Chapter 1211 - Aurora Beyond Heavens

Xu Qing looked up at the Poison Lord and, after a moment, bowed deeply. "I will follow your orders!" He wanted this poisonous fruit! The Poison Lord was not surprised by this response. In his assessment, this Xu Qing before him was someone just like himself. To become stronger, to break through, to climb higher, one could negotiate with a tiger! To the other party, he was the tiger. And to himself, the other party also wore a tiger's skin, for it was the Immortal Sovereign who once said not to entangle with those who bring karma. "But this makes it all the more interesting." The Poison Lord chuckled, waved his grand sleeve, and walked forward. His figure gradually blurred, seeming to merge with the heavens and earth, until finally disappearing without a trace. Only his voice lingered in the world. "Xu Qing, take care of yourself." As he departed, the world returned to normalcy, and a wisp of golden starlight drifted from the firmament, landing on Xu Qing, forming a pull that lifted Xu Qing into the sky. Ascending towards the celestial canopy, he was to be sent away from this star where the Resource Management Division was located. Xu Qing did not resist, allowing the starlight to guide him. As he ascended, the star beneath him grew smaller in his eyes, while his thoughts expanded. Although the Immortal Fruit was poisonous, its flesh was extremely delicious. The pros and cons were crystal clear. Moreover, Xu Qing did not believe that by not consuming this Immortal Fruit, the other party would truly retract all malicious intentions. This malice pertained to their advancement, and thus future confrontations would inevitably occur. Therefore, rather than pinning his hopes on the minuscule possibility that the other party would abandon such intentions, Xu Qing preferred to seize the opportunity himself. Especially since he was acutely aware that what he currently lacked was time and the resources needed for cultivation. He needed this pretext to bolster his cultivation. Given this, rather than worrying about future poison outbreaks, it was better to... Consume it first to accelerate one's growth. Just like back when he hadn't started cultivating, in the city where the remnants of the face opened their eyes, he knew that cultivation would speed up the increase of foreign elements, yet he still chose to cultivate. His mindset was exactly the same. So to some extent, Poison Lord's judgment was correct. Xu Qing and he were indeed the same kind of people in this regard. "As for the outbreak of poison, it is not entirely irresolvable..." Xu Qing squinted, the stars in his eyes becoming smaller, and the entire Reception Universe gradually re-entered his sight. Finally... when the entirety of the Reception Universe appeared before his eyes, he had already left the Reception Universe under the pull of starlight. He appeared in the starry sky, outside the Reception Universe, seeing Xinghuanzi and other cultivators. They were waiting. At the moment they saw Xu Qing's figure, their gazes gathered, and Xu Qing's body paused in the starry sky. Then, he raised his hand and waved, and the ring given by Poison Lord opened in front of him, the items signifying the identity and status of a Provision Envoy flying out. They were gray jade slips. Each person took one, their divine senses merging, their bodies glowing brilliantly, transforming into gray Hundred Pocket Robes. Here with Xu Qing, after a moment of blur, a Hundred Pocket Robe belonging to him appeared outside his body. So from a distance, the eighty-nine cultivators wore identical uniforms, neat and uniform, inexplicably exuding some external pressure. Zhou Zhengli, with a solemn expression, stepped forward and bowed to Xu Qing, transmitting a divine thought. "Greetings, Captain!" The other ascendants, regardless of their inner thoughts, also bowed at this moment. Far Mountain Su did the same, while Thousand Army and Expel hesitated, about to bow, but seeing Xinghuanzi unmoved beside them, they too became arrogant. Xu Qing's gaze swept over, paying no mind to this, instead taking out a mission jade slip and displaying it, imprinting it into the perception of everyone present. As the first mission of their role as Provision Envoy, they were assigned to a place called the Huntian Universe. They were to go there and collect resources! However, the Huntian Universe possesses certain peculiarities. It does not lie within the Nine Shores Heaven! Its location is what was once another Outer Heaven. Moreover, it is not under the jurisdiction of the eleven Immortal Lords! To be precise, this Outer Heaven became an ownerless sky due to the fall of its affiliated Immortal Lord... As for the name of this Outer Heaven, it has already been erased. Seeing this scene from the mission jade slip, Xu Qing's mind was stirred with waves. He was not the only one; among the ascendants here, figures like Xinghuanzi and other former stars also wore strange expressions. This was because, within the entire Fifth Star Ring, the only place that met these conditions was... the former Aurora Beyond Heavens! Instinctively, Li Mengtu and Zhou Zhengli looked towards Xu Qing. Even Thousand Army and Expel, even Far Mountain Su, and Xinghuanzi... all could not help but gaze at Xu Qing. Indeed, their experiences within the Aurora Immortal Palace in history, along with Xu Qing's identity as the Young Lord of Aurora, left a profound impression on them. Xu Qing squinted his eyes and continued to examine the mission jade slip. The jade slip also stated that to travel to the Huntian Universe, one must carry the mission jade slip to the designated teleportation site for the specified transfer. Moreover, because this Outer Heaven lost its master, it became a public place on one hand, and on the other hand, the indigenous races within it, due to historical legacies, developed a rebellious nature in their mindset and behavior. After all, there is no longer a direct heaven above