. At first, the figure’s features
were indiscernible. It did not seem elegant and magnificent, but
instead wore shabby clothing, and had a face caked with filth. It
almost looked like a child who had climbed out of the grave. But
there was a tenacity and determination in the child’s face, as if
none of the bitterness of life could force him to bow his head. He
would continue onward, no matter what. He would keep on living!
This was Xu Qing’s twelfth nascent soul.
The arrival of this nascent soul seemed to cause the entire county
to resonate. Among the crowd of hundreds of thousands was Qing
Qiu, who shivered from head to toe. The mere sight of that
nascent soul left her stupefied.

“Big Bro Kid....”

Although Xu Qing was hardly aware of it, the fact that he had
suddenly added four nascent souls to his cultivation base created
a sudden increase that pushed him to the twelve-soul level.

High in the dome of heaven, lightning began to gather, which was

none other than the power of tribulation. Because of the arrival of
a twelfth nascent soul, the heavenfate tribulation was forming.
Though it wasn’t a convenient time, it was still there. Within the
darkness of the sky above, lightning flowed like millions upon
millions of silver snakes.

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators below the altar were

shaken, and the countless mortals in the county capital trembled in
fear.

It seemed like heavenly tribulation was about to strike. However,

just before it finished forming, something happened with the crown
of Sea-Sealing County that hovered above Xu Qing’s head. Within
the crown was a young boy who looked up.

“Begone!” he shouted.
As the word rang out, Xu Qing’s twelve nascent souls flew up into
midair, looked at the heavenly tribulation, and also let loose a
shout.

“Begone!”

As those two shouts harmonized, the hundreds of thousands of

cultivators below the altar all thought the same thing in their
hearts.

“Begone!”

The destiny aura had offered approval. The people had given their
blessing. The heavenly tribulation crumbled and retreated. As a
result, boundless heavenfate had no obstruction as it surrounded
all twelve of his nascent souls and baptized them. The heavenfate
blessed Xu Qing, who reached over his shoulder to grab an
invisible sword.

“I have a sword!”

Upon hearing those four words, the more than 100,000

swordsages below the altar thought back to the blood-soaked
figure in their memories. Right now, it was almost as if that figure
was superimposed over Xu Qing. Thus, one voice after another
spoke, their voices dripping with blood and death.

“I have a sword!”

“I have a sword!”
The words converged, echoing louder than heavenly thunder. One
by one, all the swordsages were drawing their swords.

Streams of sword light erupted, sweeping toward Xu Qing and

gathering in his hand in the shape of a sword. It was The
Emperor’s Sword of the swordsages, which glittered with blinding
light.

However, things weren’t over yet. In one particular house in the

capital city, a crippled old man limped out into the open. His
clothes were neat and tidy, and his eyes shone with the desire to
do battle. He was none other than the jailer from Unit C in the
Corrections Division, Ghost Hand! Back when the Corrections
Division collapsed, he held back from using his sword. And he’d
told Xu Qing he was saving it to use on the culprit behind the
disaster. This was the day he had been waiting for.

Reaching over his shoulder, he loudly said, “I have a sword!”

As the words left his mouth, an Emperor’s Sword emerged from

behind his back that had been powering up for eight hundred
years. It became a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering beam of light
that shot toward Xu Qing. That was a sword that could devastate
Spirit Trove and shake Void Returning. When it merged with Xu
Qing’s Emperor’s Sword, that sword erupted with many times
more power than before.
Eyes flashing, Xu Qing looked at the lieutenant governor. “I have a
sword, and I will defend my home!”

He slashed the sword down. Sword light shone into heaven, and
sword energy erupted that could devastate anything and
everything. Backed by the oath of the swordsages and the ideals
of Palace Lord Kong, it shot toward the lieutenant governor.

Master Seventh shot toward the lieutenant governor. Eyes burning

with killing intent, Marquis Yao also burst into motion, pulsing with
blood-colored light.

Qingqin let loose a piercing cry as he also launched an attack. The

three palace lords, the honor guards, and all the cultivators from
the Administration Palace and Justice Palace unleashed the
power of their cultivation bases to attack the lieutenant governor.

This was a blow that couldn’t possibly be blocked.

The lieutenant governor lowered his eyes and stood in place.

Things were about to end!

His old servant backed away looking shocked. However, there had
been so much power unleashed that he didn’t qualify to evade it.

As the sword light glittered, the old servant’s head flew off his
shoulders. His body exploded. And as the head tumbled through
the air, the skin dripped off of it like melting ice, revealing the true
facial features beneath.
Shockingly, it was Night Dove! [2]

He wasn’t the only one to die. The lieutenant governor’s other

forces had no means to escape, and were killed in body and soul.
Then the power rumbled toward the lieutenant governor.

The lieutenant governor hovered in midair, making no move to

evade. Power which could destroy heaven and extinguish the
earth surged toward him. He looked past the sword light at Xu
Qing briefly, then closed his eyes. The sword light, which was the
gathered power of countless individuals, and was filled with the will
of the entire county capital and its destiny, neared.

In the blink of an eye, it landed on the lieutenant governor. He

shivered. His expression became pained. His hair turned into
ashes, and his clothing and skin melted together. The force
weighing down on him caused his body to slowly be crushed. His
flesh was quickly wiped out of existence. His chest caved in, and
his bones became visible. But not even his bones could stand up
to this level of power, and they were scraped away, shattered, to
reveal his organs.

It happened in the time it takes a spark to fly off of a piece of flint.

That was all the time it took for the lieutenant governor to no
longer even resemble a human. The same process happened with
his legs. The flesh was wiped out, the bones shattered. His torso
was destroyed. His limbs were wiped out. The only things left
behind were his spine and his head.

It was a horrendous sight. But not even his spine could last, and it
soon vanished, leaving behind only the skull.

Half of his face remained. But then a golden light shone from that
half of a face, spreading out to create a broken, golden mask. It
glittered indestructibly.

Marquis Yao, Qingqin, and Master Seventh, as well as all the

cultivators present, as well as the power of Xu Qing’s sword,
slowed to a halt in front of that broken face. No amount of
destructive force could do anything against it.

From a distance, that broken, golden face seemed very familiar.

Anyone who looked at it would feel shock rippling through them.
Then the broken face of the lieutenant governor opened its eyes.

1. Palace Lord Kong spoke the words, “I will defend my home,” in

chapter 507.1. ☜

2. The chapter in which this ‘servant’ was first introduced was

494.2. Night Dove was last seen on screen in chapter 327. He was
introduced in chapter 277. ☜
Chapter 534: Back from Antiquity (2)

The lieutenant governor’s gaze fell on the county capital.

In the blink of an eye, wild colors flashed in heaven and earth,

winds screamed, destiny aura howled in grief, and mortals wept
tears of blood. Immeasurable mutagen cascaded down. It instantly
filled the plants, vegetation, people, buildings, and everything else.
The sky blurred and the lands rippled. It was as if the end of days
had come.

The scene was familiar, and everyone knew why. The broken face
of the lieutenant governor... looked exactly the same as the broken
face of the god in the sky, down to the wounds and the general
shape. Only the specific facial features were different. Other than
that, there were no differences.

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators were shocked to the

core, and the mortals in the city were rendered speechless.

The dome of heaven shook. The clouds parted. It was as if the

hands of an unseen god had pulled apart the sky, revealing the
evening horizon, and also, the broken face of the god that had
hung there eternally since the final days of Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity.
Hīs hair hung down freely. Hīs size rivaled that of the sun and
moon. Hē floated outside of the Revered Ancient mainland, for all
living beings there to look up and see. Because of that, many
people were simply used to hīs presence. But right now, everyone
instinctively looked up at hīm as the pain coursed through their
bodies. Hīs eyelids twitched. But in the end, those eyes did not
open.

Down below, the broken face of the lieutenant governor did look
around with open eyes, and heaven and earth trembled.

In the past, the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan had opened a
box in the Eight Sect Coalition. As of this moment, the lieutenant
governor’s gaze was even more astonishing than that box.
Heaven and earth quivered. All living things blurred. Howls of grief
echoed about everywhere. And then, the lieutenant governor’s
broken face shifted its gaze to focus on Marquis Yao.

Marquis Yao shook from head to toe. A three-colored flower

appeared over his head, seated atop which was the image of a
heavenly marquis. However, Marquis Yao apparently didn’t have
appropriately pure blood, because the image wasn’t complete. A
moment later it faded from existence, and two of the flower’s
petals fell off. As for the remaining petal, it withered listlessly.
Rumbling sounds echoed out as Marquis Yao coughed up blood
and staggered backward.
“You actually sacrificed yourself to become a partial domain
treasure!” the marquis said.

The broken face of the lieutenant governor didn’t react in any way.
Instead, he turned to Qingqin. Qingqin let loose an anguished cry
as his body blurred. Behind him appeared a figure from antiquity,
something that could devour heaven and earth. Though Qingqin’s
blood was pure, it existed at too low of a level. Qingqin tumbled
backward, splattered with blood.

Next, the lieutenant governor’s broken face turned to Master

Seventh. A hand of white jade appeared behind Master Seventh,
radiant and scintillating. It seemed to have a similar origin as the
lieutenant governor’s broken face, and thus avoided the judgment
cast by the face. However, Master Seventh’s cultivation base was
too low, so blood oozed out of his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

As he staggered backward, he glared at the lieutenant governor

and said, “Before, I only had suspicions. It made sense that the
Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan would be reincarnated due to his
spectacular deeds. But why would Bai Xiaozhuo be reincarnated?
Now I understand. You... are so cruel!”

The lieutenant governor shifted his gaze to the deputy palace

lords, whose souls suffered grievous injuries. Next came the honor
guards, whose skin turned greenish-black as they headed toward
mutation.
All of the Void Returning experts had been summarily crushed. All
cultivators and all mortals were moaning in anguish. The county
capital was rapidly being pushed toward a forbidden region
transformation.

Blood-colored rain fell, accompanied by crashing thunder. The rain

even fell on the statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity, running
down the forehead of the statue, and through the eyes, then
streaming down like tears of blood. If that statue could open its
eyes, it would see all of the county capital turning into a realm of
ghosts. And it was all happening because of the broken face of the
lieutenant governor.

Meanwhile, the two puppets the lieutenant governor had employed

no longer had discarnate souls in them. The souls had long since
faded away. Therefore, the puppets automatically reverted to their
original orders, and rushed toward Master Seventh, Marquis Yao,
and Qingqin.

Being soaked with the rain, it was now possible to see something
in the puppets that hadn’t been visible before. Shining out through
the stitched seams of the puppets’ bodies... was light.

Each puppet had a box inside of it.

Just like Chu Tianqun, these puppets were actually experimental

god bodies. And clearly, progress had been made in their
construction. If Bai Li was the first generation of the experimental
god body, then Master Shengyun could be considered the initial
attempt at the second generation. Chu Tianqun was the complete
version of the second generation, while these two puppets were
the third generation. That was why their cultivation bases were in
the great circle of the third stage of Void Returning, yet they had
the battle prowess of the fourth stage. That said, they couldn’t
form major worlds, only countless minor worlds. It was something
Master Seventh had noticed when the first puppet attacked
Qingqin.

The sound of combat once again rang out as the lieutenant

governor continued to send his gaze sweeping about.

Xu Qing hovered in the darkness, looking around at the agony

around him. He could hear the cries of anguish. A spark could
start a prairie fire, but a rain of blood could extinguish it. When
faced with raw strength, ideals were nothing but a joke.

Only the Captain seemed to be reacting differently than everyone

else. Blue light radiated off of him as he looked deeply into Xu
Qing’s eyes. It was almost as if he were bidding farewell. He was
about to take action.

But Xu Qing reached out and gripped the Captain's shoulder.

Looking at him, he quietly said, “Eldest Brother, this is my affair. If I
survive at the cost of losing you, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”
The Captain said nothing in response, but his eyes flickered as he
struggled to maintain control.

Meanwhile, the power of the violet moon erupted within Xu Qing.

His taboo poison core surged, and the power of D-132 appeared.
The Ghost Emperor mountain rose up behind him. Inside, Xu Qing
sighed. Rebels had to pay a price, and in this case, the price was
immense. He advanced quietly. As he did, he grew taller and
larger. As he bore the weight of all the surrounding mutagen, he
looked at the broken face of the lieutenant governor hovering in
the sky.

The lieutenant governor’s eyes focused on Xu Qing, while his

voice echoed out in all directions via divine will.

“Xu Qing, did you know that this place... is where I originally died?
When the crown prince perished in the southern continent, I was
right here looking up at the broken face of the god, while
simultaneously carving up my own flesh to resemble hīm.

“I pleaded to allow me to see my lord and master again in the

future.

“Xu Qing, you said before that I don’t deserve to be a follower of

my lord and master. You’re right. People said the same thing back
then. A lot of people. That’s why I didn’t evade your attack right
now. I deserve to be punished.
“But I still need to accomplish my mission. I can’t flee. Therefore, I
decided to reveal the blessing of a god. I’ve polluted the aura of
Revered Ancient, making it impure, and thus ensuring that neither
my past, present, nor future self can ever be reincarnated again.
The previous moment was my past. This is my present. And the
next moment is my future.

“I, Bai Xiaozhuo, am not the type of person who explains myself to
others very often. But I think you’re worthy.”

He looked out at the county capital.

“Sadly, I don’t have time to wait for the appropriate moment. I

failed to become the governor, so I don’t have the blessing of Sea-
Sealing County’s destiny aura. That means there are many
things... that I will have to accomplish via force. Ai.”

The lieutenant governor sighed because his attempt to deceive the

living beings of Sea-Sealing County had failed. He had longed to
be acknowledged by heaven, earth, and the people as the
governor, and thus be blessed by the county’s destiny aura.

His plan had been to rely on the aid he had provided to humankind
to strengthen the destiny aura of humankind. After all, human
territory had finally been expanded, and the Holytides had been
brought back into the fold. In that manner, he could use the destiny
aura of Sea-Sealing County to tap into more of the destiny aura of
humankind. That was the last step in his plan. Sadly for him, he
had failed.

“You succeeded, Xu Qing. Even if I killed everyone here, I would

never be able to see my plan to fruition. I can only use force now.

“You forced me to harvest the fruit before it was ripe, spoiling

everything. And thus, you’ve forced me to break my word to my
people.”

Xu Qing said nothing, as he could tell the lieutenant governor still

had more to say.

“Back then, I sacrificed myself to the god above in the hopes of

getting another chance to be a follower of the crown prince. The
god ignored me. Therefore, I allowed myself to be transformed into
a domain treasure. I gave up my soul to do it. I gave up
everything. The god still ignored me.

“I have no idea what the god wanted. It was only in the very end,
when the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan was destroyed,
that I realized what hē wanted. With tears streaming down my
face, I killed all the people in the county. It didn’t matter if they
were cultivators or mortals. Old or young. They didn’t resist. They
let me do it. Finally, after I killed everyone, hē gave me a nod.

“Back then, I promised to bring back all the people I’d killed. And
now, my people, you will all come back. From the Land of
Cruelmurk!”
His voice seemed to thrum with ancientness, as if it came from
tens of thousands of years in the past, as if it had floated up the
River of Ancient Time.

As the blood rain fell and the mutagen flourished, the people of the
county capital shivered. Their pain turned into numbness as life
force streamed out of the tops of their heads, forcibly extracted
along with destiny aura. Their bodies withered. Their skin sank in.
And yet, they didn’t die.

It wasn’t just the people. The entire county capital trembled.

Lands, rivers, plants, mountains. Boundless life force and destiny
aura was ripped out and sent streaming toward the capital city. In
the rest of the prefectures of Sea-Sealing County, with the
exception of the three prefectures that had previously been lost,
and those which had been immolated, the ancestral lands in all
sects and organizations trembled. It was the same in Emperor-
Receiving Prefecture.

The earth quaked throughout Sea-Sealing County. One mountain

range after another crumbled. They were all mountain ranges that
had risen up in modern times. And in the spots where they fell,
mountains of antiquity rose up.

In the tens of thousands of years that had passed since the

Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan existed, the topography of
Sea-Sealing County had changed. But now, it was reverting to
what it had been before. The landscape of the Sovereign Kingdom
of Violet and Cyan was returning. Rivers formed. Mountains rose
up. If you could stand at a very high vantage point and look down,
you would find that the mountains which made up the county in
ancient times actually formed a massive magical symbol.

As that symbol became complete, and as the hearts of the people

in the county filled with astonishment, three massive spikes
appeared. They were bones of a god fish, and they rose up from
three locations in the county, rising high into the sky. When they
stabbed into the canopy of heaven, ripples rolled out, covering the
sky in the county, creating something like a second canopy of
heaven. And that canopy of heaven looked like a painting. The
world in that painting was not the Revered Ancient mainland.
Instead, it was pitch black.

The aura was familiar to Xu Qing, allowing him to instantly identify

what he was looking at. The world in that painting was the very
same world that all cultivators would briefly encounter when they
were reaching Foundation Establishment.

To reach Foundation Establishment, one needed something akin

to a life lamp to stay safe. Without that protection of burning, one
would attract terrifying entities. It was a fact that all cultivators
came to realize before they reached Foundation Establishment.
However, no one knew what world those entities came from.

Years ago, the Mute had experienced an accident when trying to

reach Foundation Establishment, and had been possessed by an
evil soul. Xu Qing had ended up saving him.[1]

As of now, Xu Qing knew what world those things came from. It

was called the Land of Cruelmurk. And it was also where Crimson
Mother currently was!

1. The Mute’s possession and subsequent breakthrough was in

chapter 309. ☜
Chapter 535: Xu Qing’s Trump Card! (1)

The key to opening the Land of Cruelmurk were the three fish
bones!

Xu Qing recognized those bones. They were the same spikes

taken by the hand of white jade from within Forbidden by the
Immortal. Only now did he realize their function.

Rumbling sounds echoed out as the ripples from the three bones
created a second canopy of heaven. Black mist swirled, and the
soul-shaking wail of ghosts emerged. Within that black, misty
painting were innumerable evil souls. When they looked up and
saw everything on the outside, the lieutenant governor’s summons
became like countless karma threads.

On one end, they connected to the broken face of the lieutenant

governor. The other end stretched into Cruelmurk, wherein lurked
the souls of the countless dead of Violet and Cyan’s Sea-Sealing
County. And those threads began to pull. The evil souls began to
follow the karma threads, burrowing out of the second canopy of
heaven and looking down on the lands below, and the living
beings within them, with open greed.

This was the lieutenant governor’s master plan. This was his
offering to his lord and master. It wasn’t just the life force and
destiny aura of all the living beings in Sea-Sealing County. It was
also... a return of the entire county itself! This was how he planned
to atone for his past mistakes.

The living beings of Sea-Sealing County were to be hosts

possessed by his true people, who were currently in Cruelmurk.
That said, the moment he had planned for never came. The fruit
did not ripen. He did not fool the living beings of Sea-Sealing
County into making him their governor and freely giving him all the
destiny aura of the county.

Therefore, he did not become the protector of his people that he

wanted to become, thus ensuring their smooth and unhindered
return. He had to forcefully summon the deceased souls. When
they appeared, the aura of Revered Ancient would fight back
against them, destroying nine out of ten. But there were just too
many evil souls. Though large numbers of them would be wiped
out, there were still an innumerable amount that could descend on
Sea-Sealing County.

That said, the lieutenant governor was the type of person who kept
his word. As per the agreement, he would make sure none of
Seventh Prince’s people were affected.

Meanwhile, Seventh Prince was flabbergasted. It had never

occurred to him that the lieutenant governor would have a plan like
this. He had assumed he was going to be dealing with some minor
sacrifice. And how could he have ever guessed that the three fish
bones would be used for this purpose?
“Bai Xiaozhuo!” Seventh Prince said, eyes narrowing. As he stood
on the altar struggling to control his breathing, he very nearly took
a step forward. This matter was quickly getting out of hand. The
commanders-in-chief around him looked at him with glittering
eyes. Up in the dome of heaven, the four-clawed golden dragon
growled and also looked at Seventh Prince. Down in the crowd,
Ning Yan looked at Seventh Prince, his eyes bloodshot. But
Seventh Prince looked at the lieutenant governor for a long
moment, and then... did nothing.

As an imperial prince, he was privy to many secrets. The way he

had grown up had left him with a unique sense of judgment, and
as a result, he knew what was going on. He understood that no
ordinary type of power could defeat the lieutenant governor right
now. A higher level of personhood would be required to vanquish
him.

In other words, a Smoldering God or someone like Zhang Siyun.

After all, in his current state, the lieutenant governor might as well
be a snack for someone like Crimson Mother. Sadly, Crimson
Mother was asleep. And after everything that happened with
Crimson Mother before, most other gods were in hiding.

Based on the information in various classified files in the imperial

capital, Seventh Prince knew that there had been plenty of species
throughout the years that made deals with the broken face.
However, those deals didn’t involve the opening of the face’s eyes.
Throughout all of history, there had only been one instance in
which the god’s eyes opened for a person. And that person was
the Crown Prince of Violet and Cyan.

If Seventh Prince took action right now, he might be able to

prevent a tragedy from ensuing. But the cost to be paid by him
would be far, far too immense. He would have to risk his life, and
would also have to waste his most valuable reserve powers.

Sea-Sealing County alone wouldn’t be worth going back on his

word, risking his life, and losing his best resources. This was not
the time and place to lose his reserve powers. As a result, he did
nothing. He waited. After everything played out, he would have to
scramble to think of how to deal with the aftermath, and turn things
to his advantage.

As far as whatever catastrophe struck Sea-Sealing County...

amazing things couldn’t be accomplished without a bit of chaos.

In the end, Seventh Prince ignored all of the people that were
looking in his direction.

As for Xu Qing, he had never spared a glance for Seventh Prince.

He had known all along that it would be naive to expect help from
the imperial prince. The four-clawed golden dragon let loose a cry
of sorrow, and instinctively looked down at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing slowly lifted his hand, and the fire from the county’s taboo
treasure rose off him. It turned into a golden net that climbed into
the sky, much the same as it had before when keeping Sea-
Sealing County safe. This time, it blocked the souls coming down
from above.

“That won’t do you any good,” said the broken face of the
lieutenant governor. “Crimson Mother devoured the god of
Cruelmurk, leaving the place without anything suppressing it.
That’s why this is going to work so smoothly for me. You can’t stop
me.”

Xu Qing looked at the lieutenant governor. “Now that you’ve

revealed your true form, do you dare allow me to approach you?”

The lieutenant governor looked deeply at Xu Qing. “Unless a god

shows up, or perhaps the emperor, then no one exists at a level
high enough to do anything to me. I know you always seem to
have some trick up your sleeve, but fine. I’ll give you your chance.
Let me see what this trump card of yours is. You may attempt to
approach me.”

Xu Qing advanced.

Everything blurred. The sky rippled. Even the Void Returning

experts were having trouble because of the immense pressure.
The two experimental god bodies pulsed with godly might as the
blood rain fell. They blocked every attack.

The Captain, who was now behind Xu Qing, suddenly laughed.

“Little Ah Qing, if you and Master die fighting the good fight, then
I’ll join both of you!”
“Great!” Xu Qing replied softly, without even looking back.

The Captain smiled. Little Junior Brother is rarely impulsive. He

probably has a trump card ready to go. But as the Junior Brother,
I’m honestly shocked that he would block my path. I’m the Eldest
Brother! Hmph!

Ah, whatever. Considering how much he cares about me, I won’t

waste time worrying about it. If he doesn’t want me to release my
seals right now, fine. But if he ends up failing, he won’t have any
logical basis to stop me.

Let me think. If I have to make a move, what pose should I strike?

And what should I say? How can I end this life in a really amazing
blaze of glory?

After all... who frickin’ knows if I’ll have any lives left this time after
releasing the final seal.... The Captain made some calculations on
his fingers. Probably not. What a pity. I’m still so young! Lady
Peachy is waiting for me, and Lil’ Sis Five Fingers still has her eye
on me. Who knows how many other girls might show up in the
future. I never even got married....

The Captain sighed.

Meanwhile, Xu Qing was floating up into the air toward the broken
face of the lieutenant governor. The closer he got, the harder it
became. There was only 300 meters between them, but it was like
the difference between heaven and earth.
He progressed 30 meters, and lacerations covered him. Blood
oozed out of his mouth, and he staggered in place a bit. Then he
waved his hand, and his twelve nascent souls erupted with power,
bolstering him. He continued.