them. With the intrusion of other Outer Heavens, divisions naturally formed, with various forces backing them. Overall, compared to other Outer Heavens, it resembles more of a chaotic martial world, and its waters run deep. Within it, among countless universes, many alien races and complex forces exist, and the number of divine being prisons ranks among the top in all Outer Heavens. After all, the Aurora Immortal Lord of old was considered the pinnacle of combat power among all Immortal Lords. Regarding this journey to the Huntian Universe, the jade slip also introduces that this universe is located at the edge of this Outer Heaven, managed by the Huntian Imperial Family, and contains thirty-one divine being prisons. Among these thirty-one places, the largest is the Jiǎ Number Twenty-Nine Prison, where most of the detainees are in the divine platform realm. As the jade slip's information was fully perceived by everyone, Xu Qing put it away, and after his gaze swept over the people before him, he said nothing, his body flickered, and he proceeded towards the nearest teleportation site as indicated by the jade slip. Zhou Zhengli and Li Mengtu exchanged a glance and immediately followed. The others also showed a gleam in their eyes and proceeded together. Thus, this group of people, grand and mighty, transformed into eighty-nine streaks of long rainbows, swiftly traversing the starry sky. Their speed was exceedingly fast, causing passing cultivators to frown and avoid them upon noticing, steering clear. Clearly, the Provision Envoy's infamous reputation, akin to wolves and tigers, was such that most were unwilling to engage if avoidable. And so, half a month later, within the Nine Shores Heaven, on a teleportation platform built from ancient stars, Xu Qing and the others successively landed. As Xu Qing took out the mission jade slip, the platform resonated with a booming sound. In the next moment, the power of teleportation erupted, forming circular ripples of vast might that spread in all directions. Including Xu Qing, everyone on the platform suddenly vanished. This teleportation lasted a full five days before it concluded. When they reappeared, they found themselves in an unfamiliar starry sky, on a crimson stone platform filled with cracks, exuding an ancient and weathered aura. This stone platform radiated high temperatures, which were rapidly cooling. Evidently, the teleportation between Outer Heaven places a significant burden on the teleportation array, and such an unprecedented teleportation demands equally high requirements on the cultivators themselves. If one's cultivation is insufficient, they might be annihilated during the teleportation, with their mind also unable to have any flaws, lest they become lost in the unique state of transmission and be destroyed along with their form. Thus, the moment they appeared, several dozen people immediately spewed blood and sat down cross-legged to recuperate. Others appeared bewildered, their souls seemingly in turmoil. Even Xu Qing and Xinghuanzi felt discomfort. Fortunately, those who could become ascenders were all honed through trials, with cultivation and mind that stood out among their peers in the outside world. So even though the teleportation between Outer Heaven affected them, they gradually recovered and began to disperse their divine senses to observe their surroundings. The starry sky here lacked much light. The starlight was noticeably dim, and the spiritual energy was considerably sparse. This was a desolate place. "This place is the Huntian Universe." Xu Qing stood on the stone platform, gazing into the distance before glancing at Zhou Zhengli. Zhou Zhengli immediately understood, stepped forward, and bowed to Xu Qing before speaking. "Young Master, everyone is aware of the mission and the standard for primal essence this time." "I suggest we disperse individually." "Regardless of the process, just bring back your share when you return." "If you encounter obstacles during this period, seek nearby assistance at the cost of primal essence." "Of course, if in the end, the issue remains unresolved, the Young Master will need to intervene, but naturally, sufficient primal essence will be required for the Young Master to act." "Young Master, what do you think?" Zhou Zhengli looked at Xu Qing. Xu Qing nodded, as he was reluctant to manage the arrangements and understood that everyone needed primal essence, making selfish motives inevitable. In that case, it was better for everyone to scavenge on their own. "I'll take care of Prison Twenty-Nine of Area A, and you can negotiate among yourselves for the other locations." After Xu Qing finished speaking, his body flickered and he dashed towards the distant starry sky, disappearing in an instant. The Prison Twenty-Nine of Area A he headed to was the largest divine beings' prison in the Huntian Universe. After he left, the others exchanged a glance, communicated briefly, and then, like locusts, dispersed individually or in groups of three to five, rushing into different areas. Meanwhile, deep within this Huntian Universe, in a cluster of galaxies, floated an extravagant and enormous imperial palace. Inside the palace, music and dance flourished. A giant with a crimson body and two faces, front and back, sat on the imperial throne, resting his head on one hand, lost in thought. Soon, a jade slip flew swiftly outside the palace, landing before the giant and shattering with a bang, revealing a figure who knelt and bowed before the two-faced giant. "My King, a procurement team from the Nine Shores of Outer Heaven has intruded into our Huntian Universe!" The two-faced giant remained expressionless, still watching the music and dance below, and after a while, spoke indifferently. "The usual practice, arrange some primal essence for them to find. If these strays know what's good for them, they'll leave after gnawing on the bone." "If they don't, then let them learn who is truly the master of the Huntian Universe."