After 39 meters, the black umbrella nascent soul dimmed. After 48

meters, the seven-colored wind-chanting nascent soul blurred.
After 57 meters, the hellspirit bloodwing nascent soul became hard
to see. After 66 meters, the immortal-shredding god-devouring
nascent soul distorted.

Xu Qing stopped in place, gasping for breath. It took some

struggle, but he looked up at the broken face of the lieutenant
governor.

The lieutenant governor was looking back at him. “234 meters to

go.”

Xu Qing nodded. The golden crow’s nascent soul form bolstered

him, and daybreak light lit his path. He moved on.

The bluegreen dragon appeared, throwing its head back and

roaring. He progressed a few more meters.

And thus, Xu Qing’s nascent souls revealed their power. The

taboo poison nascent soul. The violet moon nascent soul. The
projection of the Ghost Emperor. With all of these blessings, Xu
Qing continued onward.
Eventually he reached 90 meters. 120 meters. 150 meters.... The
image of the boy appeared, superimposing with Xu Qing. At that
point, he passed 168 meters.

“Is that your limit?” the lieutenant governor said from 132 meters
away, shaking his head slightly.

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light. Stretching his hand down
toward the ground, he growled, “Come here!”

Down in the county capital, the ground trembled, and countless

sword pavilions collapsed, as if a subterranean dragon were on
the move. And the source of it all was in the depths of the
Corrections Division. Specifically... Forbidden by the Immortal.

While in Forbidden by the Immortal, Xu Qing had already come to

realize that after the god there was gone, he could absorb the
mutagen that was left behind. That said, he only had limited
control, and was also worried that the god’s finger in D-132 would
awaken as a result. As a result, he had always restrained himself.

But right now, he had no intention of restraining himself. That was

because he was intentionally going to awaken the god’s finger
from D-132!

In response to his call, rumbling sounds erupted from Forbidden

by the Immortal, filling heaven and earth. The power of the
mutagen erupted from the entrance, breaking through all the spell
formations, and turning into a black mist that rose from the pit of
the Corrections Division. From a distance, it looked like a black
dragon racing toward Xu Qing.

It took only a moment for the mutagen to surround Xu Qing, then

madly pour into him. An expression of pain covered his face as
cracking sounds rang out within him. After a certain limit was
reached, he began to grow taller. He was soon 3 meters tall. 6
meters. 9 meters....

Eventually, he was 30 meters tall, like a giant. The air around him
distorted, and the aura of a god pulsed off him. Within him, the
god’s finger sleeping in D-132, which was in the midst of all the
golden threads in him as well as the surging mutagen... suddenly
woke up.

The moment īt did, Xu Qing’s entire person pulsed with an even

stronger aura of a god. At the same time, something like a howl
rang out within him. His eyes changed, turning blank, and his
expression became one full of godly might. He shot toward the
lieutenant governor.

“Agh! What are you doing?” The finger had been prodded awake,
and the first thing īt saw afterward was the broken face of the
lieutenant governor. The lieutenant governor’s aura and
fundamental personality left īt feeling shaken. What was even
more relevant was the second canopy of heaven and the three fish
bones from īts true form. Then īt saw everything that was
happening in the surroundings. The way everything was distorted
and blurry left īt feeling alarmed.

As immense fear rose up within īt, Xu Qing stepped forward 90

meters.

“Do something. Now!” he shouted.

Deathblade's ThoughtsThank you to jebsauce for the

review!Alright, we’re about to find out the details of Xu Qing’s
trump card. This is your last chance to make bets and predictions.
Leave them in the comments!

Thank you to jebsauce for the review!

Alright, we’re about to find out the details of Xu Qing’s trump card.
This is your last chance to make bets and predictions. Leave them
in the comments!
Chapter 535: Xu Qing’s Trump Card (2)

The furious finger wanted to flee. But the violet crystal made that
impossible. Īt wanted to fight back, but īt was being imprisoned in
Xu Qing. Although the mutagen pouring into the finger was īts own
mutagen, which meant īt might have been able to break free from
Xu Qing, the fact that Xu Qing had experienced the beginning of a
nascent soul tribulation, and boosted his cultivation base so much,
meant that the violet crystal was even more effective than before.

Because of all that, though the god’s finger still wanted to be free,
there was no way it would happen in a short time. The finger knew
that īt would need an incense stick’s worth of time, whereupon it
could be free, and might even be able to turn the tables and
possess Xu Qing. Except, that wasn’t going to happen.

After īt awoke, it sensed that īts true form had already perished.
That left īt with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the terrifying
situation in the outside world was very worrisome. On the other
hand, īt now had a much better chance of developing a new true
form. Seeing how Xu Qing was rushing forward toward the small-
scale broken face, and noticing the shocked look on that face, the
finger’s thoughts raced. However, no matter what ideas īt came up
with, there was only one path moving forward; this dangerous
situation had to be dealt with.
This brat is giving me an opportunity! For the sake of freedom, I
have to go for broke! Afterward, I can devour the little punk!

Throwing caution to the wind, the finger released rumbling god

power, which caused Xu Qing to rapidly grow another 30 meters.
Xu Qing extended his right hand, and the god’s finger converged
in his index finger. In the blink of an eye, Xu Qing’s index finger
glittered with brilliant golden light as he pointed it toward the
lieutenant governor’s broken face.

At that exact same moment, the two puppets fighting with Master
Seventh, Marquis Yao, and Qingqin spun. Ignoring any injuries
they sustained as a result, they launched attacks to interfere.

Qingqin erupted with magenta light that became a sea, which

rumbled toward the broken face of the lieutenant governor.

Behind Master Seventh was a 300-meter hand of white jade

surrounded by rippling distortions. It swept forward.

Marquis Yao had the highest cultivation base of anyone involved.

A decisive gleam could be seen in his eyes as a blood-colored
flower appeared above his head. It swayed, the stem twisting into
the shape of a huge bow. Then it withered as a blood-colored
arrow took form. The arrow shot forth, pulsing with astonishing
might, becoming a streak of light that headed toward the lieutenant
governor with mountain-toppling, sea-draining force.
The lieutenant governor didn’t evade. He just looked at Xu Qing,
seemingly disappointed.

“As it turns out, you didn’t exceed my expectations. You have that
god’s finger in you. That’s your trump card. Xu Qing, your
cultivation base isn’t sufficient. You thought you were keeping that
hidden the whole time, but my eyes saw the truth clearly.

“If that finger’s true form appeared, then I would be crushed. But īt
was devoured by Crimson Mother. What a pity. I gave you your
chance, Xu Qing, and you failed anyway.”

Golden light shone off the lieutenant governor’s broken face,

forming into the outline of a body. The left hand of that body then
lifted high, and more golden light swirled into the shape of a
golden umbrella.

As the umbrella blocked the might of Marquis Yao, Master

Seventh, and Qingqin, the lieutenant governor reached out with
his newly formed right hand and pushed toward Xu Qing’s index
finger.

They collided.

A huge boom rang out as the hand collapsed.

The power of the god’s finger could crush anything in its path.
However, right then, a hand of white jade emerged from within the
lieutenant governor. It started out small, but rapidly became
enormous. And it grabbed Xu Qing’s finger. The god’s finger
shivered, unable to move forward, and unable to fall back.
Terrifying force erupted from the hand of white jade, surging
through the finger and into Xu Qing.

The god’s finger was absolutely terrified. Blood sprayed out of Xu

Qing’s god body as it started rotting, with many portions falling off.
Blood splashed everywhere, and many golden threads shattered.

Before Xu Qing could even regret that loss, the god’s finger filled
with so much pain that īt howled, and released an eruption of
power. Īt needed to keep this body safe. However, all īt could do
was buy time, not resolve the situation.

Xu Qing didn’t say a thing.

In that critical moment, the golden umbrella above the lieutenant

governor thrummed loudly. Then the attacks of Marquis Yao,
Master Seventh, and Qingqin hit, and the umbrella collapsed.

But then a second hand of white jade emerged from within the
lieutenant governor, and pushed back against the light coming
from Marquis Yao’s arrow, Master Seventh’s god power, and
Qingqin’s light. Intense booms rang out. The lieutenant governor
ignored all of that. The entire time, his gaze was fixed on Xu Qing
alone. He shook his head, looking regretful as he prepared to
speak.

“Finally,” Xu Qing interrupted. “I got close enough.”

The lieutenant governor was stunned, and the pupils of the eyes in
his broken face constricted. Within the mangled remains of Xu
Qing’s left hand was a talisman of black iron. It had a single
purpose: it could complete a teleportation to a very specific place.
Because of the teleportation destination, the talisman contained a
higher level of personhood. It was a treasure, and was a rare thing
in the world.

It was called a spirit abyss talisman. Its fixed teleportation

destination was a spirit abyss.

There was no god there, nor any human emperor. But that place
did contain an entity who was vastly superior to the human
emperor of those times. It was an entity far superior to an Imperial
Sovereign. That entity once conquered all of the Revered Ancient
mainland. In those days, Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity had not
yet arrived, and there was no broken face of a god in the dome of
heaven. After that entity died, the countless species of Revered
Ancient devolved into chaos. That was when humankind rose to
prominence, and eventually, gave rise to Ancient Emperor Dark
Serenity.

That entity was Emperor Ancient Spirit, who had led the Ancient
Spirits to conquer Revered Ancient! The spirit abyss contained the
dead of his species. What was more, he... was still awake.

Xu Qing had encountered the enormous eye of Emperor Ancient

Spirit, and had threatened him with the terror of Crimson Mother.
He was no weaker than the god in Forbidden by the Immortal, and
in fact, was actually a bit stronger.

This was Xu Qing’s trump card!

Everything he had done up to this point had been a feint. He

obviously couldn’t trust anything the lieutenant governor said.
What was more, he needed to be right in front of the lieutenant
governor to employ his trump card. Therefore, he unleashed the
god’s finger to distract the lieutenant governor and get as close as
possible. As long as the lieutenant governor thought the finger was
his secret weapon, then Xu Qing would be able to unleash his real
trump card. He would only get one chance to make it work.

Xu Qing wasn’t a prophet, so he had no way of knowing what the

lieutenant governor would do during the process. And he could
only guess at how strong he really was. But regardless of how
strong he was, Xu Qing could still make the trump card work.

Xu Qing had originally hoped to use this trump card on the Crown
Prince of Violet and Cyan. The lieutenant governor was not the
crown prince, and thus, Xu Qing had hesitated at first. He wasn’t
sure if it would really work. And he wasn’t sure if things would go
as smoothly for him as they had before with Emperor Ancient
Spirit.

But he figured that if gods could devour each other, as Crimson

Mother had devoured the god in Forbidden by the Immortal, then
since Emperor Ancient Spirit was like a god, hē would surely be
willing to devour something else like hīmself. After all, Emperor
Ancient Spirit must have been hungry for a very, very long time....
There was no way some random souls that came along every so
often would be satisfying.

Those were all the things that had run through Xu Qing’s head
earlier. And right now, as he crushed the talisman, a massive
gravitational force erupted from his palm. He quickly visualized
that imperial palace made of flesh, where he had seen the eye of
Emperor Ancient Spirit. The innkeeper from Plankspring Way had
explained to Xu Qing how to use the spirit abyss talisman, and the
method by which to fix a destination. [1]

Because the power of the talisman existed at a higher level, Xu

Qing couldn’t resist it. Nor could the lieutenant governor. After all,
the lieutenant governor’s hand of white jade was clamped firmly
onto the bait Xu Qing had thrown out, that being the god’s finger.
They were still touching.

In the blink of an eye, the gravitational force locked onto them and
swept out in all directions.

The surrounding mutagen was driven away. The light of evening

appeared again. The images of an entire nation were visible in the
lands, and a powerful gravitational force spread out everywhere.
The lieutenant governor’s face fell, and he sought to flee, but he
was too late. He had been overconfident.

The gravitational force expanded, and the two of them vanished!

The Captain inhaled sharply, and rapidly performed an incantation

gesture in the hopes of figuring out where they went.

Master Seventh’s expression was grim as he looked over at

Seventh Prince, who hadn’t done a single thing the entire time.

Marquis Yao looked surprised, and Qingqin let loose a sharp cry.

With the lieutenant governor gone, there was no source for the
mutagen. The ripples and distortions faded. The blurriness to the
land disappeared. The dramatic transformations to Sea-Sealing
County ceased. The taboo treasure net above glittered brightly as
it blocked the souls from above. Many people were awakening
from their dazes. The ancient mountains that had risen up
trembled.

However, things weren’t over yet. The two puppets were still
powerful enemies; they would not go still unless the lieutenant
governor died and the connection to him was severed.

Seventh Prince looked at the two puppets.

If the two puppets went silent, and ceased to follow their orders,
that would be the moment for the prince to step in and save the
day.
Who’s actually going to win? The teleportation talisman Xu Qing
crushed had an extremely high level of personhood. Definitely not
something to underestimate. Seventh Prince decided to continue
waiting. He wouldn’t side with either party until the final outcome
was concluded.

***

In the Spirit Abyss, which was filled with countless souls of the
Ancient Spirits, everything was completely still and quiet. The sky
above was filled with an eternal darkness of evening. The lands
were the same. Everything was so quiet it almost looked like a
painting.

Off in the distance was an imperial palace. It was surrounded by

countless vicious souls. Inside the palace was a mountain of flesh
whose summit was high in the sky. Above it floated a huge eye.

Īt was closed, as though there were nothing in the world worth

looking at, and īt contained nothing that could disturb īts tranquility.
There were fresh souls nearby that had been offered up as
sacrifices. They emanated soul strands that floated up and
merged into the eye. Golden dragons flew around the eye, swirling
into the shape of magical symbols that accompanied the soul
strands into the eye.

The surrounding souls would occasionally shiver, look up at the

eye, and then bow deeply.
Countless zombies were scattered about, vicious in appearance,
and pulsing with a sense of blood and madness. However, they
stood in place, and didn’t move at all except to bow along with the
souls.

This was not the only imperial palace in this place. There were
others in distant locations. Each of them had mountains of flesh,
and huge eyes that all looked exactly the same.

At the imperial palace that Xu Qing had once visited, the eye
surrounded by the countless deceased souls suddenly twitched
atop the mountain of flesh. Īts peace had been disturbed. The eye
snapped open and glared out into the sky. Then a stream of divine
will erupted that seemed like it could fill all of the Ancient Spirit
world.

“How dare you come back here, scoundrel!”

1. The innkeeper explained the usage of the talisman in chapter

473. ☜
Chapter 536: Bai Xiaozhuo’s Grand Finale
(1)

Although the divine will was only coming from the imperial palace
that Xu Qing had previously visited, all of the eyes above all the
imperial palaces in the entire Ancient Spirit world were twitching.

The reality was... that encounter had been more frustrating to

Emperor Ancient Spirit than anything since the destiny aura of
Revered Ancient destroyed hīs species and banished them to this
place. Given hīs personhood, and hīs former glory, it was possible
to guess hīs state of mind when hē ended that encounter by
screaming, “Screw off, NOW!” [1]

In hīs eyes, Xu Qing was a bug. For a bug to attract the attention
of Crimson Mother to use as a threat and take a soul that had
been offered to hīm... well that was one thing. But then Xu Qing
extorted some of his Ancient Spirit destiny aura. It was such an
incredible offense and disrespect that it took hīm months to calm
down after Xu Qing left.

And now, this person dared to return?

Emperor Ancient Spirit was nowhere close to as glorious as hē

had been in the past, and hīs mental faculties had suffered after
hīs fall. Hē couldn’t think as deeply, and hīs thoughts were simpler
than before. However, hē was just as proud as hē’d always been.
And in terms of hīs personality, hē was still an Ancient Emperor of
Revered Ancient. To hīm, Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity was a
member of the younger generation.

As such, upon sensing this familiar aura, hīs first reaction was to
fly into a rage. As hīs divine will surged out into the Ancient Spirit
world, everything shook violently.

The souls in the sky all looked up. Sensing the emperor’s rage,
they howled noiselessly, creating invisible sound waves that rolled
out. On the ground, the countless vicious zombies raised their
bone blades over their heads. The Underworld River churned as
numerous colossal and monstrous creatures rose up from the
waters. The clouds in the sky churned just as violently as black
war banners appeared and a magnificent army with thousands of
men and horses appeared out of nowhere. Hostility raged in all
parts of the Ancient Spirit world.

Then a massive vortex appeared above the mountain of flesh in

the imperial palace that Xu Qing had previously visited. That was
the very same location where Xu Qing had sent Ling’er away, and
it was right in front of Emperor Ancient Spirit’s massive eye.

Rumbling sounds emerged from the vortex as two figures

appeared.

One was large, one was small. One was on the left, one was on
the right.
The large one was roughly 90 meters tall. The small one was the
size of a normal person, and was holding the large one’s finger.
They almost looked like intimate friends who had stepped into the
vortex hand-in-hand!

“You brought an accomplice?”

The massive eye opened wide, causing golden light to brighten

heaven and earth. Everything rippled and distorted as a unique
mutagen spread out, dissolving all outside powers and
suppressing them. The godly authority of Emperor Ancient Spirit
erupted from the eye. The power of that godly authority, when
focused on an enemy, would make any injuries inflicted ten times
worse! A minor injury would become a serious one. And a serious
injury would result in death!

Before those two figures could fully materialize out of the vortex,
they shivered as the godly authority started affecting them.

The one on the left had a god body that started crumbling.

The one on the right had a transparent body that instantly

disappeared, revealing a broken face. The broken face, upon
sensing his surroundings, looked unprecedentedly shocked. In
fact, it was the first time such a distorted expression had ever
appeared on the face of the lieutenant governor. Even before,
when all of his plots and schemes had been publicly exposed, he
had not reacted like this.
There was no way he couldn’t be shocked and moved. After all...
upon seeing this gigantic eye, he could sense the startling
personhood radiating off it. Although it didn’t measure up to
Crimson Mother, it surpassed the sleeping god in Forbidden by the
Immortal. For all intents and purposes, this gigantic eye was a
god.

It took only a moment for the lieutenant governor to deduce the

identity of this god.

Emperor Ancient Spirit??

Never could he have imagined that Xu Qing’s trump card would be

Emperor Ancient Spirit! This was not something he could have
anticipated. After all, Emperor Ancient Spirit had been hidden for
so long that, if it weren’t for Ling’er, there was no way Xu Qing
could have known about hīm.

Thus, the lieutenant governor was left reeling. Then, without the
slightest hesitation, he shot backward, golden light spilling out
around him as he tried to initiate a return teleportation to leave this
terrifying place.

But how could Xu Qing possibly allow him to do that? The moment
the broken face of the lieutenant governor started moving, and
even as Xu Qing’s body collapsed, filling him with intense pain, he
respectfully bowed at the waist to Emperor Ancient Spirit.
“Oh great Emperor Ancient Spirit, I of the younger generation have
come here today to deliver some food to you. Sir, this is the first
round of interest I owe you for that Ancient Spirit destiny aura.
After you finish digesting this bit of food, I’ll bring you the second
round of interest!”

“Interest?”

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s enormous eye was visibly taken aback.

Widening, it looked behind Xu Qing at the fleeing broken face of
the lieutenant governor.

Previously, hīs attention had been focused on Xu Qing. But upon

shifting focus to the lieutenant governor, a heartbeat like that of
heavenly thunder filled the Ancient Spirit world.

Thump-thump. Thump-thump!

The Underworld River seethed, almost as if it were the saliva of

Emperor Ancient Spirit. Surging over its banks, it began spreading
rapidly in all directions. Then it abruptly disappeared. A sound like
saliva being sucked back into the mouth echoed out in terrifying
fashion.

The lieutenant governor, furious and alarmed, held nothing back

as he fled, causing cracks to spread out over his broken face.
Golden light surged around him as he raced like mad in the
opposite direction.
That golden light hit Xu Qing, causing his body to crumble even
further. Inside of him, the god’s finger wailed in anguish and fought
back in an attempt to save the body.

Meanwhile, the golden light coming off the lieutenant governor

became like sharp spikes that stabbed into the vortex and tried to
get it to rotate in the opposite direction, thus opening a way out.
However... in the lieutenant governor’s current state, he would
have been a tasty meal even to Crimson Mother, much less
Emperor Ancient Spirit, who had been starving for countless
years, and could only absorb the souls of random other Ancient
Spirits who stumbled into his presence.

The Underworld River was virtually boiling. There was simply too
much saliva to be swallowed back, causing the river to rise into the
air and speed toward the vortex.

Emperor Ancient Spirit was too hungry.

Meanwhile, the light shining from the massive eye illuminated all of
heaven and earth.

The opening the lieutenant governor was trying to carve out

collapsed under the gaze of Emperor Ancient Spirit. It was
replaced by the Underworld River, which quickly surrounded the
lieutenant governor.

A swallowing sound erupted from the far end of the river. It was a
terrifying sound filled with greed, excitement, and anticipation. And
it exerted a gravitational force that dragged the delectable
lieutenant governor down to be devoured.

When the lieutenant governor realized he was being dragged

down, his broken face glittered with light, and two enormous hands
of white jade appeared. The hands reached out to rip the river
apart. The power of ancient time waned, the gravitational force
ended briefly, and the lieutenant governor struggled to escape.

But then, a majestic pulse of divine will echoed through the entire
Ancient Spirit world.

“In my world, there is no ancient time!”

The divine will pulsed with godly might and an indescribably

tyrannical dao, which caused the Underworld River to return to its
previous state. The gravitational force grew even stronger, and the
broken face of the lieutenant governor couldn’t stand up to it.
Cracks spread out across the surface of the face.

The two hands of white jade began crumbling, sending pieces

splashing down into the river, where they were devoured.

The lieutenant governor shrieked as more cracks spread out over

his broken face. Holding nothing back, he tried to send more
golden light out. As he put everything on the line, light spread out,
revealing a totem tattoo on his broken face. The totem had always
been there, it just hadn’t been visible. But because of the pressure
weighing down from Emperor Ancient Spirit, it was revealed.
Tattooed on his face was an image of the Sea-Sealing County of
antiquity. It looked exactly as the transformed version of the county
on the outside. That was the core essence of the lieutenant
governor’s return from ancient times. Back then, before he died,
he used the blood of the common people to tattoo that image onto
his face!

Now it was revealed within the surrounding sea of light. Sea-

Sealing County, which had been a magnificent place in the days of
the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan, appeared like a
mirage.

This was not simply the power of ancient time. This was the result
of all the lieutenant governor’s plans and schemes, to snatch a
section of time from the River of Ancient Time, and combine it with
the existing Sea-Sealing County to activate the tattoo on his face
to bring antiquity back to the present.

Using that blessing, he was able to suppress the Underworld

River. Waves surged across the river as it neared the point of
being destroyed. The water within it began to dry up and
disappear.

The Sea-Sealing County of antiquity appeared in the golden light,

and seemed as if it might descend into the Ancient Spirit world,
block the mouth of Emperor Ancient Spirit, and thus give the
lieutenant governor his chance to escape.
“In here, everything is food.”

The divine will echoed out lazily, carrying with it something like a
command as it approached the sea of light.

The Sea-Sealing County of antiquity in the sea of light couldn’t

persist, and began to fade away.

The rivers in the county collapsed. The mountains crumbled.

Intense rumbling sounds spread out as the endless evil souls of
the Ancient Spirits lunged toward it with mad greed. The souls
didn’t fear destruction as they swarmed the sea of light. The
lieutenant governor fought back, destroying them in swaths, but
there were too many. They surged into the light with pure insanity,
descending on the Sea-Sealing County of antiquity in a scene very
reminiscent of what had played out earlier on the outside.

The evil souls of the Ancient Spirits began to devour everything.

Land. Air. Living beings. Everything was targeted. After all, their
emperor had told them that everything was food!

The seething of the Underworld River grew more intense.

Seeing all of that, the lieutenant governor sighed. An irregularly

shaped chunk fell off of his broken face during that sigh, which
then became a golden beam of light that shot up into the dark sky.

In the blink of an eye, that beam of light vanished, and a loud

rumbling sound echoed out that shook everything in existence. At
the same time, golden light flashed, revealing the tip of a sword.

The sword was gold, and it looked like it was stabbing through the
canopy of heaven toward the lands below. It landed on a mountain
in the Ancient Spirit world.

The mountain collapsed, revealing a 30,000-meter sword.

Winds screamed in a tempest, and countless evil souls howled.

Emperor Ancient Spirit didn’t stop the sword.

Before long, a second chunk fell off of the lieutenant governor’s

broken face. Then a third and a fourth. They also flew up into the
sky, and when they pierced the canopy of heaven, thunderous
rumblings echoed out. A second 30,000-meter golden sword
descended and stabbed into the ground, followed by a third, a
fourth, and a fifth.

As more chunks fell off the lieutenant governor’s broken face, the
face grew smaller and smaller, until it finally collapsed. All the
pieces floated up.

A total of thirty-three chunks became thirty-three swords. Heaven

trembled as they stabbed into the ground.

All of this happened in the shortest of times. The light of heaven

dimmed as thirty-three massive swords stabbed into the ground in
a rough circle surrounding the broken face. All thirty-three of them
glowed with golden light, which turned into golden threads that
linked the swords together.

It was a massive, deadly spell formation.

Within the formation, the thirty-three swords thrummed, causing

the power of ancient time to surge toward them from all directions.
The Underworld River stopped moving, and a figure began to take
shape in the spot where the lieutenant governor had just
disappeared from.

1. The previous encounter with Emperor Ancient Spirit ended in

chapter 473. ☜
Chapter 536: Bai Xiaozhuo’s Grand Finale
(2)

The figure was no broken face. Instead, he was a whole person.

What was more, he looked a lot younger, and he was wearing

different clothing. There was something ancient about him. It was
as if this wasn’t the lieutenant governor, but rather, the true form of
Bai Xiaozhuo from Sea-Sealing County in the Sovereign Kingdom
of Violet and Cyan. As he stood there in the middle of the thirty-
three swords, looking out at heaven and earth, he eventually
turned to the huge eye of Emperor Ancient Spirit. Expression
bleak, he bowed to the eye.

“I am a minister from the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan,

which came to exist in later generations. I offer greetings, Emperor
Ancient Spirit. Since you aren’t willing to let me leave this place,
sir, and are determined to devour me, then I have no choice but to
employ the methods I’d intended to use on the outside.”

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s huge eye remained the same as ever, but
deep inside, something mysterious flickered briefly.

Bai Xiaozhuo then pointed at Xu Qing.

“Emperor Ancient Spirit, I will now open the door to Cruelmurk.

When Cruelmurk and your Ancient Spirit world combine, the
catastrophic consequences are not due to my wishes, but rather,
are the fault of this child.”

Xu Qing was currently safe in the Underworld River. Earlier, he

had found himself being pulled toward the chewing sounds at the
far end of the river. But as the river slowed to a halt, he also
stopped moving. During the entire time, he continued to bow at the
waist. He did not fight back, and he remained outstandingly
respectful.

Even when Bai Xiaozhuo pointed at him accusingly, he didn’t look

up.

Although he understood the implications of Bai Xiaozhuo’s words,

and had seen Bai Xiaozhuo employ such tactics earlier, Xu Qing
didn’t feel the need to do anything. His purpose in coming had
already been made clear, and he knew that he couldn’t do
anything to control the situation. He had already done everything
he could do. Therefore, he kept his head bowed and even closed
his eyes. There was no point in paying attention to what was
happening.

Emperor Ancient Spirit also paid no heed. Hē just looked at the

lieutenant governor, all while the sounds of swallowing got louder
in the area.

Bai Xiaozhuo stood there feeling increasingly uneasy. Regardless

of anything, though, he had to do something. Throwing both hands
overhead, he began to chant.

“By means of my karma, I call to Cruelmurk, and to my people

there.... Return to me!”

As the words left his mouth, the second canopy of heaven above
Sea-Sealing County in the outside world, which was restrained by
the golden net, suddenly began to vibrate. The ancient mountains
that had risen up collapsed. And as the living beings in Sea-
Sealing County recovered their senses, that second canopy of
heaven started fading from existence, and the evil souls that had
emerged went back to where they came from. A moment later, that
second canopy of heaven was gone.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Spirit Abyss, Xu Qing could see

that, in the sky above the corpse of the huge snake that was the
Ancient Spirit world, a vortex had appeared. It spun endlessly, as
that second canopy of heaven appeared again.

The giant snake shivered.

Howling erupted from the second canopy of heaven as hordes of

souls flew out. This time, the aura of Revered Ancient didn’t
interfere with them. And thus, there was nothing to stop the
deceased souls from the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan
from rushing toward the giant snake.

However, just as they appeared, the giant snake’s eyes opened.

They were listless and pale, but at the same time, a terrifying
pressure erupted from the snake’s body, which sent the Ancient
Spirit world atop its head straight toward the vortex. When they
slammed into each other, there was no rumbling boom. There was
no shock wave. There was only silent destruction.

The giant snake crumbled. The Ancient Spirit world atop its head...
crumbled. As it turned out, they were nothing but illusions.

At the same time, the second canopy of heaven and the countless
deceased souls from Violet and Cyan also crumbled. So did the
Land of Cruelmurk within the vortex. Like a bubble popping, they
were annihilated into nothing. None of them existed any longer.
The formation made from thirty-three golden swords was nowhere
to be seen.

Xu Qing wasn’t surprised.

Within the gigantic eye of Emperor Ancient Spirit, a faint light

glittered.

The lieutenant governor looked up at the sky above him, and when
he saw that it looked no different from before, he knew his tactic
had failed. He felt pain deep in his heart. It was almost as if he
could see the countless commoners of his county, wailing in
anguish as they were wiped out of existence. He breathed in and
out a few times, and as he did, he suddenly seemed to age
dramatically.
Sighing, he looked at Xu Qing. “You previously tried something like
what I just attempted?”

Xu Qing looked back at him and nodded. Considering that Xu Qing

had used a very similar method against Emperor Ancient Spirit, he
had predicted that the emperor would be on guard against such
methods, and would make sure not to fall victim to anything like
that again. As for how exactly things would play out, Xu Qing
hadn’t been totally sure, but he’d assumed it would involve some
manner of concealment or illusion.

From the expression on the lieutenant governor’s face, Xu Qing

could guess that Emperor Ancient Spirit hadn’t just concealed the
true Ancient Spirit world, but also, hē had set up counterattacks.

The lieutenant governor didn’t say anything in response. The

thirty-three golden swords were gone. The suppressed
Underworld River began to flow strongly again. The gravitational
force returned with a vengeance.

A bitter expression overtook the lieutenant governor’s face. All of

his plans. Everything he had prepared. They did no good. Right
now, he felt much the same way as the god in Forbidden by the
Immortal upon encountering Crimson Mother.

And the reason for this unexpected twist... was Xu Qing.

The lieutenant governor turned and looked at Xu Qing. The

bitterness on his face turned into calmness.
“I lost,” he said softly. He didn’t try to call out to the broken face of
the god. He knew it wouldn’t do any good. The god’s eyes
wouldn’t open because of him. Their deal had been concluded the
moment he awoke.

He also didn’t try to call for the help of the Crown Prince of Violet
and Cyan. He had lost. He had brought shame to his lord and
master, and felt too humiliated to face him. Nor could he bring
himself to plead for help. He didn’t want to be the reason his lord
and master clashed with Emperor Ancient Spirit.

Thankfully, I already arranged for my master’s skull to be returned.

Though Seventh Prince loves to sit around weighing the pros and
cons of everything, after everything he’s seen me do, he won’t go
back on the agreement we made.

Sighing, the lieutenant governor closed his eyes.

The thirty-three swords faded completely as they were swept over

by the boundless Underworld River. The lieutenant governor
himself was carried away by the rushing water. In the depths of
that river was an enormous mouth, into which the water flowed. It
got closer and closer.

The lieutenant governor was moments away from being devoured.

But then a violet bolt of lightning crashed down from beyond the
canopy of heaven. Moving with incredible speed, it pierced
through half of the Ancient Spirit world’s canopy of heaven. It
looked like the sky was going to be ripped in two.

Xu Qing looked up. The lieutenant governor shivered.

The eyes above all the imperial palaces in the Ancient Spirit world
opened and looked toward the sky. More mouths appeared in the
lands, and more Underworld Rivers swept through heaven and
earth. The entire Ancient Spirit world was trembling. Vastly more
evil souls, zombies, and war banners appeared than ever before.
Gigantic figures climbed from the depths, pulsing with terrifying
auras. Some were hundreds of meters tall, some thousands, some
tens of thousands, and they all howled toward the sky. It was as if
the Ancient Spirit world was coming alive.

The ground quaked, as if some massive being that lived beneath it

were moving. And all of the howling seemed to be telling that
lightning bolt something.

All of this is my food, and no one can take it away from me!

Heaven and earth were in a confrontation!

Xu Qing’s eyes glittered with cold light as he looked into the sky.
Killing intent swirled in his eyes. Meanwhile, the god’s finger within
him was trembling uncontrollably.

Īt was truly afraid.

Īt had originally assumed that after an incense stick’s worth of time
passed, īt could wrest control of the god body. When īt sensed
how formidable the lieutenant governor was, īt decided to hold
back a bit, to save some power until Xu Qing was dead, then flee.
There was no way īt could ever have guessed that Xu Qing would
bring īt here.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye hadn’t just shaken the lieutenant

governor, it also shook the god’s finger.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s hungry eyes, and the sound of

swallowing, filled that finger with infinite fear. And the fact that īts
true form was already dead pushed īts fear to the ultimate level.

And now, this aura had arrived.

If this brat manages to survive this day without getting devoured...

then as soon as I’m free, I’m going to possess the god body! I
definitely cannot allow him to just run around getting into trouble
with it!!

As the finger trembled, the lieutenant governor looked initially

excited, then ashamed. Bowing to the sky, he cried out, “My Lord!”

The violet lightning bolt grew brighter, and then, a familiar voice
spoke from within it.

“Senior, I want the time that belongs to him.”

“You can’t have it!” Emperor Ancient Spirit replied with divine will
that resonated with a tyrannical dao.

“I already took it.” The violet lightning bolt flickered in the sky.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye grew colder.

“Then screw the hell off!”

The violet lightning bolt coalesced in the sky, turning into a face
that very much resembled the broken face of the god. The face
looked down at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing looked up at it. It was a very, very familiar face.

“You’ve really grown up, lil’ bro.”

In response to those words, Emperor Ancient Spirit’s eye shivered.

At the same time, the god’s finger inside of Xu Qing trembled
violently and wailed, “I don’t want my body after all! I need to get
away!”

Xu Qing’s face remained expressionless. He said nothing.

The broken face in the sky similarly said nothing further. After
looking at Xu Qing for a short time, it faded into nothing.

Inside the Underworld River, the lieutenant governor kowtowed

respectfully.
“I, Xiaozhuo, am unable to follow you, Crown Prince. I wish you...
peace and security.”

With that, Bai Xiaozhuo looked up into the sky, his eyes filled with
reluctance and reminiscence. Finally, he stood, and without any
urging from the Underworld River, flew toward the huge mouth. His
expression was one of placid determination, as if he were dying for
a just cause. As he neared, he didn’t look back. But he did speak.

“Sea-Sealing County belongs to you now, Xu Qing. Take good

care of it.”

With that, Bai Xiaozhuo flew into the huge mouth. The chewing
sounds that emerged made it clear that the original governor of
Sea-Sealing County from the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and
Cyan had been destroyed in body and soul. He had been
devoured by Emperor Ancient Spirit.

Explaining the story of his life wouldn’t be an easy thing to do. And
it would very much be based on the perspective of who told it. Was
he loyal, evil, crafty, or ruthless? No simplistic explanation would
suffice.

Before long, a contented sigh echoed out in the Ancient Spirit

world. It was the sigh of someone who hadn’t eaten food for a
very, very long time, then tasted something delicious. Emperor
Ancient Spirit’s eye narrowed and shifted to focus on Xu Qing.
“Is the second batch of interest that thing you have inside your
body?”
Chapter 537: Trampling Thistles On The
Way To The Throne (1)

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s divine will echoed out like booming

thunder through the Ancient Spirit world. The words could be
heard with ears and felt in the mind and heart. Even the soul
would tremble in response to it. It was an intimidation from a
higher level of life, and also pressure because of the differences in
personhood involved.

The god’s finger went rigid. Terror flooded through īt, which quickly
transformed into grief and indignation.

The divine will locked onto Xu Qing’s ravaged body, causing his
flesh to vibrate. Despite his extraordinary body, it was still rapidly
crumbling away. His wounds were worsening, and the god power
he had left couldn’t keep him going much longer. Right now,
though, Xu Qing didn’t have time to worry about his injuries. He
had to work hard to just stay cool-headed. He knew full well that
he couldn’t afford to do anything to anger Emperor Ancient Spirit.

Before he could speak, Emperor Ancient Spirit lost patience.

Divine will rumbled into the dark sky, and the Underworld River
below roiled, revealing countless dead bodies within it. A
boundless gravitational force erupted, like a vortex, which swept
toward Xu Qing with greed and longing.
Xu Qing shivered as chunks of his flesh were ripped away, and his
life force began to scatter. From head to toe, he started decaying.

Inside of him, the god’s finger wailed in grief as īts soul collapsed
under the power of the gravitational force. The soul turned into
streams of black energy that seeped out of Xu Qing, then started
taking the shape of an illusory finger. To the god’s finger, it was a
process of agonizing pain. Emotions of grief and bitterness filled
the finger as īt bemoaned its extremely miserable existence. After
all, the finger was also a god....

However, the finger’s true form had been devoured by Crimson

Mother, and now it seemed escape was impossible from this
situation. Īt really wasn’t sure what was going on. Īt clearly had the
godly authority to control misfortune, and yet, īt was the one who
was struck by misfortune. Īt struggled in anguish, but no such
efforts amounted to anything. Īt had become prey in the mouth of a
predator, and struggling only made the teeth bite down harder.

More soul mist emerged from Xu Qing.

From a distance, the soul mist of a god caused everything around

Xu Qing to ripple and blur. The aura of a god was now starting to
pulse from the finger outside Xu Qing, which was rapidly
transforming from illusory to corporeal.

Xu Qing maintained silence. Emperor Ancient Spirit wasn’t just

interested in absorbing the god’s finger; Xu Qing’s life force and
god vitality was also being drawn out. As that happened, Xu
Qing’s personhood was dropping from that of a god to that of an
ordinary cultivator.

Xu Qing wasn’t surprised at all that Emperor Ancient Spirit would

reveal such malicious intentions.

He and Emperor Ancient Spirit weren’t exactly on good terms. And

a bit of food wasn’t going to turn things around in that regard. That
was one reason why he hadn’t wanted to use the spirit abyss
talisman unless he had absolutely, positively no other options.

Those who would pit the lion against the wolf ended up walking on
the edge of the cliff. And the slightest mistake could end with them
plummeting to their death.

However, because of the bit of good faith from earlier, at least Xu

Qing had the chance to speak up for himself.

“Your Majesty,” he said calmly, “were you pleased with the interest
I paid earlier?”

Emperor Ancient Spirit ignored him. The emperor seemed

completely focused on the snack that was taking shape above Xu
Qing’s head.

In fact, Emperor Ancient Spirit wasn’t even paying much attention

to extracting Xu Qing’s life force. That was how attractive that
sweet morsel was.
Seeing that, the god’s finger fell deeper into despair. As the shape
of the finger became more and more clear, Xu Qing once again
spoke, his voice devoid of any emotional fluctuations.

“Your Majesty, what you are absorbing isn’t the second batch of
interest. Sir, what you’re absorbing is a tool that I need to
temporarily borrow from you. If you take īt back now, I won’t be
able to pay any more interest.”

Xu Qing’s previous words had vanished as surely as if they were a

stone ox thrown into the ocean. Emperor Ancient Spirit didn’t
respond to them at all. But this time, Emperor Ancient Spirit’s huge
eye looked curiously at Xu Qing.

Countless evil souls swirled through the air, circling around Xu

Qing and pulsing with malicious longing. It became an aggressive
pressure that spread out into the area and weighed down on Xu
Qing.

Xu Qing looked up calmly at the huge eye. He ignored the fact that
his body was collapsing, and that his own blood was seeping out
everywhere. Previously, he had been about 90 meters tall, but now
he was back to the size of a normal person, except covered with
gaping wounds.

“Your Majesty, there’s a lot of food on the outside. But there aren’t
many people willing to deliver that food to you in here. In fact, I
might be the only one. If you consume that tool, and me as well,
then you won’t get any further interest payments.”

Xu Qing’s expression was one of open honesty. He wasn’t lying.

He had just shifted his wording when it came to who actually
owned the god’s finger, simply to make it easier to communicate
with Emperor Ancient Spirit. He was certain that an entity like
Emperor Ancient Spirit would be able to sense his sincerity. And
he was right. The reality was that the god’s finger had performed
perfectly in that critical moment, allowing Xu Qing to get close to
the broken face of the lieutenant governor. Without that, he
wouldn’t have been able to successfully teleport into the Ancient
Spirit world.

The gravitational force coming from the Underworld River

suddenly ceased.

That said, the sound of swallowing still echoed out everywhere.

Though it was under control, the sensation of hunger and greed it
conveyed was hair-raising. It was something that would cause
terror to well up in any living being who heard it, and would make
them feel like food that was about to be devoured.

The god’s finger was already eighty percent complete above Xu

Qing’s head. When the despairing finger heard Xu Qing’s words,
and realized he was trying to protect īt, īt felt indescribably excited
and nervous. That mixture of complex feelings swelled within the
finger, quickly overwhelming any hatred īt felt for him. After all, īt
knew that the only chance of salvation in this situation rested in Xu
Qing’s hands. As īt floated in the air, it exuded a sensation of
approval with divine will.

Emperor Ancient Spirit’s huge eye was fixed on Xu Qing.

Gradually, everything went quiet. The sound of swallowing and
heavy breathing drifted with the wind.

Shortly after, the gravitational force that had locked onto Xu Qing
faded away. The vortex in the Underworld River vanished, and the
river returned to its normal state.

The restraints on the god’s finger relaxed, allowing the finger to fly
back inside Xu Qing.

After everything īt had experienced, īt felt like īt had barely

escaped with īts life, and could still sense lingering fear. Because
Xu Qing’s body had collapsed, resulting in a huge reduction of god
vitality, īt had no interest in stirring up trouble. In fact, īt felt
completely exhausted, and was already having trouble thinking
clearly and even staying awake. At the same time, the incredible
danger īt sensed on the outside turned into a powerful seed that
took root inside. All īt wanted to do now was go back to that
familiar spot in D-132. Īt was used to the surroundings there,
which made sense considering most of īts life had been spent
there.... And it was a safe, quiet place where īt could sleep
comfortably.
Meanwhile, Emperor Ancient Spirit’s divine will echoed out.

“The next interest payment must be a crippled god! If you don’t

come with a crippled god, then you won’t be welcome in this
world.”

As the divine will echoed out, a host of soul strands swirled out
from the nearly evil souls. Gathering together in front of Xu Qing,
they turned into a talisman. It was the same spirit abyss talisman
Xu Qing had crushed earlier.

“And now, screw off!”

A vortex opened up behind Xu Qing. On the other side of it was

the very same abyss that Xu Qing had been to in Wood Spirit
territory.

Xu Qing looked at the vortex, then the talisman. Finally, he looked

up at Emperor Ancient Spirit. He was actually surprised. He had
previously assumed that before leaving, he would be marked with
a branding symbol or a warding spell. Yet, unexpectedly, that didn’t
happen.

Hē doesn’t think it’s worth it. Also, hē doesn’t seem worried that I’ll
summon another god here.... Combine that with the lieutenant
governor’s failure to summon Cruelmurk, I’d say it means that
Emperor Ancient Spirit has hidden the Ancient Spirit world even
better than I imagined.
Xu Qing looked around thoughtfully, and suddenly wondered if he
was actually standing in the same Ancient Spirit world he had
been to before. Was it possible that no one would ever be able to
find the real Ancient Spirit world again?

Regardless, Xu Qing could sense a bit of the daring and nerve that
Emperor Ancient Spirit must have possessed when conquering
Revered Ancient. Clasping hands and bowing, he took the
talisman and then turned to the vortex.

Before he could enter, Emperor Ancient Spirit’s divine will once

again echoed out.

“Given that you really did bring me some nice food, human child,
I’m going to give you a friendly reminder. Those life lamps in you
have enabled you to stand out as brilliant in that low level of yours.
But they’re a rickety amalgamation. They’re not made from your
own blood. Each one is packed with differing karma, and you’ll
have a hard time using them to reach the highest level.”

Xu Qing stopped in place and looked over his shoulder at Emperor

Ancient Spirit’s huge eye. “How can I resolve that issue, Your
Majesty?”

“Bring me the food I want, and I’ll tell you.” With that, the huge eye
closed.

Xu Qing nodded. He remembered his Eldest Brother mentioning

something similar to this, and now he was getting the same
information from Emperor Ancient Spirit. [1]

Bowing one last time to Emperor Ancient Spirit’s huge eye, Xu

Qing entered the vortex. Rumbling sounds swept out as he
disappeared. Then the vortex vanished.

After Xu Qing was gone, the Ancient Spirit world blurred.

The land, the sky, the evil souls, the zombies, the Underworld
River. All of them vanished like a popping bubble. The entire world
became a pearl, which then dropped down into the boundless
depths of the Spirit Abyss. After a time, a withered, mottled hand
appeared in the depths of the Spirit Abyss. It pulsed with an aura
of rot as it reached out and grabbed the pearl. A moment later,
chewing sounds could be heard. Shortly after that, a sigh of
contentment could be heard.

“Scrumptious! I hope the little punk brings something good to eat

next time. As for his delicious flavor... I’ll wait until he grows up a
bit before I devour him. Now, that Crown Prince of Violet and
Cyan... is quite interesting.”

***

Near the altar atop the Spirit Abyss, a figure could be seen slowly
climbing up the cliff.

Xu Qing’s wounds were influencing his speed. However, given

how he had just survived by the skin of his teeth, he found enough
energy in himself to keep moving. Slowly but surely, he kept
climbing toward the top. Blood flowed from his wounds, which
dripped down the cliff walls of the Spirit Abyss.

Xu Qing gritted his teeth as he struggled against the abyss’s

gravitational force. It took all the effort he could muster.
Unfortunately, there are sometimes things that will never happen
no matter how much you want them to, and similarly, many things
that will happen no matter how much you don’t want them to. Xu
Qing felt himself gradually losing consciousness.

He didn’t want to. But he was so exhausted, and was so physically

weakened, that unconsciousness gradually started to sweep over
his mind like the tide.

His vision blurred, and darkness began to take over everything.

But then, just barely, he saw a figure in white rushing toward him.

1. In chapter 117, the Captain explained that life lamps are

legacies passed down from the people who originally created
them. ☜
Chapter 537: Trampling Thistles On The
Way To The Throne (2)

Back in Sea-Sealing County, the moment Bai Xiaozhuo died, the

mountains and rivers of antiquity that had risen up throughout the
prefectures trembled. When the second canopy of heaven
disappeared earlier, they had begun to collapse. However, there
was a will sustaining them that prevented them from falling apart.
But now, they trembled so violently that they collapsed into pieces.
Those pieces turned into dust and then disappeared, as if they
were fading away into the past of tens of thousands of years ago.
The sky became clear, and the lands returned to their previous
state.

That said, the entire county was a disastrous mess. Ghastly scars
crisscrossed the lands of Sea-Sealing County. There were seas of
dead among all species, and many small nations and sects
belonging to humankind had been wiped out of existence.

The war itself had taken a huge toll on the population. Then the
lieutenant governor’s rebellion brought further calamity. Sea-
Sealing County, which had only just begun to recover, experienced
hail added atop snow.

Dead and wounded victims could be seen throughout all the

prefectures. The survivors looked around blankly, many of them
completely unaware of the reason for the catastrophe. The wails of
the mourners filled heaven and earth. It was the same in the
epicenter of the dramatic event, the county capital.

Grief filled the city. Although the blood rain was coming to an end,
the casualties here were worse than anywhere else. Eventually,
the night sky was revealed, and the moon looked down at
everything below.

Two puppets that were experimental god bodies hovered in the air
above the altar. Violent cracking sounds emanated from within
them. As the sounds spread, the puppets’ aura faded. When the
lieutenant governor died, and they lost their source, they opened
their eyes, revealing that they had lost all of their energy.

When that happened, Seventh Prince looked out at the county

capital and spoke in a voice that reached the ears of all the
despairing mortals.

“The Lieutenant Governor’s Coup seriously harmed Sea-Sealing

County. Heaven and earth are both furious. This is something that
cannot be tolerated! Officers and soldiers, heed my command:
crush all rebel elements from the Lieutenant Governor’s Mansion!
Bring brightness and clarity back to the lands of Sea-Sealing
County!”

In response, the commanders-in-chief rose into the air and shot in

unison toward the two puppets.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of commanders-in-chief closed in,
causing intense booms to shake heaven and earth.

Bursting with courage and determination, Seventh Prince seemed

to erupt after having been forced to keep control for so long, and
also attacked one of the puppets. Because he was going all out, a
massive projected image appeared behind him, ensuring that all
the mortals in the county capital could see clearly what was
happening.

The commanders-in-chief attacked with lightning speed, and thus,

the two puppets quickly lost their battle prowess and fell to the
ground.

Next, Seventh Prince’s massive illusory body threw its arms up,
thus preventing the blood rain from falling onto the city. The blood
rain fell on him instead, leaving streaks of rot as it streamed down
him. However, because Seventh Prince had blocked the rain with
his own body, the golden dragon could unleash a roar that
scattered the rain.

Meanwhile, the millions upon millions of troops outside the county

capital flew up into the air and unleashed magical techniques and
huge spell formations that drove away the mutagen.

Seventh Prince, who was widely regarded to be benevolent and

generous by nature, issued orders for his troops to spread through
the county capital to save the mortals. Because of his quick
thinking, many mortals who had been just about to experience
mutation, ended up saved. As a result, the scale of the mutation
disaster was greatly reduced. Before long, excited cheering and
songs of praise directed toward Seventh Prince could be heard in
all directions....

That said, the people in the capital were not blind and deaf fools.
The hearts of the people couldn’t be won so casually, and thus,
there were many people who didn’t cheer and sing. That was
especially true of the hundreds of thousands of cultivators from the
three palaces who were present below the altar. All of them were
looking coldly at Seventh Prince, their eyes filled with
disappointment, anger, and derision. Also visible in their eyes was
bitterness.

Many people were thinking about Palace Lord Kong. And many
people were thinking about the words used to eulogize Palace
Lord Kong after he fell in battle: he was the paragon of loyalty and
responsibility. [1]

But now, all of the credit and glory for the current victory was being
given to Seventh Prince. It was as if the performance that began
when Palace Lord Kong died was still playing out. After all, only
those people present knew the truth of what happened. And
though there were hundreds of thousands of them, compared to
the population of the county capital, or of humans in general, they
were like a tiny ripple on the surface of a massive body of water.
Of course, the limitations of mortals meant that they were even
more easily influenced. What was more, it was human nature to
easily forget the past. Before long, their memories of the event
would be hazy, and their attention would be focused on other
matters.

And Seventh Prince could easily use the pallid bolus as a way to
turn everything to his advantage. After all, when it came to the
lieutenant governor’s crimes, the fact that the pallid boluses were
actually poisonous was something that affected everyone in the
city. As for people outside of the county capital who had no idea
what happened, they would be even more easily swayed. They
would only hear one version of events.

Seventh Prince, who had just expanded human territory and

presided over the return of the Holytides, and who had just saved
Sea-Sealing County from imminent crisis, had again accomplished
the most amazing of deeds. Because of his glory, which already
made him shine like gold, even more people would believe
whatever he said.

The hearts of the people would be overwhelmed by the drama,

and any doubts would fade into nothing, eventually becoming
meaningless in a historical context.

That is... unless Xu Qing came back alive. Immediately!

If that happened, then everything would change. The hearts of the
people would have something else to focus on, and when the
destiny aura converged, everything would be different. That said,
most people didn’t think that was very likely to happen.

High in the air, Marquis Yao watched everything happening.

Closing his eyes, he sighed. He knew that his entire existence,
and any future success, depended on Seventh Prince. After all, he
had been saved by Seventh Prince, and had then revealed himself
while disguised as one of the prince’s commanders-in-chief. The
three deputy palace lords could only stand by silently. Qingqin
released a despondent cry, as he was also powerless to do
anything.

Master Seventh dropped to the ground to stand next to his senior

apprentice. The Captain opened his mouth to speak, but Master
Seventh shook his head.

“Just wait!” Master Seventh said in a loud voice that could be

heard by everyone in the county capital. “Before Xu Qing made his
stand today, he personally told me that he had a way to purge the
pallid bolus effects from anyone who consumed them. He can
ensure that no one in the capital city is harmed! If I ate a pallid
bolus, and some random person told me they could purge its
effects, I wouldn’t trust them. But you know who I would trust? The
one person who stepped forward and exposed the truth!”
Master Seventh’s words stirred the thoughts of countless people,
and caused Seventh Prince’s pupils to constrict.

The Captain’s eyes glittered, and he thought, Now this is what my

Master’s like! Ginger gets spicier the older it is, as they say!

Nodding, he chose not to say anything.

Master Seventh’s words caused all of the hundreds of thousands

of cultivators to look in his direction. Marquis Yao’s eyes glittered
brightly. Qingqin’s expression became one of hope. The three
deputy palace lords all looked at Master Seventh. If there was
anyone who truly understood Xu Qing, it would naturally be his
Master.

Thus, Master Seventh’s words struck the hundreds of thousands

of cultivators deeply. That was especially true considering the
hidden meaning in his words. Although some people might not
have realized the truth of what Master Seventh said before, now,
they did.

Up in the dome of heaven, Seventh Prince took a moment to calm

himself inwardly. Then he spoke in a calm voice.

“You people are letting your imaginations run wild! From the way
you’re looking at me, I can tell what you’re thinking. You believe
that I didn’t do anything to help today. But is that true? No, it’s not.
I did help!
“I’m the one who rescued Yao Tianyan. I didn’t stop him from
interfering earlier, which means I approved of his actions. If Yao
Tianyan hadn’t provided the final bit of evidence, would Xu Qing’s
enthusiasm have been enough?

“I admit that I was slightly suspicious of the lieutenant governor’s

true identity. But that’s why I saved Yao Tianyan to begin with. My
plan was to oversee the return of the Holytides, and ensure that
humankind was in a stable position. Then I would handle the
situation here.

“Considering how many of us fellow human cultivators sacrificed

their lives, considering the heavy price paid by our heroes,
considering all the hard work the emperor put into unleashing the
power of our Dawning Sun, I absolutely could not allow us to lose
any momentum!

“At a time when our armies are on the move reclaiming our
homeland, we can’t afford to have any chaos in the interior.
Therefore, I forced myself to be patient.

“Though you have no way of knowing this, I can tell you that the
puny Bai Xiaozhuo couldn’t possibly have done all of this by
himself. He obviously has a huge network of allies, plus the lord
and master he himself mentioned! After learning the truth of what
was going on, I chose to wait and see if that lord of his would show
up. What’s more, there’s another possibility to consider. It’s very
likely that, as long as I didn’t step in, his lord and master wouldn’t
step in. I... was a lurking threat keeping you safe!

“Perhaps you won’t be able to understand all of this. Perhaps you

will still be suspicious of me. But you can’t deny the significance of
my choices here.”

Below the altar, the hundreds of thousands of cultivators

maintained silence. None were giving stock to anything the
imperial prince was saying.

Seventh Prince sighed. Then his eyes hardened. “I can see why
you’d like to stand there waiting. But we can’t wait for the
reconstruction of Sea-Sealing County. We can’t wait for the
humans in the county capital to recover. We can’t wait to save the
tens of thousands of humans who need saving! At a critical
moment like this, when nonhumans are definitely thinking of
sowing chaos, our families, our sects, and our homes are all in
critical danger.

“Marquis Yao, heed my command. Cultivators of the three

palaces, heed my command. Officers and soldiers of Sea-Sealing
County, heed my command! All of you cooperate with the imperial
army to travel to all the prefectures in the county and crush any
signs of rebellion. Save all of the afflicted humans. This is your
responsibility!”
The hundreds of thousands of cultivators below the altar had
mixed expressions on their faces. What Seventh Prince said all
made sense, and there was no refutation any of them could
provide. It was their responsibility to do as he’d ordered. But once
they left the county capital, they would be truly scattered. It wasn’t
that they would never be able to reunite. But while they were gone,
it was entirely possible that everything could be flipped around.
Black could become white. The strategy of ‘divide and conquer’
was a blade that could cut in any direction.

The three deputy palace lords looked disappointed. Marquis Yao

sighed and was about to speak when, all of a sudden, he turned to
look off into the distance. Master Seventh shivered and looked in
the same direction. The Captain did the same, and already he was
breathing heavily, his eyes shining with blue light and his
expression one of delight. Even more delighted was Qingqin, who
let loose an excited cry.

“CAW!”

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators all sensed that

something was happening.

Seventh Prince frowned imperceptibly as he looked off into the

distance.

A beam of light streaked through the air toward the county capital.
It was not the speed of pseudo-Nascent Soul, but rather, that of
Void Returning. Soon, it became possible to see a gigantic Wood
Spirit moving at incredible speed. Standing on his shoulders was a
figure in a blood-stained uniform. As his garment flapped in the
wind, his eyes shone with unswerving determination. His good
looks were unrivaled in all heaven and earth. He was none other
than Xu Qing. Wrapped around his right wrist was a little white
snake which looked curiously in the direction of the county capital.

Xu Qing’s arrival caused excitement to fill the hearts of the

cultivators in the capital. Cheering broke out, creating a massive
sound wave that spread out, resonating with heaven and earth.

In the canopy of heaven, the four-clawed golden dragon let loose

a roar, and it pulsed with golden light that blessed Xu Qing. It also
exhaled dazzling clouds that lit up all creation. As a result, all
humans in the capital could clearly see what was happening. It
was the first time this dragon had created auspicious clouds for
someone other than an imperial prince.

The cheering in the county capital was so forceful the clouds

trembled, and surpassed the cheering that had been directed
toward Seventh Prince after Palace Lord Kong died and he
returned having won a great victory over the Holytides. Back then,
Xu Qing had been in the army outside the capital, and had looked
up silently as Seventh Prince received the adoration of the crowds.

Today, Seventh Prince was in the capital city looking out at the
crowds, and watching as Xu Qing returned to adoring cheering.
This time, Seventh Prince was the one looking on silently. Even
the statue of Ancient Emperor Dark Serenity trembled.

What was more, immense streams of destiny aura swept toward

Xu Qing and gathered above his head. As he neared, something
became visible even to the naked eye of the mortals. It was....

A crown!

1. Seventh Prince himself said that Palace Lord Kong was the
paragon of loyalty and responsibility in chapter 510. ☜

Deathblade's Thoughts Author’s thoughts translated from Chinese

(and slightly tweaked heh heh):This climactic part of the story is, in
my mind, only a beginning. Think of it as an appetizer. If things
play out as I have planned in my mind, the main course is still on
the way. The feast!I think of myself as a chef creating delicious
food for all of you. I hope you can see how carefully I’ve planned
everything out.Of course, it’s only possible to read this story on
Wuxiaworld because of the support of Champions. My dear
brothers and sisters, please, think about becoming a Champion of
this story!Going forward, I'm going to convert all of the author's
requests for monthly vote tickets into requests to become
Champions....

Author’s thoughts translated from Chinese (and slightly tweaked

heh heh):
This climactic part of the story is, in my mind, only a beginning.
Think of it as an appetizer. If things play out as I have planned in
my mind, the main course is still on the way. The feast!

I think of myself as a chef creating delicious food for all of you. I

hope you can see how carefully I’ve planned everything out.

Of course, it’s only possible to read this story on Wuxiaworld

because of the support of Champions. My dear brothers and
sisters, please, think about becoming a Champion of this story!

Going forward, I'm going to convert all of the author's requests for
monthly vote tickets into requests to become Champions....
Chapter 538: The Heart of the People
Contains Righteousness and the Dao

Someone who brings ruin to a government comes to bear a heavy

weight. In fact, a weight like that is enough to crush the soul and
leave one damned by myriad tribulations. Someone who survives
such an ordeal experiences something like nirvanic rebirth. Having
done so, they can soar beyond the highest heavens and become
the focus of all eyes.

As of this moment, Xu Qing, who had trampled thistles on the way

to the throne, was now returning. He was that person who had
experienced nirvanic rebirth. After experiencing the calamity he
did, then returning to be the center of attention, he was like the
most dazzling light in existence. His light burned so brightly that it
stoked the emotions of all living beings, burning away the pressure
that resulted from all the recent hardships.

Cheering filled heaven and earth. The sound soared along with the
wind.

The events of the past year or more had been difficult for everyone
in Sea-Sealing County. The death of the old governor left
everyone in a daze. Then war came, seemingly out of the blue.
Even as they were still in that daze, the death of Palace Lord Kong
struck like tribulation lightning, tearing apart Sea-Sealing County
and leaving the survivors deeply scarred. After the war ended, and
the reeling Sea-Sealing County finally started to recover, the
Lieutenant Governor’s Coup brought despair.

The people felt apprehensive, confused, bitter, and helpless. They

needed someone who could bring about real change. They
needed someone who could lead them through the crisis. In the
past, they had believed Palace Lord Kong to be that person,
except he died in battle. Later, they thought that person to be
Seventh Prince or the lieutenant governor....

But today, they fully believed it was Xu Qing! His moment of return
brought a change to the dome of heaven. Auspicious signs
proliferated, and the people cheered endlessly. Men and women.
Old and young. Cultivators and mortals. To them, there was only
one person worth looking at.

Xu Qing was the focus of all the eyes in the county capital.

The golden dragon roared. Qingqin released a piercing cry. The

destiny aura surged into the sky, swirled around, and formed a
dazzling crown over Xu Qing’s head.

And then, within the cheering, people started shouting something

very specific. It didn’t take long before others heard and approved,
then joined in shouting the same word.

“Governor!”
“Governor!”

As they cheered, the atmosphere in the county capital grew more

passionate. The Wood Spirit grand elder, at Xu Qing’s direction,
stopped about 300 meters outside the city wall. Xu Qing stood on
his shoulder, looking out at everything, his heart pounding.

Xu Qing was only twenty years old. Despite having learned a lot
from his Master and the Captain, he was currently struggling to
control his emotions. His goal had never been to assume the office
of governor. In fact, the thought had literally never occurred to him.
He had merely been following his heart and doing what he thought
needed to be done. Therefore, he just stood there outside of the
city thinking for a long moment. He was really at a loss.

But the cheering only grew louder, so he finally took a deep

breath, calmed himself, and walked into the city.

He went straight toward the altar. Everywhere he passed, the

mortals clasped hands and bowed. The cultivators did the same.
On every road he walked down, it was the same. The crown above
him became clearer and more eye-catching.

Eventually, he reached the square below the altar. The hundreds

of thousands of cultivators from the three palaces looked at him
with shining eyes as they clasped hands and bowed! No one
asked them to do it. It was just something they instinctively felt
they had to do after everything they had witnessed.
It was because of their respective fallen palace lords. It was
because of the old governor. It was because of the crisis Sea-
Sealing County had gone through. It was because of how Xu Qing
had bravely stepped out alone. For a number of reasons,
everyone was more than willing to bow to him.

Hundreds of thousands of people all bowed simultaneously,

causing the crown over Xu Qing’s head to thrum loudly as it
glowed with dazzling light.

The three deputy palace lords smiled as they also bowed. Among
them, Li Yunshan seemed the most grateful. The three honor
guards bowed as well, and they seemed almost dazed.

Master Seventh did not bow. Nor did the Captain. Of all the
residents of Sea-Sealing County, only those two, because of their
status, qualified to refrain from bowing. After all, they were
essentially Xu Qing’s family.

Master Seventh did nothing to hide the pride in his eyes. It was
bright and impossible to overlook. It was similar with the Captain,
who stuck his chest out and grinned, looking very pleased with
himself.

Meanwhile, Seventh Prince looked at Xu Qing approaching, then

at the crowd. He could tell that, going forward, no one in Sea-
Sealing County would be able to do a thing to Xu Qing.
Marquis Yao looked at Xu Qing and smiled, his eyes filled with a
very profound look, as well as determination. The marquis was
about to do something completely monumental. Something
unheard-of among humans. And he was the only one in the crowd
who qualified to try. After all, there was very little chance of anyone
succeeding at such a task. Ancient traditions were difficult to
break. Because of that, and many other reasons, what he was
about to do probably shouldn’t be possible.

But even if the result was failure, he still had to try. Sea-Sealing
County as a whole had made its wishes clear, and that was
something even the emperor would take seriously. Even if the
result was failure, it didn’t matter to Marquis Yao. He still had to
make the attempt. And if it didn’t work, he could always try again in
the future.

As Marquis Yao looked at Xu Qing, he thought, the heroic souls of

the governor and Brother Liangxiu in heaven would definitely
agree with what I’m about to attempt. Whether in public or private,
I need to make sure this kid is absolutely invincible in Sea-Sealing
County!

With such thoughts on his mind, Marquis Yao clasped hands and
bowed very deeply to Xu Qing. Then, he spoke in a somber voice
that echoed far and wide.

“Ask heaven!”
The moment the words left his mouth, the crowd exploded with
cheering so loud it shook the surroundings.

Seventh Prince sighed inwardly. Earlier, the random mortals

cheering ‘governor’ didn’t really mean much. Such shouting could
be chalked up to emotions running high, and they carried no
weight.

But for Marquis Yao to say what he had just said was completely
different. Asking heaven, asking earth, and asking the people...
was the ceremonial way to crown a new governor!

Throughout all human history, there had never been a pseudo-

Nascent Soul governor. This would definitely be something the
emperor paid very close attention to. That was especially true
considering that it was pushed forward by Yao Tianyan. He was
one of the few people who distinguished himself in opposing the
lieutenant governor. He was the only member of the old guard who
survived the war. What was more, he had been grievously
wronged in the whole affair. And of course, he had been one of the
five most powerful people in Sea-Sealing County. As such, he had
the authority to do this.

Seventh Prince’s thoughts raced as he considered all the

elements at play. I doubt my father will approve of this. But he
does have to consider the will of Sea-Sealing County as a whole.
And regardless, Yao Tianyan is clearly throwing caution to the
wind. He’s betting everything by publicly announcing to the world,
to the human species, and to the emperor himself that Sea-
Sealing County... approves of Xu Qing!

Xu Qing has ignited the hearts of the people, and that’s going to
make him difficult to deal with. He’s going to be like an ever-
burning flame.

Seventh Prince maintained silence. He could tell that public

sentiment had already been established.

The sky glittered as the image of the past governors, created by

the flow of destiny aura, stood tall and bore witness to the events
below.

No words were spoken in response to “ask heaven.” However,

there was a deafening crash of thunder, which was the canopy of
heaven in Sea-Sealing County providing the answer.

“Ask earth!” Marquis Yao said, his eyes shining. Intense rumbling
sounds echoed from the earth, providing the answer.

“Ask the people!” Marquis Yao said, looking out at the county
capital.

The hundreds of thousands of cultivators below the altar, as well

as the countless mortals in the city, all shouted their resounding
response.

“You may!”
“You may!”

The sound of the voices became like heavenly might filling the
world. It represented the voice of the people and the will of Sea-
Sealing County. Sea-Sealing County had made its choice!

As everyone looked at Xu Qing, and as the destiny aura

converged on him, his heart pounded with many emotions.
Looking around at everyone, he took all of those emotions and
made them part of a deep bow. He bowed to Marquis Yao. He
bowed to the cultivators of the three palaces. And he bowed to the
county capital. Deeply.

At this point, it didn’t matter if the emperor approved or not. Even if

there was no official governor in Sea-Sealing County, Xu Qing’s
words would carry more weight than those of anyone else. There
was no one in Sea-Sealing County with a higher standing than
him.

As the bright moon shone down, no one was paying any attention
to Seventh Prince. After a long moment of silence, Seventh Prince
laughed softly. He could tell what was happening. At that moment,
he made his decision to leave. He would take his army out of Sea-
Sealing County and toward the former Holytide battlefields. Only
there could he be in the limelight.

Before leaving, he turned to look at Xu Qing. Xu Qing’s return, and

the ceremony that resulted, had fixed the image of Xu Qing deeply
in Seventh Prince’s mind.

In addition to Yao Tianyan, there’s now a second person I’m going

to remember from Sea-Sealing County. My father will definitely
reprimand me for letting a lone hero like this take center stage. But
I can accept that.

With that, Seventh Prince made his departure.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Coup was over.

The forces of Sea-Sealing County were mobilized. Hundreds of

thousands of cultivators spread out to help purge the mutagen,
save the mortals, and restore order. As orders streamed out from
the county capital, the various prefectures of the county were
rescued from calamity. Because of all the various karma involved,
there was no attempt made to hide the truth about the Lieutenant
Governor’s Coup. Official announcements were made so that
everyone knew what happened.

The curtain closed on the coronation ceremony for the new

governor.

***

In the end of the tenth month of the year 2932 of the Dark War
calendar, the tumult in Sea-Sealing County was revealed to be the
work of the lieutenant governor, who was exposed as a member of
Torchlight. His real name was Bai Xiaozhuo, and he had served as
the governor of Sea-Sealing County in the days of the Sovereign
Kingdom of Violet and Cyan. By using a god magic, he was
reincarnated, and then sowed chaos in Sea-Sealing County.

The swordsage Xu Qing, who had received a 30,000-meter pillar

of light in the Grand Emperor’s assessment of the heart, stepped
out from the crowd during the coronation ceremony. Ignoring the
threat to his own life, as well as his own desires, he strongly
opposed the coronation. Then he revealed the truth about the
conspiracy, resolved the danger to Sea-Sealing County, and saved
everyone from a massive catastrophe.

The emperor was deeply moved.

In that same month, the emperor issued five edicts. The first edict
was a strong rebuke of Seventh Prince for his failure to manage
the situation properly.

The second edict put all members of Torchlight on the Most

Wanted list. In all counties and prefectures, the Five Greater
Celestial Divisions, and all associated government departments,
were to scour the lands and kill anyone connected to Torchlight.

The third edict named Yao Tianyan, direct descendant of Heavenly

Marquis Yao, as the acting governor of Sea-Sealing County. It also
named the righteous folk hero Zheng Kaiyi as the new lieutenant
governor, and gave him the authority to recommend a new
governor for the county, as long as that person was in the Void
Returning level. If so, then Sea-Sealing County could appoint a
new governor with no further formalities. [1]

The fourth edict removed the commanders-in-chief as the palace

lords of the three palaces, and instead promoted the existing
deputy palace lords to those positions.

The fifth edict bestowed swordsage Xu Qing with a golden identity

medallion, a yellow robe, the right to attend the Imperial University,
and grade-one battle credit.[2]

***

Those five imperial edicts were announced publicly everywhere.

In a very short time, all human regions and counties were deeply
shaken, and Xu Qing’s name spread far and wide.

There were two things in those edicts that were particularly

important. The first was Zheng Kaiyi’s mission. The second was
Sea-Sealing County’s right to appoint a new governor with no
further formalities.

Clearly, the emperor knew how important the situation was, but at
the same time, couldn’t change the law. That said, he wasn’t going
to ignore Sea-Sealing County’s wishes. That was why he gave
such an important mission to Master Seventh. After all, everyone
in Sea-Sealing County now knew about the relationship between
Master Seventh and Xu Qing. As for the new governor being able
to take office without further formalities, that essentially
guaranteed that as long as Xu Qing reached Void Returning…
then he would be the governor of Sea-Sealing County.

Sea-Sealing County’s moment of catastrophe had passed.

Everything... went back to normal.

But to Xu Qing, it was just a new starting point. It was time to set
sail again....

1. In case you forgot, Zheng Kaiyi is Master Seventh’s name, as

revealed in chapter 113. It was only mentioned a few times other
than that, specifically in , , , and . ☜

2. Historically speaking, the ‘Imperial University’ was a real life

school; it was the highest ranking educational establishment in
certain dynasties in ancient China. ☜

Deathblade's ThoughtsThis is the end of End of Volume 6: Clear

and Bright. Here is the solar terms link.

This is the end of End of Volume 6: Clear and Bright. Here is the
solar terms link.